Gandhi's letter to H. S. L. Polak

Summary

In 1909 Henry Polak, one of Gandhi's close friends, was on a visit to India to lobby for South African Indians. In this letter Gandhi gives him a preview of HS. [Ed.]

October 14, 1909

London

My dear Henry,

… As you will be seeing practically the whole of India – a privilege I have myself not yet been able to enjoy – I think I should jot down the definite conclusions to which I have almost arrived after more matured observations made here.

The thing was brewing in my mind, but there was no certain clear light. The heart and brain became more active after I accepted the invitation of the Peace and Arbitration Society to speak to them on ‘East and West’. It came off last night. I think this meeting was a splendid success; they were earnest folk, but some insolent questions were put on the South African situation. You will not be surprised to learn that even in Hampstead there were men enough to stand up for the tragedy in South Africa, and to talk all the claptrap about the Indian trader being a canker, and what not. A dear old lady got up and said that I had uttered disloyal sentiments and, just as we have to deal with idolaters in South Africa who would think of and cling to form and superficiality as in the case of finger-impressions, so had I last night in the Friends' Meeting House.