I have a vision too of her brave, frail, pain worn hand which must have held aloft the lamp of her country’s honour undimmed in an alien land, working at rough garments for wounded soldiers in another.
The great South African leader who, to quote Mr. Gokhale’s apt phrase, had moulded heroes out of clay, was reclining, a little ill and weary, on the floor eating has frugal meal of nuts and fruits (which I shared) and his wife was busy and content as though she were a mere modest housewife absorbed in a hundred details of household service, and not the world famed heroine of a hundred noble sufferings in a nation’s cause. (From letter to Lady Mehta on Mrs Gandhi, February, 1915)
Dr. SUBRAMANIA IYER
It is a life every incident in which from the day on which he set his foot on the South African sol to the day on which he left it, deserves to be recorded in every vernacular of this country in chaste and impressive language and distributed broadcast so that the knowledge thereof may extend to every man, woman or child (cheers). The work done by him is such as to extort from the historians of this century admiration. Great as has been the work done by him, my conviction is that the work he has done is simply a preparation to what he is destined to do in the future (cheers).
What is wanted in India is not so much martial capacity, physical force, power to threaten other people. We want the soul-force which Mr. Gandhi is trying to work up. Soul-force consists in a man being prepared io undergo any physical or mental suffering, taking the precaution that he will not lay a single finger to inflict physical force upon the other side. It was that soul-force that was manifested by the South African Indians and it was the same force that should be developed in this country. [Speech in Madras in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Gandhi, June, 1915.]
SIR RABINDRANATH TAGORE
The power our fellow-countrymen have shown in standing firm for their cause under severest trials, fighting unarmed against fearful odds, has given us a firmer faith in the strength of the God that can defy sufferings and defeats at the hands of physical supremacy, that can make its gains of its losses. [Letter to Mr. Gandhi.]
BAL GANGADHAR TILAK
The duty of every patriot is to insist on the oppressions, miseries and complaints of the people in such a way that they may compel the attention ot the Government and force them to bring in reform. Mr. Gandhi did this duty very well, and so he deserves the honour and praise given to him by the public. [From the Foreword to Mr. Gandhi’s "Life" in Marathi.]
