Gandhi, Amidst His Struggle For Indian Independence, Offers Himself as a Pen Pal to an American Teenager

The Sabarmati Ashram was founded on May 25, 1915 in Ahmedabad when Gandhi returned to India from South Africa with 25 followers. It was Gandhi’s home from 1917 until 1930, and served as one of the main centers of the Indian freedom struggle. Originally called the Satyagraha Ashram, reflecting the movement toward passive resistance launched by the Mahatma, the Ashram was created with a dual mission: to serve as an institution that would carry on a search for truth, and a platform to bring together a group of workers committed to non-violence who would help secure freedom for India. While at the Ashram, Gandhi formed a school that focused on manual labour, agriculture, and literacy to advance his efforts for self-sufficiency. It was also from here on the March 12, 1930, that Gandhi launched the famous Dandi [Salt] March 241 miles from the Ashram to the sea in protest of the British Salt Law, which taxed Indian salt in an effort to promote sales of British salt in India.

After World War I ended, Gandhi stepped up his activities aimed at gaining independence for India. On August 1, 1920, he instituted the Non-Cooperation Movement by calling on Indians to refuse to cooperate with British rule in India. By March 10, 1922, the British had had enough of Gandhi and arrested him for sedition. He was given a six year sentence, and served two years before being released from prison in January 1924. He was then released and returned to the Ashram.

On May 4,1925, just over a year after being released from prison, Gandhi got a letter from 15-year old Fred Campbell in Kansas City asking why Gandhi hated the British. “A few days ago I heard a sermon in one of our Christian churches in which the minister gave a vivid account of your fasting in order to stop the hard feeling between the Mohammedans and the Hindus… the man said that you were the foremost example of Christ today, although you are not a Christian. After hearing this, I determined to read more about you. In this I read of your troubles with the British. What is your main reason for hatred towards them? Is it a commercial matter? If you could find time to answer this, I would be more than pleased. I am thanking you in advance.”

On July 28, 1925, Gandhi replied back in a famous letter, taking the opportunity to personally respond to this allegation. “My dear young friend, I like your frank and sincere letter for which I thank you. You seem to have taken it for granted that I hate the British. What makes you think so? I have hundreds of friends among the British people. I cannot love the Mussalmans [Muslims] and for that matter the Hindus if I hate the British. My love is not an exclusive affair. If I hate the British today, I would have to hate the Mohammedans tomorrow and the Hindus the day after. But what I do detest is the system of government that the British have set up in my country. It has almost brought about the economic and moral ruin of the people of India. But just as I love my wife and my children, in spite of their faults which are many, I love also the British in spite of the bad system for which they have unfortunately made themselves responsible. That love which is blind is no love, that love which shuts its eyes to the faults of loved ones is partial and even dangerous. You must write again if this letter does not satisfy you.”

Young Campbell followed up on March 16, 1926, with a letter requesting that Gandhi put him in touch with a 16-year old Indian pen pal who spoke English, and Gandhi responded by movingly offering himself as the pen pal. Typed letter signed, Ashram Sabarmati, April 23, 1926. “I have your letter. Much as I would like to accommodate you, you have asked me to do almost the impossible. I cannot get a 16-year-old lad to write to you in English for the simple reason that his mother tongue would be an Indian language. Spanish is out of question. No doubt there are some Anglicized Indian families where English is taught from infancy. But in order to get one such boy I shall have to hawk your letter about from place to place which I am sure you would not want or expect me to do. But if you want to open correspondence with a grown-up person who can write with the freshness of youth, I might succeed.” The original stamped, postmarked envelope is still present.

This is a wonderful letter that not only shows Gandhi’s willingness to take his precious time to write to a foreign teenager, but also his view of himself as young in thought though older in years.