Gandhi

Gandhi

And now I want to tell you a little about my visit with Mahatma Gandhi, at Wardha. As soon as I arrived at Bombay, there was a message to the effect that Gandhi would receive me, that I should come at any time and stay as long as I wished. And, of course, I wanted to pay my respects to him, admiring and venerating him greatly and knowing that he is best loved of all in India. I had only three days to spend at Wardha, not a very long time for what we had to consider, because when the Mahatma was asked if he was going to be converted by Margaret Sanger, he replied that he was going to convert her. However, I arrived at Wardha on Monday, to find that this was Gandhi’s day of silence, so I could not talk with him. However, I did have the opportunity of talking with some of the members in his household. All arose at four o’clock in the morning, and from five to six gathered for prayers. On the second day of my visit, starting at seven o’clock promptly, the Mahatma and I walked for an hour. This was very delightful, even though there was no “shop talk” while we were walking to the village and back. We had breakfast at eleven and supper at five, and in the intervals we conferred. He ate sparingly, but the rest of us had more than we could eat and in abundance. Of course, he had this secretary and I had mine, and they took down every one of our “golden words.” Gandhi agreed with me in principle, and I agreed with him in principle. He said he was a greater feminist than I was, because he believed women should have everything to say about babies. I said I thought it should be fifty-fifty; that the woman should say “when” and the man should say “how many,” as he has to support them. Gandhi said he was informed, that he knew what women had to go through. He said he did not believe that India has a particular problem in population. He felt that if India ever developed and fulfilled her own destiny, she could solve her own population problem. Of course, we disagreed on that.

We discussed marriage, remarriage, and divorce; we discussed population from every aspect; we discussed continence, the safe period or rhythm, and birth control. He told me that continence would be better for the people’s spiritual development. I replied that until people come to that point and accepted continence in practice, it would be far better to use the safest methods of birth control and bring about a solution of their national and family problems. Incidentally, Dr. Tagore encouraged me greatly by agreeing on this particular question.

I have just one more story to tell you before I finish. I was the guest for a short time at the home of a very cultured family who had three girls, but no sons. My coming had been discussed and the youngest child, who was very precocious, had thought over what she had heard. Finally she came to her father and said: “Daddy, if you had met Margaret Sanger before I was born, would I be here?” And her Daddy took her up in his arms and gave her the answer which I am sure you will all feel every parent should be able to give his children. He said, “Joan, dear, if there were a hundred Margaret Sangers you would still be here, because we wanted you!!”