A rare collection of Mahatma Gandhi’s personal letters, notes dictated to his grand niece, Manuben Gan-dhi, who documented them in her personal diaries, will get a new lease of life at the National Archives of India.
Gandhian academicians claim that diaries Manuben had recorded life of Gandhi after 1920 in exhaustive details Mahatama Gandhi. The diaries written in Gujarati language have several detailed accounts of Mahatma’s journeys, his speeches, observations and letters which were dictated to his grand niece Manuben Gandhi.
“This is a priceless collection of information about Mahatma Gandhi. Out of 20 diaries four diaries are personal while the other 16 are dictations of Gandhi to his grand niece of letters and speeches,” former director of Gandhi Museum at Raj Ghat Dr Varsha Das, said.
“Manuben used to write daily about Gandhi’s journeys and his interaction with other leaders. Every night Gandhi used to sign each page of diary and also comment about the diary entries. I have seen the diaries. Sometime he (Gandhi) wrote good and sometime he would even say that a trifle doesn’t need such a long description,” Dr Das added.
The rare collection also has a calendar which Gandhi used to teach geometry to Manuben while he was in Agha Khan jail. The collection of diaries were kept in Gandhi Museum in Rajghat. The collection has recently been brought to NAI where the work of restoration has started. “Over 80-90yrs old diaries are not in a very dilapidated condition. So I thought of handing it over to NAI as they have the facility and expertise to take care of such stuff,” Dr Das said.
The collection also has personal letters written by both Mahatma Gandhi and Manuben Gandhi to contemporary national and international important personalities. The collection also has rare collection of paper slips on which Gandhi used to write instructions, comments and questions when he observed silence or fast during freedom struggle movements.
“Once translated, the diaries will reveal lot of new things about Gandhi to the world, which are unknown to scholars and common people. We are looking for someone who can translate these diaries and then will publish translation,” director-general of NAI Prof Mushirul Hasan, said.