RECONCILIATION AND FAMILY HARMONY: GANDHI’S LETTERS ON LIFE IN SINDH, 1938–1940
A group of nine letters, notes, postcards and communications addressed principally to Anand T Hingorani, Vidya Hingorani, Totaram Hingorani and K B Kewalramani between February 1938 and November 1940, concerning family reconciliation, relations between Anand and his father, domestic stability, life in Sindh, economic independence, service, health, and Gandhi's continuing efforts to preserve harmony within the extended Hingorani family.
Comprising:
Note No. 1, to Anand T Hingorani, Haripura, 21 February 1938.
Paper; English; handwritten in pencil; Silent-Day note; post-note by Anand T Hingorani. Gandhi advises Anand to settle in Nainital if circumstances permit, urges him to forget past grievances with his father, and remarks that dwelling upon old wounds is merely "to irritate the boil". Written during Gandhi's silence day at the Haripura Congress.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 73, Letter No. 1, p. 1.
Letter No. 211, to Vidya A Hingorani, Bannu, 25 October 1938.
Postcard; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi invites Vidya to reside at the Mahila Ashram subject to permission from Jamnalal Bajaj and comments affectionately upon Anand and Mahadev.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 74, Letter No. 211, p. 155.
Letter No. 336, to Anand T Hingorani, 26 November 1938.
Postcard; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi informs Anand that he has forwarded his letter to Totaram Hingorani and personally written to him in an effort to improve family relations.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 74, Letter No. 336, p. 251.
Letter No. 274, to Totaram Hingorani, Segaon, Wardha, 7 August 1939.
Paper; front and back; English; handwritten in black ink; signed "M. K. Gandhi". One of the most important letters in the lot. Gandhi expresses his pleasure that Totaram has reconciled with Anand and Vidya and notes approvingly that they are able to render him filial service.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 76, Letter No. 274, p. 216.
Letter No. 275, to Anand T Hingorani, Segaon, Wardha, 7 August 1939.
Envelope; paper; front and back; English; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi endorses Anand's decision to enter business, insisting that honest work undertaken to support one's family is itself a service to the nation. He encourages Anand to fulfil his father's wishes while continuing Harijan work.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 76, Letter No. 275, p. 216.
Letter No. 117, to Anand T. Hingorani, Sevagram, Wardha, 5 April 1940.
Paper; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi declines Anand's request for a testimonial regarding a proposed publication, remarking characteristically that he cannot be expected to praise a collection of his own writings.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 78, Letter No. 117, p. 117.
Letter No. 265, to Anand T Hingorani, Segaon, Wardha, 4 October 1940.
Envelope, paper, Hindi, handwritten in blue ink, Segaon stamp, and autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi comments upon Anand's health, publishing activities, and improved relations with his father, encouraging him to remain content and continue serving according to his capacity.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 79, Letter No. 265, p. 281.
Letter No. 408, to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram, Wardha, 16 November 1940.
Postcard; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; Sevagram letterhead; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi encourages Anand to continue his work while safeguarding his health and acknowledges the support being given to Amtussalaam.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 79, Letter No. 408, p. 385.
Letter No. 432, to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram, Wardha, 25 November 1940.
Postcard; English; handwritten in black ink; Sevagram letterhead; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi thanks Anand for his letters, enquires after Jairamdas's, Vidya's and Anand's health, and encourages continued correspondence.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 79, Letter No. 124, p. 71.
Together nine letters, postcards, notes and communications, including a Silent-Day note, postcards in Hindi and English, Sevagram correspondence, and letters signed both "Bapu" and "M. K. Gandhi", written between 1938 and 1940 and documenting Gandhi's efforts to reconcile Anand Hingorani with his father, encourage economic independence, and preserve harmony within the wider Hingorani family.
“Forget the Past”: Gandhi’s Efforts to Heal a Divided Family
These letters document one of the most satisfying developments within the Gandhi-Hingorani correspondence: the gradual reconciliation between Anand Hingorani and his father Totaram Hingorani after years of strain, uncertainty, and emotional distance.
The sequence opens at the Haripura Congress of 1938, where Gandhi advises Anand to establish himself independently while simultaneously urging him to relinquish resentment towards his father. His terse observation that continued attachment to old grievances would be "to irritate the boil" encapsulates his practical understanding of family conflict and emotional healing.
Over the following months Gandhi remains actively involved in the affairs of the family. He advises Vidya regarding residence at the Mahila Ashram, monitors the couple's welfare, and serves as an intermediary in communications between father and son. By late 1938 he reports confidently that he has written personally to Totaram and predicts that reconciliation will follow.
The culmination arrives in August 1939. Writing separately to father and son on the same day, Gandhi celebrates the restoration of family harmony. His letter to Totaram expresses joy that Anand and Vidya are once again near him and able to render filial service. His companion letter to Anand is equally revealing. Rather than encouraging withdrawal into public work, Gandhi insists that earning an honest livelihood, supporting one's family, and fulfilling a father's legitimate wishes are themselves forms of national service. The letter offers one of the clearest statements in the archive of Gandhi's belief that constructive citizenship begins within the family.
The later letters show the fruits of that reconciliation. Family relations are described as harmonious; Anand's publishing activities continue; Gandhi remains interested in his health and welfare; and the correspondence assumes a calmer and more settled tone. The crisis has passed; what remains is friendship, service, and mutual regard.
"Father, you should forget. Not to do so is to irritate the boil.”
“He will melt.”
“It gives me great joy to find that you are reconciled to Anand and Vidya.”
“A person who earns his living and supports his family by honest means also renders service to the nation.”
Viewed collectively, these letters bring to resolution one of the longest-running personal narratives within the Hingorani archive. What began years earlier as a story of disagreement, separation, illness, and uncertainty ultimately becomes a story of reconciliation, maturity, and mutual understanding. Gandhi appears throughout not as a distant spiritual adviser but as mediator, counsellor, advocate, and surrogate elder, patiently guiding father, son, and daughter-in-law towards renewed harmony. The significance of the lot lies not merely in the reconciliation itself but in Gandhi's conviction that family peace, honest work, and social service were inseparable. In these letters the ideals of the national movement are brought into the intimate sphere of domestic life, revealing Gandhi's belief that the rebuilding of society begins with the healing of a single household.
NON-EXPORTABLE
This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.
A group of nine letters, notes, postcards and communications addressed principally to Anand T Hingorani, Vidya Hingorani, Totaram Hingorani and K B Kewalramani between February 1938 and November 1940, concerning family reconciliation, relations between Anand and his father, domestic stability, life in Sindh, economic independence, service, health, and Gandhi's continuing efforts to preserve harmony within the extended Hingorani family.
Comprising:
Note No. 1, to Anand T Hingorani, Haripura, 21 February 1938.
Paper; English; handwritten in pencil; Silent-Day note; post-note by Anand T Hingorani. Gandhi advises Anand to settle in Nainital if circumstances permit, urges him to forget past grievances with his father, and remarks that dwelling upon old wounds is merely "to irritate the boil". Written during Gandhi's silence day at the Haripura Congress.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 73, Letter No. 1, p. 1.
Letter No. 211, to Vidya A Hingorani, Bannu, 25 October 1938.
Postcard; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi invites Vidya to reside at the Mahila Ashram subject to permission from Jamnalal Bajaj and comments affectionately upon Anand and Mahadev.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 74, Letter No. 211, p. 155.
Letter No. 336, to Anand T Hingorani, 26 November 1938.
Postcard; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi informs Anand that he has forwarded his letter to Totaram Hingorani and personally written to him in an effort to improve family relations.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 74, Letter No. 336, p. 251.
Letter No. 274, to Totaram Hingorani, Segaon, Wardha, 7 August 1939.
Paper; front and back; English; handwritten in black ink; signed "M. K. Gandhi". One of the most important letters in the lot. Gandhi expresses his pleasure that Totaram has reconciled with Anand and Vidya and notes approvingly that they are able to render him filial service.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 76, Letter No. 274, p. 216.
Letter No. 275, to Anand T Hingorani, Segaon, Wardha, 7 August 1939.
Envelope; paper; front and back; English; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi endorses Anand's decision to enter business, insisting that honest work undertaken to support one's family is itself a service to the nation. He encourages Anand to fulfil his father's wishes while continuing Harijan work.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 76, Letter No. 275, p. 216.
Letter No. 117, to Anand T. Hingorani, Sevagram, Wardha, 5 April 1940.
Paper; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi declines Anand's request for a testimonial regarding a proposed publication, remarking characteristically that he cannot be expected to praise a collection of his own writings.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 78, Letter No. 117, p. 117.
Letter No. 265, to Anand T Hingorani, Segaon, Wardha, 4 October 1940.
Envelope, paper, Hindi, handwritten in blue ink, Segaon stamp, and autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi comments upon Anand's health, publishing activities, and improved relations with his father, encouraging him to remain content and continue serving according to his capacity.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 79, Letter No. 265, p. 281.
Letter No. 408, to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram, Wardha, 16 November 1940.
Postcard; Hindi; handwritten in black ink; Sevagram letterhead; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi encourages Anand to continue his work while safeguarding his health and acknowledges the support being given to Amtussalaam.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 79, Letter No. 408, p. 385.
Letter No. 432, to Anand T Hingorani, Sevagram, Wardha, 25 November 1940.
Postcard; English; handwritten in black ink; Sevagram letterhead; autograph letter signed "Bapu". Gandhi thanks Anand for his letters, enquires after Jairamdas's, Vidya's and Anand's health, and encourages continued correspondence.
Published in Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 79, Letter No. 124, p. 71.
Together nine letters, postcards, notes and communications, including a Silent-Day note, postcards in Hindi and English, Sevagram correspondence, and letters signed both "Bapu" and "M. K. Gandhi", written between 1938 and 1940 and documenting Gandhi's efforts to reconcile Anand Hingorani with his father, encourage economic independence, and preserve harmony within the wider Hingorani family.
“Forget the Past”: Gandhi’s Efforts to Heal a Divided Family
These letters document one of the most satisfying developments within the Gandhi-Hingorani correspondence: the gradual reconciliation between Anand Hingorani and his father Totaram Hingorani after years of strain, uncertainty, and emotional distance.
The sequence opens at the Haripura Congress of 1938, where Gandhi advises Anand to establish himself independently while simultaneously urging him to relinquish resentment towards his father. His terse observation that continued attachment to old grievances would be "to irritate the boil" encapsulates his practical understanding of family conflict and emotional healing.
Over the following months Gandhi remains actively involved in the affairs of the family. He advises Vidya regarding residence at the Mahila Ashram, monitors the couple's welfare, and serves as an intermediary in communications between father and son. By late 1938 he reports confidently that he has written personally to Totaram and predicts that reconciliation will follow.
The culmination arrives in August 1939. Writing separately to father and son on the same day, Gandhi celebrates the restoration of family harmony. His letter to Totaram expresses joy that Anand and Vidya are once again near him and able to render filial service. His companion letter to Anand is equally revealing. Rather than encouraging withdrawal into public work, Gandhi insists that earning an honest livelihood, supporting one's family, and fulfilling a father's legitimate wishes are themselves forms of national service. The letter offers one of the clearest statements in the archive of Gandhi's belief that constructive citizenship begins within the family.
The later letters show the fruits of that reconciliation. Family relations are described as harmonious; Anand's publishing activities continue; Gandhi remains interested in his health and welfare; and the correspondence assumes a calmer and more settled tone. The crisis has passed; what remains is friendship, service, and mutual regard.
"Father, you should forget. Not to do so is to irritate the boil.”
“He will melt.”
“It gives me great joy to find that you are reconciled to Anand and Vidya.”
“A person who earns his living and supports his family by honest means also renders service to the nation.”
Viewed collectively, these letters bring to resolution one of the longest-running personal narratives within the Hingorani archive. What began years earlier as a story of disagreement, separation, illness, and uncertainty ultimately becomes a story of reconciliation, maturity, and mutual understanding. Gandhi appears throughout not as a distant spiritual adviser but as mediator, counsellor, advocate, and surrogate elder, patiently guiding father, son, and daughter-in-law towards renewed harmony. The significance of the lot lies not merely in the reconciliation itself but in Gandhi's conviction that family peace, honest work, and social service were inseparable. In these letters the ideals of the national movement are brought into the intimate sphere of domestic life, revealing Gandhi's belief that the rebuilding of society begins with the healing of a single household.
NON-EXPORTABLE
This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as a reference for the condition of each lot.