"Yes, you have, and you have also promised once before that after you retire from politics, you would come and stay with me."
"But after the struggle ends. Oh, when will that day dawn?" Gandhi sighed.
"Where are you going from here?" Gandhi then asked Baba, "Nasik?"
"Yes, Nasik."
"Then, I have one request to make. I believe that a large number of Untouchables are coming to see you in Nasik. Will you please tell them that all this storm that they have raised about entering a temple there is futile? Dr. Ambedkar has made himself their leader. He is an educated man, but due to the defect of the age-old caste prejudices and systems, the Hindu society does not encourage or sympathize with him and tried to keep him out. And out of vindication for this wrong, he has started this campaign for the cause of the Untouchables and tries to excite their feelings against the Hindus [Brahmins]."
Gandhi continued, "I am going to fight for the Untouchables until the end of my life and I want to destroy the prejudice of Untouchability — root and branch. I want to make them one with Hindu society and religion [blend in with the other castes]. But they are now trying to establish themselves into a separate class as "Untouchables" by asking for separate elections, etc. from the government, the very thing that I want to do away with."
Baba responded, "I have already advised these Untouchables and their leaders who came to me. I intend to advise them to fight for their rights non-violently. The leaders of both the Brahmins and the Untouchables come to me."
Gandhi said, "This is why I ask this of you. I am sure they will listen to you and follow your advice. Therefore, I request you to explain and bring them round. It is a great work. I am sure Dr. Ambedkar will listen to you."
Baba assured Gandhi that he would do so.
Baba then embraced Gandhi, saluted the other politicians and left. A day after meeting Baba, Gandhi and Sardar Patel were arrested by the British and remanded to Yeravda Prison.
During the following years, until Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948, Baba continued to send either Chanji or Ramjoo to Gandhi with specific messages.1 Gandhi also continued to send messages to Baba, but no further personal meeting was ever again to take place between them.
Footnotes
- 1.Another later disciple, C. D. Deshmukh, a professor of philosophy, was also sent periodically to Gandhi with messages from Baba.