Kasturba Gandhi: The Silent Sufferer

Book excerpt: Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of Mahatma Gandhi silently endured the gradual deterioration of her four sons because of the lack of proper formal education which was denied to them by the peremptory regimentation of their illustrious father. Harilal, the eldest protested more vociferously while the three younger brothers followed the dictates of the patriarch more tamely. The four sons were active-passive resisters in their own rights. But they received almost no approbation from their father while there were words of charity for others similarly situated. The Saint ordained the pursuit of a life of poverty and self-denial. Kasturba translated and implemented these disciplines in her personal life. But could it be expected that an ambitious mother would agree to a course of similar life for her sons? This book is a simple effort to probe into these questions with regard to Kasturba Gandhi: the Silent Sufferer.