Gandhi tells his faithful friend about daily life in his ashram.

Mohandas Karamchand, Mahatma GANDHI (1869.1948)

Autographed letter signed to his friend Hermann Kallenbach.

Three octavo pages in English, on the back of Johannesburg letterhead.

Ahmedabad. May 20 [1916]

“No man can beforehand stipulate about his future conduct.”

The father of the Indian nation recounts to his faithful friend the daily life of his ashram.

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“ From MK Gandhi. My dear friend, your letters have become most irregular & so I imagine having mine become. Sometimes I get two at a time. I hope the parcels have been safely delivered to you. They contain your clothing biscuits & cut brushing sticks. I wish your opinion on the biscuits. They were turned not alright so far as I could judge.

You will be pained to hear that Maganbhai is leaving the Ashram . Next to Maganlal he was the strongest man. Indeed, Mrs Gandhi thought that Maganbhai was the stronger of the two. Maganbhai is leaving as he frankly tells me that he can no longer observe the right rule of the Ashram. He wants to go out into the world and have a taste of it. His remaining in the Ashram can now make of him only a hypocrite. He will be leaving in a day or two. So it may come so (?) what I said might and I may be left all by myself. Just now Maganlal seems to be strong like a lion. But so did Maganbhai. No man can beforehand stipulate about his future conduct . Peter thought he would not wince but even so great as he did though with him the shock was momentary.

Harilal's wife is again with me. She is leaving in a few days to join her husband at Calcutta. I described to you Navansang & Bela's little girl. They are now quite alright. The handlooms are making very good progress. I hope to send you some new cloth. With love from us all. Yours ever old friend. »

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 French transcription:

" From MK Gandhi. My dear friend, your letters have become very irregular , and I imagine mine are too. Sometimes I receive two at once. I hope the parcels were delivered safely. They contain your biscuits, clothes, and hairbrushes. I would like your opinion on the biscuits. As far as I can tell, they weren't very good ."

You will be saddened to learn that Maganbhai is leaving the ashram. After Maganlal, he was the stronger man. Indeed, Mrs. Gandhi believed Maganbhai to be the stronger of the two. Maganbhai is leaving because he told me frankly that he can no longer observe the rules of the ashram. He wants to discover the world and experience its flavor. By remaining in the ashram, he can only be a hypocrite. He will leave in a day or two. So it is possible that what I have said will come to pass and I will find myself all alone. At the moment, Maganlal seems as strong as a lion. But that was also true of Maganbhai. No man can predict his future conduct . Peter thought he wouldn't wince, but even if he did, the shock was momentary.

Harilal's wife is with me again. She's leaving in a few days to join her husband in Calcutta. I told you Bela's little girl both well now. The handlooms are making excellent progress . I hope to be able to send you some new fabrics. With all our love. To you, always, your old friend .

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The document presented here sheds light on the strong and complex relationship between "The Great Soul" and Hermann Kallenbach, a German-Jewish architect. The two men met in South Africa in 1904.

After lengthy discussions about religion and the concept of Satyagraha (non-violence and civil disobedience), the two men formed a deep friendship. Their relationship is now considered by Gandhi's biographers and scholars to be a platonic homosexuality.

According to Gandhi himself, the two men considered themselves "kindred spirits"; they lived together near Johannesburg in Satyagraha House, designed by Kallenbach and known as "the Kraal." There they shared an ascetic life, before moving to "Tolstoy Farm," isolated 35 km from the city, which became the base camp of the Satyagrahi community until the victorious conclusion of their struggle in 1913.

A year later, Gandhi left the country to settle permanently in India. The two friends would never see each other again but maintained a close and regular correspondence.

In this letter, Gandhi informs his protector of his difficulties in preserving the ashram. He mentions the departure of his loyal follower Maganbhai in words imbued with the sense of justice and the categorical rejection of falsehood that characterize his doctrine. He compares him to Maganlal Khushalchand Gandhi (1883–1928), his most faithful follower. Maganlal was a cousin of Gandhi.

In July 2012, the Indian government acquired several thousand letters received by Hermann Kallenbach from Gandhi. This letter is therefore one of the few remaining relics of this correspondence still in private hands.