Chapter 73 Chapter Seventeen: One Month with Gokhli (Part 1)

On the first day I lived with Gokhli he made me feel completely at home.He treated me like his younger brother, trying to understand my needs and trying to get me everything I needed.Happily I do not ask for much, and I have acquired the habit of being self-reliant, requiring little personal attention.He was deeply impressed by my self-reliance, personal cleanliness, perseverance, and regularity of life, and often praised me. He doesn't seem to have any secrets from me.He introduced to me all the important people who came to visit him.The one who impressed me the most was Dr. Pierce Roy (now Sir).He actually lives next door and is a regular guest.

He introduced Dr. Roy in this way: "This is Professor Roy. His monthly salary is 800 rupees, but he only keeps 40 rupees for himself, and the rest is donated to public causes. He is not married and does not plan to marry." .” I don't see much difference between Dr. Roy today and then. His clothes in those days were almost as simple as today. Of course, there is one difference, that is, he is wearing homespun now, but then he was wearing muslins produced by Indian textile mills.I don't think I can ever get enough of Dr. Gokhley and Dr. Roy because they're all about the public good, or something educational.Sometimes they have criticisms about being public workers, and they are also very sad.As a result, some of the fighters I thought were stoic now seem insignificant.

Watching Gokhli at work was as much a joy as education.He never wastes a minute. His personal relationships and friendships are all for the public good.All he said was for the good of the country, and there was nothing untruthful or insincere in it.The poverty and humiliation of India were his constant preoccupations.Various people tried to interest him in other things as well, but he gave everyone the same answer: "You do yours, I will do mine. What I want is the freedom of the state. Only the state When we are free, we can think about other things. Today this task is enough for all my time and energy."

His respect for Leonard is evident at all times.Rannard's authority is last in everything, and he quotes it everywhere.I was staying with Gokhli on the anniversary of Ranald's death (or birthday, I don't remember), which he commemorates as usual.Besides myself, there was his friend Professor Cuswater and a judge.He invited us to attend the memorial service, in which he recounted Rannard's life.He occasionally compares Ranald, Dylan, and Mandelik to each other.He admired Dylan's dashing demeanor and Mandelik's greatness as a reformer.He gave an example to illustrate how enthusiastically Mandelik served his client. He said that once Mandelik missed the train, he actually chartered a special car so that he could arrive in court in time to defend his client.Yet Leonard was loftier than all of them, a versatile genius.He was not only a great judge, but also a great historian, economist and reformer.Though he was a judge, he joined the Congress assembly without fear, and such confidence was placed in his wisdom that whatever he decided was accepted without question.Gokhley describes with infinite joy these qualities of head and heart of his forebears.

Gokhley had a carriage at that time.I never felt the need for him to have a carriage, so once I asked him: "Can't you take the tram when you go out? Doesn't this lower the dignity of the leader?" He listened a little sadly. Said: "You don't know me well, then! I don't use the public allowance for my personal comfort. I'd rather envy you to go around in a tram as freely as you do, but I'm sorry I can't do it. If you become a well-known victim like me, it's difficult, if not impossible, to get around on a tram. There's no reason to assume a leader does things out of personal comfort. I like your simple habits. I live as simple a life as I can, but for a man like me, there are certain expenses that cannot be avoided."

He thus satisfactorily answered one of my questions, but he did not give me a satisfactory answer to another question. "But you don't even go for a walk," I said. "Is it any wonder you're always feeling sick? Doesn't public work have time for exercise?" "When do you think I have time to go for a walk?" he replied.I had the utmost respect for Gokhli and never dared to talk back to him.Although this answer was unsatisfactory, I fell silent.I believed then, and I believe now, that no matter how much work one has, one must find time to exercise, just like eating.My humble opinion is that exercise, far from depleting a person's ability to work, enhances it.