Gandhi had asked Sane Guruji to stop his fasting for temple entry to untouchables in Pandharpur - This is because there were already discussions to implement law to remove untouchability. (The law was indeed in place and untouchability was removed by the constitution as well.
His letter to Sane Guruji mentioned -
His letter to Sane Guruji mentioned -
TELEGRAM TO P. S. SANE
[May 1, 1947]
[May 1, 1947]
ON THE FACTS BEFORE ME YOUR FAST IS WHOLLY WRONG. PANDHARPUR
MANDIR WILL BE OPENED SHORTLY TO HARIJANS. YOUR COURAGE AND
GREATNESS SHOULD DISDAIN TAUNTS OF MEN HOWEVER GREAT OR MANY.
3
MANDIR WILL BE OPENED SHORTLY TO HARIJANS. YOUR COURAGE AND
GREATNESS SHOULD DISDAIN TAUNTS OF MEN HOWEVER GREAT OR MANY.
3
PLEASE STOP THE FAST AND WIRE.
The Hindu, 3-5-1947
It is now imperative for us
to abolish untouchability. Would the Government have had the
courage to open the temples through legislation? When I see that in
Madras one temple after another is opening its doors to Harijans, it
makes me happy. This is how dharma can be safeguarded. The same
applies to Christians and Parsis. Our Government must be dedicated to
raising the status of those who are downtrodden. If it does something
for the Harijans, why should the Brahmins complain? Yes, if someone
suggests that the Brahmins should be beaten and humiliated, then I
shall say ‘no, that is bad’.
July 13, 1947
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Desh which is also a great and acient temple. The correspondent asks
me to rectify the omission and thus give satisfaction to the people of
Andhra. I know the glory of this temple but I make no difference
between Tamil Nadu and Andhra. Today the atmosphere is such that
everyone wants separation.
---
July 13, 1947
---
The other day I spoke of the temples in Tamil Nadu and
Malabar that had been thrown open to Harijan and I especially mentioned the Rameswaram temple. It is a huge temple and there is a lot of superstition concerning it. Some thought that the entry of Harijans would pollute the temple. I have received a letter today complaining that I had not mentioned the Tirupati temple in Andhra
1
President, All India Kisan Sabha and Andhra Provincial Congress Committee; Member, Congress Parliamentary at the Centre
Malabar that had been thrown open to Harijan and I especially mentioned the Rameswaram temple. It is a huge temple and there is a lot of superstition concerning it. Some thought that the entry of Harijans would pollute the temple. I have received a letter today complaining that I had not mentioned the Tirupati temple in Andhra
1
President, All India Kisan Sabha and Andhra Provincial Congress Committee; Member, Congress Parliamentary at the Centre
VOL. 96 : 7 JULY, 1947 - 26 SEPTEMBER, 1947 55
NEW DELHI,
July 15, 1947
July 15, 1947
NEW DELHI,
July 15, 1947
July 15, 1947
---
I had been asked, now that temples in Tamil Nad and Andhra
have been opened to Harijans, what is the situation with regard to
temples in the U. P.? There are the temples in Hardwar for instance.
Can Harijans visit these temples? In Travancore this was acheived long
ago. Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, the State’s Diwan, who at the
moment is perhaps a little angry with us, had presuaded the Maharaja
to abolish untouchability by law. In the U. P., besides Hardwar there is
Kashi. Can Harijans visit the temples there? If the Harajans cannot visit
those temples, them I shall consider those temples impure. All the
religions of the world are today faced with a severe test. Hindusim
should in not 99 per cent but 100 per cent marks.
---
You may not have heard about a place called Pandharpur. It is a place for pilgrimage in Maharashtra. There are innumerable legends about the idols in that place, but I do not want to narrate them to you. The temple at Pandharpur was not open to Harijans. Sane Guruji1 installed himself there and argued with the Trustees that when all other temples were thrown open to Harijans, there was no reason why the Pandharpur temple should not be opened to them. When his request was not granted he went on fast2. Sane Guruji is a great devotee, and how could the trustees therefore allow him to die? Sense dawned on them and they were moved to pity. But they told him they were helpless in the face of a number of technical difficulties, which had to be first removed. Then Mavalankar3 joined him there and Sane Guruji was persuaded to give up his fast4. But he ended his fast on the condition that he would resume the fast if the temple was not opened to Harijans. Now I have received a telegram that the necessary Bill has been passed and that the temple has been opened to Harijans. The temple was willingly opened and people thronged there in thousands. There were no protests. There may have been some stray protests among those thousands. So, after all, that great temple of Pandharpur had to be opened to Harijans after so much effort. If all those excesses we have been perpetrating on the Harijans become a thing of the past the country would rise very high.
November 5, 1947 - Speech at prayer meeting
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---
You may not have heard about a place called Pandharpur. It is a place for pilgrimage in Maharashtra. There are innumerable legends about the idols in that place, but I do not want to narrate them to you. The temple at Pandharpur was not open to Harijans. Sane Guruji1 installed himself there and argued with the Trustees that when all other temples were thrown open to Harijans, there was no reason why the Pandharpur temple should not be opened to them. When his request was not granted he went on fast2. Sane Guruji is a great devotee, and how could the trustees therefore allow him to die? Sense dawned on them and they were moved to pity. But they told him they were helpless in the face of a number of technical difficulties, which had to be first removed. Then Mavalankar3 joined him there and Sane Guruji was persuaded to give up his fast4. But he ended his fast on the condition that he would resume the fast if the temple was not opened to Harijans. Now I have received a telegram that the necessary Bill has been passed and that the temple has been opened to Harijans. The temple was willingly opened and people thronged there in thousands. There were no protests. There may have been some stray protests among those thousands. So, after all, that great temple of Pandharpur had to be opened to Harijans after so much effort. If all those excesses we have been perpetrating on the Harijans become a thing of the past the country would rise very high.
November 5, 1947 - Speech at prayer meeting
------
I had spoken to you about Pandharpur. There is a temple there
of Lord Vithoba. It is the largest temple in Maharashtra. I have visited it. I had suggested that it should be opened to Harijans. Afterwards the trustees of the temple also supported my demand. When I got the news that the temple had been opened to the Harijans I had told you of it. Everyone seemed content and no voice was raised in opposition. Now they say that a large number of Brahmin priests are unhappy over this because the temple is visited by many Harijans every day. Some of the priests seem to have gone on a fast. This has distressed me. I have received this wire only today, and since I cannot reach there in any other way I think I should make a mention of the matter here and maybe my voice will reach Pandharpur. I want to say in all humility and sincerity that those who have resorted to the fast and still call themselves priests are really not priests. They are serving neither themselves nor Hinduism. The image in the temple is the image of Vithoba, i. e., of Krishna or Vishnu. It could not be the will of Vishnu that some should have His glimpse and others may not. In my view as long as the Harijans were barred from the temple it had not been really consecrated. Why should these people now fast? A Bill has been passed concerning Harijans’ entry into temples. Even the lawmakers are Hindus. When millions of Hindus say that the temple should be opened to Harijans, how can they say that it should remain closed? I see no merit in the fast. I think it is sinful and should be given up. I think the priests should relent and say they were mistaken and their eyes have now been opened. It cannot be that in the temple of God one man should be admitted and another kept out. It is believed that visiting a temple cleanses the sinner of his sins in the same way as bathing in the Ganga does. I personally do not support the view that the water from the Ganga washes away the sins but it is a belief widely held. And maybe it does good to one who bathes in the Ganga in the faith that his sins will be washed away. Besides who can say that Harijans are all sinners? There are among Harijans persons of great merit as well as sinners.
All India Radio, Dec 30 1947
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of Lord Vithoba. It is the largest temple in Maharashtra. I have visited it. I had suggested that it should be opened to Harijans. Afterwards the trustees of the temple also supported my demand. When I got the news that the temple had been opened to the Harijans I had told you of it. Everyone seemed content and no voice was raised in opposition. Now they say that a large number of Brahmin priests are unhappy over this because the temple is visited by many Harijans every day. Some of the priests seem to have gone on a fast. This has distressed me. I have received this wire only today, and since I cannot reach there in any other way I think I should make a mention of the matter here and maybe my voice will reach Pandharpur. I want to say in all humility and sincerity that those who have resorted to the fast and still call themselves priests are really not priests. They are serving neither themselves nor Hinduism. The image in the temple is the image of Vithoba, i. e., of Krishna or Vishnu. It could not be the will of Vishnu that some should have His glimpse and others may not. In my view as long as the Harijans were barred from the temple it had not been really consecrated. Why should these people now fast? A Bill has been passed concerning Harijans’ entry into temples. Even the lawmakers are Hindus. When millions of Hindus say that the temple should be opened to Harijans, how can they say that it should remain closed? I see no merit in the fast. I think it is sinful and should be given up. I think the priests should relent and say they were mistaken and their eyes have now been opened. It cannot be that in the temple of God one man should be admitted and another kept out. It is believed that visiting a temple cleanses the sinner of his sins in the same way as bathing in the Ganga does. I personally do not support the view that the water from the Ganga washes away the sins but it is a belief widely held. And maybe it does good to one who bathes in the Ganga in the faith that his sins will be washed away. Besides who can say that Harijans are all sinners? There are among Harijans persons of great merit as well as sinners.
All India Radio, Dec 30 1947
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Hindus can and do visit Swaminarayan and Jain
temples. Harijans should also visit them. For years there has been a
movement going on to prove that Brahmins and Harijans have equal
rights. It has met with considerable success. Now that the Bombay
Government have passed a law to that effect there seems to be no
occasion for satyagraha. If the law is in conformity with public
opinion it should command respect. If it is against public opinion, its
enforcement will be rather slow. In a democracy a law cannot be
enforced through coercion. It always calls for discerning circumsp-
ection. It will succeed if a reformer takes recourse to it with clear
understanding. If he is impatient the law will prove a failure.
Trustees are not the owners of the temples. Even those who get the temples built are not the owners if they are built for public use. The real owners of the temples are the devotees. Devotees are those who visit the temples either for worship or to feign worship. Regarded in this light all Jain and Swaminarayan temples are Hindu temples. I have myself visited these temples. No one even cared to ask me or hundreds like me to which sect we belonged. It was enough that I looked a Hindu. So where Hindus go Harijans can also go. Harijans are not a separate community. Enlightened public opinion and the law which embodies that opinion say that they are one of the varnas, be they four or eighteen, comprising Hindu society. Therefore the contrary view cannot prevail. It is the devotees who make of God a living entity. If they are good, the God is good.
January 27, 1948
Trustees are not the owners of the temples. Even those who get the temples built are not the owners if they are built for public use. The real owners of the temples are the devotees. Devotees are those who visit the temples either for worship or to feign worship. Regarded in this light all Jain and Swaminarayan temples are Hindu temples. I have myself visited these temples. No one even cared to ask me or hundreds like me to which sect we belonged. It was enough that I looked a Hindu. So where Hindus go Harijans can also go. Harijans are not a separate community. Enlightened public opinion and the law which embodies that opinion say that they are one of the varnas, be they four or eighteen, comprising Hindu society. Therefore the contrary view cannot prevail. It is the devotees who make of God a living entity. If they are good, the God is good.
January 27, 1948
