When Bapu himself wrote "Mahatma" before his name

Special on Independence Day

When Bapu himself wrote "Mahatma" before his name

                                                                                                                                                  

Indore. This is the story of a crossed cheque of a nominal amount of thirty rupees in which the Father of the Nation addressed himself as "Mahatma" and signed in the name of "Mahatma Gandhi" and gave it for cash. It is noteworthy that till his life Gandhiji never considered himself a "Mahatma", never understood it and never applied that analysis for himself in his life. If the correspondence was in Hindi then "M.K.Gandhi" or "Bapu's blessings" were considered sufficient, otherwise in English "M.K.Gandhi" was always in vogue.

Thus this cheque is unique in itself, it has its own separate and unique history and it has itself become a small story and a chapter in Gandhiji's life story. The Father of the Nation, Bapuji, was appealing to donate money generously as per one's capacity for the upliftment, development and welfare of Harijans and Dalits and this appeal of Gandhiji was having a very positive effect on the countrymen at that time. Shri Hukam Chand ji Narad, a leading journalist of India's national mindset and my respected grandfather, on the appeal made by the Father of the Nation for Harijan Fund, keeping in mind his limited sphere and financial condition, gave him a cross cheque of Rs. 30 as a token of respect. This cheque of Rs. 30 was drawn in the name of Mahatma Gandhi on 7 January 1945 from the Jabalpur branch of the then Bharat Bank Limited, on which the number D 1/ 526365 was written. When this cross cheque reached the Wardha branch of "The Bank of Nagpur" for payment, the bank refused to accept it. On the cross cheque, Gandhiji had written M.K. Gandhi signed it and sent it back to the bank but the bank returned it saying that "The cheque is in the name of Mahatma Gandhi and hence the signature should be Mahatma Gandhi". Defeated by the strict rules of banking, Mahatma Gandhi was forced to write "Mahatma Gandhi" on the back of the cheque. Perhaps this is the first and the last incident when Gandhiji had to be addressed as Mahatma by his own hands, for himself. When the bank officials were contacted, it was found that there was no account in the bank in the name of "M.K. Gandhi" or "Mahatma Gandhi". An account was definitely opened in the name of All India Harijan Fund. When this cheque of thirty rupees reached Bapuji, who was worried day and night for the welfare of Harijans and who saved every penny for their salvation and development like a miser, through the Bank of Nagpur in Wardha, Gandhiji sent this crossed cheque back to its sender, late Shri Hukam Chand Narad in Jabalpur. Along with this cross cheque, Shri Narad ji received a detailed letter from Shri Pyarelal ji, personal secretary of Gandhi ji, in which he had explained in detail why the said cheque of thirty rupees could not be paid. Shri Pyarelal ji had written in that letter that Narad ji should draw another cheque of the same amount in the name of All India Harijan Fund, whose account is open in The Bank of Nagpur, Wardha. Shri Hukam Chand Narad followed Bapu's advice sent by Shri Pyarelal ji. Coincidentally, something like this is that now neither Gandhi ji, who received that cross cheque, is alive in this world, nor my grandfather, late Shri Hukam Chand ji Narad, who issued that cheque.

 

Dr. Sandeep Narad

260 AA, Tulsi Nagar,

Near Saraswati Mandir,

Indore Madhya Pradesh 452010