The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-08
Mahatma Gandhi Near Collapse At End of Fast Unto Death
At 70, His Numerous Fasts Tell Their Story In His Frailty
By NEA Service

By NEA Service
 Rajkot, India, March 8 - Exactly 20 years ago, bald, skinny Mohandas K. Gandhi began his battle for the Independence of modern India and he has starved for that ideal at least once during each year since.
 His lasts have run from 24 hours to 2l days and they have brought him repeated victories. But they have taken heavy toll of the ideal ist Gandhi himself and today at 70 he is mere shadow of the fig ure who in February, 1919, attacked the oppressive Rowlatt laws.
 So the wizened, almost toothless little man of 85 pounds faced heavy odds in his newest fast, this time to win a voice in the govern ment for the tiny state of Rajkot, situated in the middle of the pen- insula of Kathiawar, on the west coast of India.
 It is understood an agreement was reached between the Indian and British government just in time to save his life.
 AN AsCETICS
 LIFE
 For that matter, even before he began his campaign against the British. Gandhi had adopted a life of asceticism which early pulled down his physical resistance. He began to live on nuts, dates and fruit, a diet to which goat milk was later added. He dressed, moreover, in rough homespun garments, loin cloth, shawl and sandals, the latter made of skin of animals that had died natural deaths.
 Next he began to fast one day Q week, even as he maintained one day a week on which he spoke to no one. So 1t was a considerably weakened Gandhi who began his first great fast in 1924.
 It was just after a series of Moslem- Hindu riots which caused widespread bloodshed that Gandhi went on a three-week fast then to pray for peace between the two sects.
 Immediately Gandhi's followers were alarmed because the Mahat- ma had just undergone a serious operation. But he could not be deterred.
 He held out for the full 2l days but Gandhi was unable to convince the British.
 Nine years later, 1883, Gandhi again began another 21-day fast, this time against the evil of "Un- touchability" in India, and sur- vived. Physicians were doubtful of his ability to survive that fast at one period. Despite "extreme exhaustion" at the end of that fast, Gandhi immediately returned to his campaign of civil disobedience.
 A year earlier, 1882, he had lasted six days in Yerovda jail, in Poona and emerged victor after the British government had &C., cepted with great satisfaction" the principal terms of the settle ment between the caste Hindus and the Untouchables. This was the most spectacular and far reaching triumph of his career. PASTED
 FOR WALES
 To touch only a few of the typical fasts:
 In November, 1921, the Mahatma pledged that the Prince of Wales, then visiting India, would be sub feet to no harm or insults" The pledge was violated, however, by the Indians and Gandhi voluntarily went into "A hours fasting.
 ], In February, 1922, a mob killed T priests at Chauri Chaura and burned their bodies. Gandhi again did penance by fasting to carry out his non-violence teachings.
 The issue of the Untouchables in India has provided repeated occa- sions for Gandhi's fasting. On other occasions he has lasted A and 36 hours on strictly religious principles.
 And today these lasts tell their own graphic story in the frail Ma hatma. His voice is low, now almost whisper. His skin is shrunken. He is cometaoishrdlcmfwypypjjqq He Is completely bald. He wears thick, steel-rimmed glasses. He moves slowly, with apparent effort.