Evening star., 1939-03-07
Gandhi Ends Fast :
After Gaining Victory
In Plea for Reform
Drinks Orange Juice
After Rojkot's Ruler
Sends Him Letter
BACKGROUND

6AChGhOUNO-
Fasting of Mohandas X. Can
dhi to bring about political re-
forms in RGjkot. ,oas attended by
riotinq in seueral parts OF India
before the viceroy decided to in
tercede. Gandhi began his fast
last Friday. declaring that the
ruler of Rajkot had broken his
promise to institute more
democratic form OF government.
BY the Associated Press.
RAJKOT, India, March 7.-Wiz-
ened, 69-year -old Mohandas K.
Gandhi this afternoon ended fast
of SO hours and IS minutes to win
political reform. He drank glass
of sweet orange juice.
The nouristment was the first
since he started the fast unto
death" just over four days ago after
drinking cup of hot goats milk.
The British viceroy Of India, the
Marques Of Linlithgow, intervened
in Gandhi's dispute with the ruler
of Rajkot, 29-year-old Thakore Sa-
reb Shri Dharmendrasinhji.
Settlement of the dispute-Gan-
dhi sought more democratic forms
of government-was regarded as an
other significant victory for the re-
vered leaders of millions of Indians.
Accepts Viceroy's Invitation. -
This afternoon Gandhi accented
an invitation from the viceroy to
visit New Delhi as soon as he had
regained sufficient strength for per-
sonal discussions of the reforms he
demanded
1t was understood that the ruler
of Rajkot state agreed to fulfill his
original promise to set up an ad-
visory council whose purpose would
be to suggest ways of introducing
a democratic government.
Gandhi started the fast when he
and the ruler failed to agree on
representation on the council. Can
dhi alleged that the Thakore broke
the original promise to set up the
council when he demanded repre-
sentation for interests which do
not belong to Gandhi's congress
party.
Lord Linlithgow today undertook
to guarantee that the ruler of Rajkot
would set up the council, and prom
ised to refer to the chief justice of
India Gandhi's charge Of breach of
faith and any future dispute re-
garding the proposed reforms.
Civil disobedience prisoners held
in Rajkot since Gandhi started his
campaign were released.
Gandhi voluntarily ended the long
fast, which his doctors said was en-
dangering his life, Immediately after
receiving letter from Thankore
Saheb.
Accepts Orange Juice.
The letter was handed to the
ascetic former "mahatma" by a
chauffeur sent by E. c. Gibson,
British resident in the states of
Western India.
Gandhi opened the letter, smiled
weakly, and turning to his attend
ants, accepted the glass of orange
juice, which he began slipping slowly,
The British viceroy and Gandhi's
secretary, Mahadev Desai, had car
rled on one side of the negotiations,
while Gandhi himself dealt with Mr.,
Gibson, who was acting for the
Rajkot ruler.
Gandhi had spent restless night,
much of the time being prevented
by nausea from drinking water.
He was rejoined yesterday by his
wife, who was released from Jail de
spite rejection of a previous offer
of freedom.
She had been in Jail since Febru-
ary 3 with others arrested for a
civil disobediance campaign.
Messages Kept Secret.
The details of the messages which
Gandhi and Lord Linlithgow ex-
changed were not made public, but
those who knew Gandhi felt that
they gave cause for optimism-if
Gandhi's health permitted him to
carry on the communications.
The former mahatma was losing
weight rapidly. His blood pressure
had increased II points since he
started the fast. He was too weak
this morning to sit up on his cot or
to be weighed.
Gandhi's secretary, Mahadev De-
sal, saw the viceroy in New Delphi
this morning. further strengthening
the belief among Gandhi's followers
that Lord Linlithgow would inter-
vene.
Hundreds of sympathetic tele-
grams poured in on Gandhi head
quarters from all parts of the world,
and the viceroy received many urg-
ing him to stop the fast.