Their Friendship, Their Struggles

The letters of Andrews, Gandhi, and Tagore are a fine record of how their friendship survived the various tribulations they suffered in body, mind, and spirit. Throughout the political struggle their letters were always personal and emotional but at the same time addressed their concerns for ‘change’. They bring us close to their moments of action. Their correspondence began shortly after they met one another. On 30 August [1912] Andrews wrote how overjoyed he was with Tagore’s first letter. He wrote, ‘I cannot tell you what a joy it was to me to get your letter with its concluding words of love and affection’.