Selected Letters of Gandhi : Part-1

TO ASHRAM CHILDREN


Chapter-17: Organization

Nandi,
Vaishakha Wadi 13

It is true that Kanti is out. But you have formed an association. So you have built up an organization. It continues to exist whether the number of its members increases or decreases. Mahajan, panch, nation, community, an organization – all these never die. If all the members whom we know today die, even then the organization continues to exist. There are many such organizations in the country even today. Your small organization must also become like that. A king may die but Government never dies. It lives for ever. So in France when the king died, it was said, “The king is dead, long live the king.” This means that the throne of the king never remains vacant. So should it be with your association. I have continued to write to you every week as far as I could, in spite of your holidays so that you may acquire such a habit. I will ask you to account for all the letters I have written during the holidays.