dustani, but I had taken down the English words she used. They were: “foreign policy,” “exploitation,” “social position,” “efficiency,” “British Imperialism,” “non-cooperation,” “India Office,” and “refugees.” Gandhi enjoyed the list immensely. A man sitting near by said there was an other English phrase they all knew: “student spies.” The government used some university students to spy on others, he said. Gandhi said, “This is one of my indictments of British rule.”
Gandhi asked me about the terror in Soviet Russia. I gave him details from my experience in Russia. “Then England and the United States,” Gandhi volunteered, “are the only democratic countries left in the world.”
“It is surprising,” I corroborated, “how democratic England remains despite the war. There is also Sweden.”
“Yes?” Gandhi commented incredulously.
“And Switzerland. And the British dominions,” I added.
“For whites,” Gandhi interjected. “I know. I have lived in South Africa.” He returned to his food.
I went back to the hut for a bath. All I had to do to take a bath was to slip off my pajamas and sandals and fill a bowl with water and hold it over my head and tilt it. Refreshed, I made my way again to Gandhi’s house at 6.15 P.M. I waited outside a min-
