Page:The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, vol. 1.djvu/16

 of them as it could secure, but they have not yet been published. The letters collected by the Nidhi run by now into thousands. But many more letters still remain to be obtained and published.

Thus, no attempt has so far been made to collect all Gandhiji’s writings, speeches and letters, to whichever period of his life they belonged and from wherever they were found, and to publish them whole and entire in chronological order. The task was beyond the resources of private individuals or institutions. Consequently, the Government of India have undertaken it.

Gandhiji’s output in the way of writings, speeches and letters, even in the early South African years, was phenomenally large. The material pertaining to this period covers twelve volumes. The entire series, at a fair estimate, may run into more than 70 volumes.

Besides, his utterances were not confined to one language. He wrote and spoke in three languages: Gujarati, Hindi and English. The Editors’task, therefore, is not only one of collection, but also of accurate translation from Gujarati and Hindi into English, and from Gujarati and English into Hindi, the two languages in which the scries will be published. Further, the work is complicated by the fact that the material for the early period of his life, spent in South Africa, lies outside India, in the Colonial Office Records in London and in South Africa itself. Access to sources in South Africa is comparatively difficult. In addition to the communications he addressed to officials, Gandhiji wrote copiously in Indian Opinion. Unlike his later articles in Young India, Navajivan and Harijan, Indian Opinion articles were unsigned. In the task of identifying and authenticating the writings of Gandhiji, the Editors have received valuable help from Shri H. S. L. Polak and Shri Chhaganlal Gandhi, both of whom had been closely associated not only with Indian Opinion but also with Gandhiji’s other activities in South Africa.

In the nature of the work itself no claim of completeness or finality can be made for this collection. Later research may lead to the discovery of documents not now obtainable. It would have been inadvisable to wait indefinitely to achieve perfection. The task of improving on this work must be left to the future. For the present, however, every effort is being made to collect and verify all material that can be had, and to publish it with brief notes to aid the reader in understanding the text. If material is secured too late to go into a volume, it is proposed to publish it separately.