The Story of my Experiments with Truth

Whilst on the one hand social service work of the kind I have described in the foregoing chapters was being carried out, on the other the work of recording statements of the ryots' grievances was progressing apace. Thousands of such statements were taken, and they could not but have their effect. The ever-growing number of ryots coming to make their statements increased the planters' wrath, and they moved heaven and earth to counteract my inquiry.

One day I received a letter from the Bihar Government to the following effect: "Your inquiry has been sufficiently prolonged; should you not now bring it to an end and leave Bihar? " The letter was couched in polite language, but its meaning was obvious.