NOTE TO THE READER [2019] 

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (English series) is a monumental document of Gandhiji’s words as he spoke and wrote, day after day, year after year, beginning with the year 1884 till his assassination on January 30, 1948. In this series his writings, scattered all over the world, have been collected and constructed with stringent academic discipline and with an ethical sense of loyalty.

The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (English series) (CWMG-original-KS-Eng- edition, called so after Prof. K. Swaminathan, the chief architect of the original series, who had led uniquely qualified team of editors) had taken about 38 years in the making (1956- 1994). They are a series of one hundred volumes, intricately connected across the series, as an integrated whole. The CWMG-original-KS-Eng-edition volumes were published by the Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India in the years 1956 to 1994. The exercise was directed by the CWMG Advisory Board of the Gandhi veterans closely connected with him. Some details in this respect can be viewed in volumes I, XC, XCVIII, XCIX, C, and the standard edition table.

The Electronic Master Copy as reproduced from the scanned images of the CWMG-original- KS-Eng-edition (Volumes I to C – 1 to 100) (1956-1994) is in the form of refined (finished) electronic images, matched with the original-KS-edition, word by word, verified with the original source-documents where necessary. This will now form the basis for all future printing, as impressions of the images thereof.
The Electronic Master Copy of the CWMG-original-KS-Eng-edition retains the original architecture – volume structure, font structure, line structure, page structure – including its visual look – fully and loyally. The Master Copy of the CWMG-original-KS-Eng-edition retains the original editorial edifice and content entirely and loyally.

The reproduction from the CWMG-original-KS-edition for volumes from I to XCIII- Supplementary III, and for volumes XCVIII-Index of Subjects and XCIX-Index of Persons has been done from the respective editions as printed at the Navajivan Press (Mudranalaya), Ahmedabad, India. The reproduction from the CWMG-original-KS-edition for volumes from XCIV-Supplementary IV to XCVII- Supplementary VII has been done from the respective editions as printed at different Printers from Delhi, India. The details of editions used for reproduction for individual volumes can be seen in a table given pages 9 to 15 of this user document.
The original manually prepared indexes – appearing at the end of each volume, and in the two volumes, of Subjects and of Persons – as appearing in the CWMG-original-KS-Eng- edition – give varied, numerous and logical profiles of Gandhiji’s life and thought, action and engagements. Also, the Prefaces, as written for respective volumes when published, take us on an epic journey through his life and the nation in the making. Together, these navigators guide us far and wide and into the depths where computer technology may not lead us.

In the Volume C (100), texts of the individual Prefaces, as written for each volume as and when they were published, have been picked and stringed together to avoid any error of reproduction. Also, the Forewords that appear in volumes I (001), XC (090), XCVIII (098), XCIX (099) and C (100) (1994-Ed.) have been repeated here to give an overview and a perspective of the effort that took place in the years 1956 to 1994.
The task of preparing the Electronic Master Copy of the CWMG-original-KS-Eng-1956- 1994-edition has been accomplished by the Gujarat Vidyapith (university founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 as part of non-co-operation movement and for holistic education to help win swaraj), Ahmedabad, India, through a specially set up CWMG Cell in its premises.

Execution of the task involved an intensely focused, organic, and stringently supervised effort over a period of more than five years. A lot of research, customization, and innovation have gone into the process. The research and trials had started in the years 2006-07; the real work had started in the years 2009-10.

The preparation of the Archival Electronic Master Copy of the CWMG-original-KS-Eng- 1956-1994-edition was accomplished in the year 2015. The same is in the following forms for every page of the full series of hundred volumes: (a) Cluster of archival-source-images and the corresponding black-&-white images; (b) Finished-digital-image-PDFs with searchable text as hidden layer in the backend; (c) Finished-digital image-PDFs as print- ready static, non-editable images organized in suitable folders for jacket cluster, including photographs, maps, etc. and the text from cover-to-cover, so as to facilitate all-time printing as an ongoing process; (d) The above data suitably reduced for web-display; (e) The entire record including the work record for all-time archivation.

The above work was first presented to the Government of India in March 2015. The BETA version of the Electronic Master Copy of the digital-searchable image-PDFs for the full series of hundred volumes was dedicated to the people of the world on September 8, 2015, in two forms: i. DVD SET / PEN-DRIVE; ii. Downloadable form – in volume-wise manner – on the Gandhi Heritage Portal hosted by the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust (SAPMT). A full, unbroken set of the hundred volumes of the CWMG-original-KS- Eng-edition-1956-1994 has been reprinted by the Publications Division, GoI, New Delhi from the Electronic Master Copy thus prepared at the CWMG Cell set up at the Gujarat Vidyapith, and has been rededicated to the people of the world in June 2017.

The Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, through the CWMG Cell specially set up at its premises, has performed the specific task of preparing such archival electronic record on behalf of the Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, New Delhi, with the permission of the Navajivan Trust, Ahmedabad.

NOTES FOR INFORMATION AND RECORD

This record of CWMG-original-KS-Eng-edition-1956-1994 – from volume I to C is one integrated whole and is to be treated as such;

Its integrity is not to be violated; and it is not for commercial purpose.

1. On display at :

i. www.gandhiheritageportal.org/the-collected-works-of-mahatma-gandhi
The cluster of archival-source-images and the corresponding black-&-white images of every page for the full series of hundred volumes, suitably reduced in property for web-display;

ii. www.gandhiheritageportal.org/fundamental-worklist
Finished-digital images corresponding to the finished-digital-searchable image-PDFs, with necessary corrections (a record of which is attached at the end of each respective volume – *see remarks at item 6, p.7 of 15); these images are of every page for the full series of hundred volumes, suitably reduced in property for web-display.

Remarks :

These images can be compared with each other, if so desired;
These images can be viewed individually page-wise and volume-wise;
These images are reduced in property suitably for web display view;
These images are also printable in such lower resolution;

2. Downloadable from : www.gandhiheritageportal.org/the-collected-works-of-mahatma-gandhi

Finished-digital-searchable image-PDFs, with necessary corrections (a record of which is attached at the end of each respective volume – *see remarks at item 6, p.7 of 15); these image-PDFs are for the full series of hundred volumes, in downloadable form – in volume-wise manner – replacing the BETA version;

a. The download searchable PDF icon to be clicked;

b. Fully searchable image-PDF files can be opened in any PDF reader;

c. They contain individual files of finished-digital-searchable image-PDFs, volume-wise from cover to cover, arranged in sequential order;

d. They contain archival images of refined (finished) quality in the form of image-PDFs; the searchable text is hidden in the background;

e. These image-PDFs are fully searchable for English text; the same are fully searchable for non-English text as well;

f. Any text area from the same can be selected and copied and pasted in any text-based document;

g. Such copied and pasted text would retain the volume structure, page structure and line structure and font structure;

h. Such copied and pasted text would appear in in-built fonts, i. e.:
TimesNewRoman font (different from regular Times New Roman font);

i. Readers are requested to convert the text thus copied and pasted to:
Times New Roman font for reading comfort;

j. Readers are also requested to check the text thus copied and pasted on text-based document word by word with the given image-PDF;

k. These image-PDFs can be printed in high resolution; they are water-marked, non-editable and locked;

3. Volume structure :

a. Volumes I to XC (001 to 090) are the main series.

b. Volumes XCI to XCVII (091 to 097) are the supplementary series.

c. Volume XCVIII (098) is Index of Subjects for volumes I to XC (001 to 090).

d. Volume XCIX (099) is Index of Persons for volumes I to XC. (001 to 090).

e. Volume C (100) is a compilation of Prefaces as written for respective volumes as and when they were published.

f. Each volume from I to XCVII (001 to 097) carries its own Index.

4. Authentic navigational guide-posts : as in-built in the original series :

i. For every volume individually :

a. Contents – Item-wise and Date-wise;

b. Index of Titles; Index (Subjects and Persons together);

ii. For volumes upto XC collectively:

a. Volume of Index of Subjects (XCVIII – 098); and

b. Volume of Index of Persons (XCIX – 099);

iii. For all volumes: Volume of Prefaces (C – 100);

5. The following records is for archiving of the Master Copy with dedicated Gandhi-archives and some of it with The National Archives of India, New Delhi, as well :

i. Archival-source-images in high-resolution scanning;

ii. Corresponding black-&-white images;

iii. Finished-digital images, with necessary corrections (a record of which is attached at the end of each respective volume – *see remarks at item 6, p.7 of 15);

iv. Finished-digital-ready-to-print images, with necessary corrections (*see remarks at item 6, p.7 of 15) (in single PDF volume-wise); these images are from cover-to-cover – with separate folders : text, jacket cluster, photographs, maps, etc. in suitable formats, so as to facilitate printing as an ongoing process;

v. Finished-digital-searchable images in the PDF format volume-wise :

a. As a full, sequential series of hundred volumes to be made available on demand in DVD SETS / PEN-DRIVES; with necessary corrections (*see remarks at item 6, p.7 of 15);

b. In volume-wise downloadable form as for the web-portal; with necessary corrections (*see remarks at item 6, p.7 of 15); (a record of the same is attached at the end of each respective volume);

vi. Full work-record including project-story of the CWMG Cell – Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad.
Remark : All the above records are in multiple formats, in original property, as well as suitably reduced property, where and in a manner necessary.

6. * Note on corrections – for record :

Out of the above, matter indicated with ‘*’ bear the following kinds of corrections (a record of which is attached at the end of each respective volume) with proper and disciplined documentation; these changes can be verified with archival- source-images as well:

a. Listed dummy errors of the original editions : corrections done;

b. Listed errata / corrigenda : corrections done;

c. Fresh errata / corrigenda : added;

d. References to editions later standardized : corrected and / or listed
as fresh errata / corrigenda

7. Standard edition of each volume : Table of standard edition used for reproduction of each respective volume separately attached herewith.

AVAILABLE AS OF NOW:

1. Linkage with :

www.gandhiheritageportal.org/the-collected-works-of-mahatma-gandhi (For the cluster of archival-source-images and the corresponding black-&-white images)

www.gandhiheritageportal.org/fundamental-worklist
(For finished-digital images corresponding to the finished-digital-searchable image-PDFs with necessary corrections – a record of which is attached at the end of each respective volume) – Request for linkage can be made by : Educational institutions / libraries / museums / archives / and Gandhi study centers of the world. – Request for linkage to be made to : The Gandhi Heritage Portal hosted at the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust - SAPMT, Ahmedabad

2. In printed form – as hard copies : FROM :

The Publications Division, Min. of I & B, Govt. of India, New Delhi, INDIA; Telephone no.: +91-11-24365609

Website : www.publicationsdivision.nic.in

E-mail : Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

3. E-copy of the fully-searchable image-PDFs –
(finished-digital-searchable image-PDFs with necessary corrections) as a two-DVD SET and/or PEN-DRIVE : FROM:

i. The Publications Division, Min. of I & B, Govt. of India,
New Delhi, INDIA : Telephone no.: +91-11-24365609
Website : www.publicationsdivision.nic.in
E-mail : Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

ii. CWMG Cell, Gujarat Vidyapith, Ashram Road,
Ahmedabad -380 014, Gujarat, INDIA;
E-mail : Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.

iii. Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust – SAPMT,
Gandhi Ashram, Sabarmati, Ahmedabad – 380 027;
E-mail : Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.;

iv. National Gandhi Museum, Rajghat, New Delhi : 110 002;
Telephone no. : 011-23310168;
E-mail : Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.
Website : www.gandhimuseum.org