During the period August 1, 1937 to March 31, 1938 covered by this volume, Gandhiji continued to suffer from high blood-pressure which jumped up ön the slightest pretext". He attributed his blood-pressure to his failure to live up to the Gita's teaching of "non-attachment". He explained to Ramdas Gandhi, "I am full of feeling. I am always pained by anybody's suffering."In spite of his illness and mental tension, however, Gandhiji continued to guide the Congress and the country, patiently educating public opinion through his articles in Harijan and letters to his innumerable correspondents to achieve his programe of moral and social revolution through democratic means
One of the problems which weighed on Gandhiji's mind was that of the political prisoners and detenus held for acts of violence. Some of these were on hunger strike and all had abjured violence. Gandhiji made their cause his own and during his visit to the prisoners in Alipur Jail gave them hisword that he wanted to see them discharged before he died.
