`Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase' deals with the last twenty-one months of Gandhiji's life, beginning with his release from detention in the Aga Khan's palace from August 1942 to May 1944. It is the last in the 10-volume tome by pyarelal, Gandhiji's faithful secretary for 28 years.

The most memorable part of `the Last Phase' portrays the heart-rending communal divide across the sub-continent and Mahatma Gandhi's valiant, single-handed struggle to stand against the tornado of primitive passions. With what super-human strength did Gandhiji carry on the battle is summed up by Pyarelal in one panoramic stroke of the pen : "During those fateful days like a Titan he rushed from one danger spot to another to prop up the crumbling heavens."

An attempt is made in `Going to Wipe Their' to condense the epic story of those days in 1946-47. That story has become signigicant as required reading for all of us in 2002 because the same ghastly communal conflagration of 55 years ago stares us in the face today. Gandhiji said that the barbarity and cruelty such as India winessed then had its origin in cowardice. Five and half decades later, out country is confronted today with the same barbarity rooted in the same cowardice. Pyarelal's labours in recpaturing the past could induce us to ponder pravely and act manfully in the present.

This condensation has been undertaken by Mahendra Meghani. He had only recently condensed from the Gujarati translation of `The Last Phase', a 150 — page book `Aansu Loochhva Jaun Chhun', also published by Navajivan Trust. Within three months it sold over 10,000 copies. It would seem that the hour of such a book has come.