,transcriber's ,note3 ,the inconsistent spelling of the original has been preserved in this etext4 ,,freedom',s ,,battle ,,being ,a ,,comprehensive ,,collection ,,of ,,writings ,,and ,,speeches ,,on ,,the ,,present ,,situation ,,by ,,mahatma ,,gandhi ,second ,edition #aibb ,the ,publishers express their indebtedness to the ,editor and ,publisher of the ,young ,india for allowing the free use of the articles appeared in that journal under the name of ,mahatma ,gandhi1 and also to ,mr4 ,c4 ,rajagopalachar for the valuable introduction and help rendered in bringing out the book4 ,,contents ,i4 ,,introduction ,,ii4 ,,the ,,khilafat ,why ,i have joined the ,khilafat ,movement ,the ,turkish ,treaty ,turkish ,peace ,terms ,the ,suzerainty over ,arabia ,further ,questions ,answered ,mr4 ,candler's ,open ,letter ,in process of keeping ,appeal to the ,viceroy ,the ,premier's reply ,the ,muslim ,representation ,criticism of the ,manifesto ,the ,mahomedan ,decision ,mr4 ,andrew's ,difficulty ,the ,khilafat ,agitation ,hijarat and its ,meaning ,,iii4 ,,the ,,punjab ,,wrongs ,political ,freemasonry ,the ,duty of the ,punjabec ,general ,dyer ,the ,punjab ,sentences ,,iv4 ,,swaraj ,swaraj in one year ,british ,rule an evil ,a movement of purification ,why was ,india lost ,swaraj my ideal ,on the wrong track ,the ,congress ,constitution ,swaraj in nine months ,the ,attainment of ,swaraj ,v4 ,,hindu ,,moslem ,,unity ,the ,hindus and the ,mahomedans ,hindu ,mahomedan unity ,hindu ,muslim unity ,,vi4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,the ,,depressed ,,classes ,depressed ,classes ,amelioration of the depressed classes ,the ,sin of ,untouchability ,,vii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,indians ,,abroad ,indians abroad ,indians overseas ,pariahs of the ,empire ,,viii4 ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,non-co-operation ,mr4 ,montagu on the ,khilafat ,agitation ,at the call of the country ,non-co-operation explained ,religious ,authority for non-co-operation ,the inwardness of non-co-operation ,a missionary on non-co-operation ,how to work non-co-operation ,speech at ,madras ,trichinopoly ,calicut ,mangalore ,bexwada ,the ,congress ,who is disloyal ,crusade against non-co-operation ,speech at ,muxafarbail ,ridicule replacing ,repression ,the ,viceregal pronouncement ,from ,ridicule to--8 ,to every ,englishman ,in ,india ,one step enough for me ,the need for humility ,some ,questions ,answered ,pledges broken ,more ,objections answered ,mr4 ,pennington's ,objections ,answered ,some doubts ,rejoinder ,two ,englishmen ,reply ,letter to the ,viceroy--,renunciation of ,medals ,letter to ,h4,r4,h4 ,the ,duke of ,connaught ,the ,greatest thing ,mahatma ,gandhi's ,statement ,,ix4 ,,written ,,statement ,index ,i4 ,,introduction ,after the great war it is difficult1 to point out a single nation that is happy2 but this has come out of the war1 that there is not a single nation outside ,india1 that is not either free or striving to be free4 ,it is said that we1 too1 are on the road to freedom1 that it is better to be on the certain though slow course of gradual unfoldment of freedom than to take the troubled and dangerous path of revolution whether peaceful or violent1 and that the new ,reforms are a half-way house to freedom4 ,the new constitution granted to ,india keeps all the military forces1 both in the direction and in the financial control1 entirely outside the scope of responsibility to the people of ,india4 ,what does this mean8 ,it means that the revenues of ,india are spent away on what the nation does not want4 ,but after the mid-,eastern complications and the fresh ,asiatic additions to ,british ,imperial spheres of action4 ,this ,indian military servitude is a clear danger to national interests4 ,the new constitution gives no scope for retrenchment and therefore no scope for measures of social reform except by fresh taxation1 the heavy burden of which on the poor will outweigh all the advantages of any reforms4 ,it maintains all the existing foreign services1 and the cost of the administrative machinery high as it already is1 is further increased4 ,the reformed constitution keeps all the fundamental liberties of person1 property1 press1 and association completely under bureaucratic control4 ,all those laws which give to the irresponsible officers of the ,executive ,government of ,india absolute powers to override the popular will1 are still unrepealed4 ,in spite of the tragic price paid in the ,punjab for demonstrating the danger of unrestrained power in the hands of a foreign bureaucracy and the inhumanity of spirit by which tyranny in a panic will seek to save itself1 we stand just where we were before1 at the mercy of the ,executive in respect of all our fundamental liberties4 ,not only is ,despotism intact in the ,law1 but unparalleled crimes and cruelties against the people have been encouraged and even after boastful admissions and clearest proofs1 left unpunished4 ,the spirit of unrepentant cruelty has thus been allowed to permeate the whole administration4 ,,the ,,mussalman ,,agony ,to understand our present condition it is not enough to realise the general political servitude4 ,we should add to it the reality and the extent of the injury inflicted by ,britain on ,islam1 and thereby on the ,mussalmans of ,india4 ,the articles of ,islamic faith which it is necessary to understand in order to realise why ,mussalman ,india1 which was once so loyal is now so strongly moved to the contrary are easily set out and understood4 ,every religion should be interpreted by the professors of that religion4 ,the sentiments and religious ideas of ,muslims founded on the traditions of long generations cannot be altered now by logic or cosmopolitanism1 as others understand it4 ,such an attempt is the more unreasonable when it is made not even as a bonafide and independent effort of proselytising logic or reason1 but only to justify a treaty entered into for political and worldly purposes4 ,the ,khalifa is the authority that is entrusted with the duty of defending ,islam4 ,he is the successor to ,muhammad and the agent of ,god on earth4 ,according to ,islamic tradition he must possess sufficient temporal power effectively to protect ,islam against non-,islamic powers and he should be one elected or accepted by the ,mussalman world4 ,the ,jazirat-ul-,arab is the area bounded by the ,red ,sea1 the ,arabian ,sea1 the ,persian ,gulf1 and the waters of the ,tigris and the ,euphrates4 ,it is the sacred ,home of ,islam and the centre towards which ,islam throughout the world turns in prayer4 ,according to the religious injunctions of the ,mussalmans1 this entire area should always be under ,muslim control1 its scientific border being believed to be a protection for the integrity of ,islamic life and faith4 ,every ,mussalman throughout the world is enjoined to sacrifice his all1 if necessary1 for preserving the ,jazirat-ul-,arab under complete ,muslim control4 ,the sacred places of ,islam should be in the possession of the ,khalifa4 ,they should not merely be free for the entry of the ,mussalmans of the world by the grace or the license of non-,muslim powers1 but should be the possession and property of ,islam in the fullest degree4 ,it is a religions obligation1 on every ,mussalman to go forth and help the ,khalifa in every possible way where his unaided efforts in the defence of the ,khilifat have failed4 ,the grievance of the ,indian ,mussalmans is that a government that pretends to protect and spread peace and happiness among them has no right to ignore or set aside these articles of their cherished faith4 ,according to the ,peace ,treaty imposed on the nominal ,government at ,constantinople1 the ,khalifa far from having the temporal authority or power needed to protect ,islam1 is a prisoner in his own city4 ,he is to have no real fighting force1 army or navy1 and the financial control over his own territories is vested in other ,governments4 ,his capital is cut off from the rest of his possessions by an intervening permanent military occupation4 ,it is needless to say that under these conditions he is absolutely incapable of protecting ,islam as the ,mussulmans of the world understand it4 ,the ,jazirat-ul-,arab is split up2 a great part of it given to powerful non-,muslim ,powers1 the remnant left with petty chiefs dominated all round by non-,muslim ,governments4 ,the ,holy places of ,islam are all taken out of the ,khalifa's kingdom1 some left in the possession of minor ,muslim chiefs of ,arabia entirely dependent on ,european control1 and some relegated to newly-formed non-,muslim states4 ,in a word1 the ,mussalman's free choice of a ,khalifa such as ,islamic tradition defines is made an unreality4 ,,the ,,hindu ,,dharma ,the age of misunderstanding and mutual warfare among religions is gone4 ,if ,india has a mission of its own to the world1 it is to establish the unity and the truth of all religions4 ,this unity is established by mutual help and understanding between the various religions4 ,it has come as a rare privilege to the ,hindus in the fulfilment of this mission of ,india to stand up in defence of ,islam against the onslaught of the earth-greed of the military powers of the west4 ,the ,dharma of ,hinduism in this respect is placed beyond all doubt by the ,bhagavat ,gita4 ,those who are the votaries of other ,gods and worship them with faith--even they1 ,o ,kaunteya1 worship me alone1 though not as the ,shastra requires--,,ix1 #bc4 ,whoever being devoted wishes in perfect faith to worship a particular form1 of such a one ,i maintain the same faith unshaken1--,,vii #ba4 ,hinduism will realise its fullest beauty when in the fulfilment of this cardinal tenet1 its followers offer themselves as sacrifice for the protection of the faith of their brothers1 the ,mussalmans4 ,if ,hindus and ,mussalmans attain the height of courage and sacrifice that is needed for this battle on behalf of ,islam against the greed of the ,west1 a victory will be won not alone for ,islam1 but for ,christianity itself4 ,militarism has robbed the crucified ,god of his name and his very cross and the ,world has been mistaking it to be ,christianity4 ,after the battle of ,islam is won1 ,islam and ,hinduism together can emancipate ,christianity itself from the lust for power and wealth which have strangled it now and the true ,christianity of the ,gospels will be established4 ,this battle of non-cooperation with its suffering and peaceful withdrawal of service will once for all establish its superiority over the power of brute force and unlimited slaughter4 ,what a glorious privilege it is to play our part in this history of the world1 when ,hinduism and ,christianity will unite on behalf of ,islam1 and in that strife of mutual love and support each religion will attain its own truest shape and beauty4 ,,an ,,enduring ,,treaty ,swaraj for ,india has two great problems1 one internal and the other external4 ,how can ,hindus and ,mussalmans so different from each other form a strong and united nation governing themselves peacefully8 ,this was the question for years1 and no one could believe that the two communities could suffer for each other till the miracle was actually worked4 ,the ,khilafat has solved the problem4 ,by the magic of suffering1 each has truly touched and captured the other's heart1 and the ,nation now is strong and united4 ,not internal strength and unity alone has the ,khilafat brought to ,india4 ,the great block in the way of ,indian aspiration for full freedom was the problem of external defence4 ,how is ,india1 left to herself defend her frontiers against her ,mussalman neighbours8 ,none but emasculated nations would accept such difficulties and responsibilities as an answer to the demand for freedom4 ,it is only a people whose mentality has been perverted that can soothe itself with the domination by one race from a distant country1 as a preventative against the aggression of another1 a permanent and natural neighbour4 ,instead of developing strength to protect ourselves against those near whom we are permanently placed1 a feeling of incurable impotence has been generated4 ,two strong and brave nations can live side by side1 strengthening each other through enforcing constant vigilance1 and maintain in full vigour each its own national strength1 unity1 patriotism and resources4 ,if a nation wishes to be respected by its neighbours it has to develop and enter into honourable treaties4 ,these are the only natural conditions of national liberty2 but not a surrender to distant military powers to save oneself from one's neighbours4 ,the ,khilafat has solved the problem of distrust of ,asiatic neighbours out of our future4 ,the ,indian struggle for the freedom of ,islam has brought about a more lasting entente and a more binding treaty between the people of ,india and the people of the ,mussalman states around it than all the ententes and treaties among the ,governments of ,europe4 ,no wars of aggression are possible where the common people on the two sides have become grateful friends4 ,the faith of the ,mussulman is a better sanction than the seal of the ,european ,diplomats and plenipotentiaries4 ,not only has this great friendship between ,india and the ,mussulman ,states around it removed for all time the fear of ,mussulman aggression from outside1 but it has erected round ,india1 a solid wall of defence against all aggression from beyond against all greed from ,europe1 ,russia or elsewhere4 ,no secret diplomacy could establish a better entente or a stronger federation than what this open and non-governmental treaty between ,islam and ,india has established4 ,the ,indian support of the ,khilafat has1 as if by a magic wand1 converted what ,was once the ,pan-,islamic terror for ,europe into a solid wall of friendship and defence for ,india4 ,,the ,,british ,,connection ,every nation like every individual is born free4 ,absolute freedom is the birthright of every people4 ,the only limitations are those which a people may place over themselves4 ,the ,british connection is invaluable as long as it is a defence against any worse connection sought to be imposed by violence4 ,but it is only a means to an end1 not a mandate of ,providence of ,nature4 ,the alliance of neighbours1 born of suffering for each other's sake1 for ends that purify those that suffer1 is necessarily a more natural and more enduring bond than one that has resulted from pure greed on the one side and weakness on the other4 ,where such a natural and enduring alliance has been accomplished among ,asiatic peoples and not only between the respective governments1 it may truly be felt to be more valuable than the ,british connection itself1 after that connection has denied freedom or equality1 and even justice4 ,,the ,,alternative ,is violence or total surrender the only choice open to any people to whom ,freedom or ,justice is denied8 ,violence at a time when the whole world has learnt from bitter experience the futility of violence is unworthy of a country whose ancient people's privilege1 it was1 to see this truth long ago4 ,violence may rid a nation of its foreign masters but will only enslave it from inside4 ,no nation can really be free which is at the mercy of its army and its military heroes4 ,if a people rely for freedom on its soldiers1 the soldiers will rule the country1 not the people4 ,till the recent awakening of the workers of ,europe1 this was the only freedom which the powers of ,europe really enjoyed4 ,true freedom can exist only when those who produce1 not those who destroy or know only to live on other's labour1 are the masters4 ,even were violence the true road to freedom1 is violence possible to a nation which has been emasculated and deprived of all weapons1 and the whole world is hopelessly in advance of all our possibilities in the manufacture and the wielding of weapons of destruction4 ,submission or withdrawal of co-operation is the real and only alternative before ,india4 ,submission to injustice puts on the tempting garb of peace and1 gradual progress1 but there is no surer way to death than submission to wrong4 ,,the ,,fifth ,,upaya ,our ancients classified the arts of conquest into four well-known ,upayas4 ,sama1 ,dana1 ,uheda1 and ,danda4 ,a fifth ,upuya was recognised sometimes by our ancients1 which they called ,upeshka4 ,it is this ,punchamopaya that is placed by ,mahatma ,gandhi before the people of ,india in the form of ,non-cooperation as an alternative1 besides violence1 to surrender4 ,where in any case negotiations have failed and the enemy is neither corruptible nor incapable of being divided1 and a resort to violence has failed or would certainly be futile the method of ,upeshka remains to be applied to the case4 ,indeed1 when the very existence of the power we seek to defeat really depends on our continuous co-operation with it1 and where our ,upeskha its very life1 our ,upeskha or non-co-operation is the most natural and most effective expedient that we can employ to bend it to our will4 ,no ,englishman believes that his nation can rule or keep ,india for a day unless the people of ,india actively co-operate to maintain that rule4 ,whether the co-operation be given willingly or through ignorance1 cupidity1 habit or fear1 the withdrawal of that co-operation means impossibility of foreign rule in ,india4 ,some of us may not realise this1 but those who govern us have long ago known and are now keenly alive to this truth4 ,the active assistance of the people of this country in the supply of the money1 men1 and knowledge of the languages1 customs and laws of the land1 is the main-spring of the continuous life of the foreign administration4 ,indeed the circumstances of ,british rule in this country are such that but for a double supply of co-operation on the part of the governed1 it must have broken down long ago4 ,any system of race domination is unnatural1 and can be kept up only by active coercion through a foreign-recruited public1 service invested with large powers1 however much it may be helped by the perversion of mentality shaping the education of the youth of the country4 ,the foreign recruited service must necessarily be very highly paid4 ,this creates a wrong standard for the ,indian recruited officials also4 ,military expenditure has to cover not only the needs of defence against foreign aggression1 but also the possibilities of internal unrest and rebellion4 ,police charges have to go beyond the prevention and deletion of ordinary crime1 for though this would be the only expenditure over the police of a self-governing people where any nation governs another1 a large chapter of artificial crime has to be added to the penal code1 and the work of the police extended accordingly4 ,the military and public organisations must also be such as not only to result in outside efficiency1 but also at the same time guarantee internal impotency4 ,this is to be achieved by the adjustment and careful admixture of officers and units from different races4 ,all this can be and is maintained only by extra cost and extra-active co-operation on the part of the people4 ,the slightest withdrawal of assistance must put such machinery out of gear4 ,this is the basis of the programme of progressive non violent non-co-operation that has been adopted by the ,national ,congress4 ,,some ,,objections ,the powerful character of the measure1 however1 leads some to object to non-co-operation because of that very reason4 ,striking as it does at the very root of ,government in ,india1 they fear that non-co-operation must lead to anarchy1 and that the remedy is worse than the disease4 ,this is an objection arising out of insufficient allowance for human nature4 ,it is assumed that the ,british people will allow their connection with ,india to cease rather than remedy the wrongs for which we seek justice4 ,if this assumption be correct1 no doubt it must lead to separation and possibly also anarchy for a time4 ,if the operatives in a factory have grievances1 negotiations having failed1 a strike would on a similar argument be never admissible4 ,unyielding obstinacy being presumed1 it must end in the closing down of the factory and break up of the men4 ,but if in ninety-nine out of a hundred cases it is not the case that strikes end in this manner1 it is more unlikely that1 instead of righting the manifest wrongs that ,india complains about1 the ,british people will value their ,indian ,dominion so low as to prefer to allow us to non-co-operate up to the point of separation4 ,it would be a totally false reading of ,british character and ,british history4 ,but if such wicked obstinacy be ultimately shown by a government1 far be it from us to prefer peace at the price of abject surrender to wrong4 ,there is no anarchy greater than the moral anarchy of surrender to unrepentant wrong4 ,we may1 however1 be certain that if we show the strength and unity necessary for non-co-operation1 long before we progress with it far1 we shall have developed true order and true self-government wherein there is no place for anarchy4 ,another fear sometimes expressed that1 if non-co-operation were to succeed1 the ,british would have to go1 leaving us unable to defend ourselves against foreign aggression4 ,if we have the self-respect1 the patriotism1 the tenacious purpose1 and the power of organisation that are necessary to drive the ,british out from their entrenched position1 no lesser foreign power will dare after that1 undertake the futile task of conquering or enslaving us4 ,it is sometimes said that non-co-operation is negative and destructive of the advantages which a stable government has conferred on us4 ,that non-co-operation is negative is merely a half-truth4 ,non-co-operation with the government means greater co-operation among ourselves1 greater mutual dependence among the many different castes and classes of our country4 ,non-co-operation is not mere negation4 ,it will lead to the recovery of the lost art of co-operation among ourselves4 ,long dependence on an outside government which by its interference suppressed or prevented the consequences of our differences has made us forget the duty of mutual trust and the art of friendly adjustment4 ,having allowed ,government to do everything for us1 we have gradually become incapable of doing anything for ourselves4 ,even if we had no grievance against this ,government1 non-co-operation with it for a time would be desirable so far as it would perforce lead us to trusting and working with one another and thereby strengthen the bonds of national unity4 ,the most tragic consequence of dependence on the complex machinery of a foreign government is the atrophy of the communal sense4 ,the direct touch with administrative cause and effect is lost4 ,an outside protector performs all the necessary functions of the community in a mysterious manner1 and communal duties are not realised by the people4 ,the one reason addressed by those who deny to us the capacity for self-rule is the insufficient appreciation by the people of communal duties and discipline4 ,it is only by actually refraining for a time from dependence on ,government that we can regain self-reliance1 learn first-hand the value of communal duties and build up true national co-operation4 ,non-co-operation is a practical and positive training in ,swadharma1 and ,swadharma alone can lead up to ,swaraj4 ,the negative is the best and most impressive method of enforcing the value of the positive4 ,few outside government circles realise in the present police anything but tyranny and corruption4 ,but if the units of the present police were withdrawn we would soon perforce set about organising a substitute1 and most people would realise the true social value of a police force4 ,few realise in the present taxes anything but coercion and waste1 but most people would soon see that a share of every man's income is due for common purposes and that there are many limitations to the economical management of public institutions2 we would begin once again to contribute directly1 build up and maintain national institutions in the place of those that now mysteriously spring up and live under ,government orders4 ,,emancipation ,freedom is a priceless thing4 ,but it is a stable possession only when it is acquired by a nation's strenuous effort4 ,what is not by chance or outward circumstance1 or given by the generous impulse of a tyrant prince or people is not a reality4 ,a nation will truly enjoy freedom only when in the process of winning or defending its freedom1 it has been purified and consolidated through and through1 until liberty has become a part of its very soul4 ,otherwise it would be but a change of the form of government1 which might please the fancy of politicians1 or satisfy the classes in power1 but could never emancipate a people4 ,an ,act of ,parliament can never create citizens in ,hindustan4 ,the strength1 spirit1 and happiness of a people who have fought and won their liberty cannot be got by ,reform ,acts4 ,effort and sacrifice are the necessary conditions of real stable emancipation4 ,liberty unacquired1 merely found1 will on the test fail like the ,dead-,sea-apple or the magician's plenty4 ,the war that the people of ,india have declared and which will purify and consolidate ,india1 and forge for her a true and stable liberty is a war with the latest and most effective weapon4 ,in this war1 what has hitherto been in the world an undesirable but necessary incident in freedom's battles1 the killing of innocent men1 has been eliminated2 and that which is the true essential for forging liberty1 the self-purification and self-strengthening of men and women has been kept pure and unalloyed4 ,it is for men1 women and youth1 every one of them that lives in and loves ,india1 to do his bit in this battle1 not waiting for others1 not calculating the chances of his surviving the battle to enjoy the fruits of his sacrifice4 ,soldiers in the old-world wars did not insure their lives before going to the front4 ,the privilege of youth in special is for country's sake to exercise their comparative freedom and give up the yearning for lives and careers built on the slavery of the people4 ,that on which a foreign government truly rests whatever may be the illusions on their or our part is not the strength of its armed forces1 but our own co-operation4 ,actual service on the part of one generation1 and educational preparation for future service on the part of the next generation are the two main branches of this co-operation of slaves in the perpetuation of slavery4 ,the boycott of government service and the law-courts is aimed at the first1 the boycott of government controlled schools is to stop the second4 ,if either the one or the other of these two branches of co-operation is withdrawn in sufficient measure1 there will be an automatic and perfectly peaceful change from slavery to liberty4 ,the beat preparation for any one who desires to take part in the great battle now going on is a silent study of the writings and speeches collected herein1 and proposed to be completed in a supplementary volume to be soon issued4 ,c4 ,,rajagopalachar ,,ii4 ,,the ,,khilafat ,,why ,i ,,have ,,joined ,,the ,,khilafat ,,movement ,an esteemed ,south ,african friend who is at present living in ,england has written to me a letter from which ,i make the following excerpts3-- ,you will doubtless remember having met me in ,south ,africa at the time when the ,rev4 ,j4,j4 ,doke was assisting you in your campaign there and ,i subsequently returned to ,england deeply impressed with the rightness of your attitude in that country4 ,during the months before war ,i wrote and lectured and spoke on your behalf in several places which ,i do not regret4 ,since returning from military service1 however1 ,i have noticed from the papers that you appear to be adopting a more militant attitude444 ,i notice a report in ,the ,times that you are assisting and countenancing a union between the ,hindus and ,moslems with a view of embarrassing ,england and the ,allied ,powers in the matter of the dismemberment of the ,ottoman ,empire or the ejection of the ,turkish ,government from ,constantinople4 ,knowing as ,i do your sense of justice and your humane instincts ,i feel that ,i am entitled1 in view of the humble part that ,i have taken to promote your interests on this side1 to ask you whether this latter report is correct4 ,i cannot believe that you have wrongly countenanced a movement to place the cruel and unjust despotism of the ,stamboul ,government above the interests of humanity1 for if any country has crippled these interests in the ,east it has surely been ,turkey4 ,i am personally familiar with the conditions in ,syria and ,armenia and ,i can only suppose that if the report1 which ,the ,times has published is correct1 you have thrown to one side1 your moral responsibilities and allied yourself with one of the prevailing anarchies4 ,however1 until ,i hear that this is not your attitude ,i cannot prejudice my mind4 ,perhaps you will do me the favour of sending me a reply4 ,i have sent a reply to the writer4 ,but as the views expressed in the quotation are likely to be shared by many of my ,english friends and as ,i do not wish1 if ,i can possibly help it1 to forfeit their friendship or their esteem ,i shall endeavour to state my position as clearly as ,i can on the ,khilafat question4 ,the letter shows what risk public men run through irresponsible journalism4 ,i have not seen ,the ,times report1 referred to by my friend4 ,but it is evident that the report has made the writer to suspect my alliance with the prevailing anarchies and to think that ,i have thrown to one side my moral responsibilities4 ,it is just my sense of moral responsibilities which has made me take up the ,khilafat question and to identify myself entirely with the ,mahomedans4 ,it is perfectly true that ,i am assisting and countenancing the union between ,hindus and ,muslims1 but certainly not with a view of embarrassing ,england and the ,allied ,powers in the matter of the dismemberment of the ,ottoman ,empire1 it is contrary to my creed to embarrass governments or anybody else4 ,this does not how ever mean that certain acts of mine may not result in embarrassment4 ,but ,i should not hold myself responsible for having caused embarrassment when ,i resist the wrong of a wrong-doer by refusing assistance in his wrong-doing4 ,on the ,khilafat question ,i refuse to be party to a broken pledge4 ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's solemn declaration is practically the whole of the case for ,indian ,mahomedans and when that case is fortified by scriptural authority it becomes unanswerable4 ,moreover1 it is incorrect to say that ,i have allied myself to one of the prevailing anarchies or that ,i have wrongly countenanced the movement to place the cruel and unjust despotism of the ,stamboul ,government above the interests of humanity4 ,in the whole of the ,mahomedan demand there is no insistance on the retention of the so-called unjust despotism of the ,stamboul ,government2 on the contrary the ,mahomedans have accepted the principle of taking full guarantees from that ,government for the protection of non-,muslim minorities4 ,i do not know how far the condition of ,armenia and ,syria may be considered an 'anarchy' and how far the ,turkish ,government may be held responsible for it4 ,i much suspect that the reports from these quarters are much exaggerated and that the ,european powers are themselves in a measure responsible for what misrule there may be in ,armenia and ,syria4 ,but ,i am in no way interested in supporting ,turkish or any other anarchy4 ,the ,allied ,powers can easily prevent it by means other than that of ending ,turkish rule or dismembering and weakening the ,ottoman ,empire4 ,the ,allied ,powers are not dealing with a new situation4 ,if ,turkey was to be partitioned1 the position should have been made clear at the commencement of the war4 ,there would then have been no question of a broken pledge4 ,as it is1 no ,indian ,mahomedan has any regard for the promises of ,british ,ministers4 ,in his opinion1 the cry against ,turkey is that of ,christianity vs4 ,islam with ,england as the louder in the cry4 ,the latest cablegram from ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali strengthens the impression1 for he says that unlike as in ,england his deputation is receiving much support from the ,french ,government and the people4 ,thus1 if it is true1 as ,i hold it is true that the ,indian ,mussalmans have a cause that is just and is supported by scriptural authority1 then for the ,hindus not to support them to the utmost would be a cowardly breach of brotherhood and they would forfeit all claim to consideration from their ,mahomedan countrymen4 ,as a public-server therefore1 ,i would be unworthy of the position ,i claim1 if ,i did not support ,indian ,mussalmans in their struggle to maintain the ,khilafat in accordance with their religious belief4 ,i believe that in supporting them ,i am rendering a service to the ,empire1 because by assisting my ,mahomedan countrymen to give a disciplined expression to their sentiment it becomes possible to make the agitation thoroughly1 orderly and even successful4 ,,the ,,turkish ,,treaty ,the ,turkish treaty will be out on the #ajth of ,may4 ,it is stated to provide for the internationalisation of the ,straits1 the occupation of ,gallipoli by the ,allies1 the maintenance of ,allied contingents in ,constantinople and the appointment of a ,commission of ,control over ,turkish finances4 ,the ,san ,remo ,conference has entrusted ,britain with ,mandates for ,mesopotamia and ,palestine and ,france with the ,mandate for ,syria4 ,as regards ,smyrna the accounts so far received inform that ,turkish suzerainty over ,smyrna will be indicated by the fact that the population will not be entitled to send delegates to the ,greek ,parliament but at the end of five years local ,smyrna ,parliament will have the right of voting in favour of union with ,greece and in such an event ,turkish suzerainty will cease4 ,turkish suzerainty will be confined to the area within the ,chatalja lines4 ,with regard to ,emir ,foisul's position there is no news except that the ,mandates of ,britain and ,france transform his military title into a civil title4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we have given above the terms of the ,turkish treaty as indicated in ,router's messages4 ,these reports are incomplete and all of them are not equally authenticated4 ,but if these terms are true1 they are a challenge to the ,muslim demands4 ,turkish ,sovereignty is confined to the ,chatalja lines4 ,this means that the ,big ,three of the ,supreme ,council have cut off ,thrace from ,turkish dominions4 ,this is a distinct breach of the pledge given by one of these ,three1 viz41 the ,premier of the ,british ,empire4 ,to remain within the ,chatalja lines and1 we are afraid1 as a dependent of the ,allies1 is for the ,sultan a humiliating position inconsistent with the ,koranic injunctions4 ,such a restricted position of the ,turks is virtually a success of the bag and baggage school4 ,it is not yet known how the ,supreme ,council disposed of the rich and renowned lands of ,asia ,minor4 ,if ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's views recently expressed in this respect have received the ,allies' sanction--it is probable--nothing less than a common control is expected4 ,the decision in the case of ,smyrna will be satisfying to none1 though the ,allies seem to have made by their arrangement a skillful attempt to please all the parties concerned4 ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george1 in his reply to the ,khilafat ,deputation1 had talked about the careful investigations by an impartial committee and had added2 ,the great majority of the population undoubtedly prefer ,greek rule to ,turkish rule1 so ,i understand ,but the decision postpones to carry out his understanding till a period of five years4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when we come to the question of mandates1 the ,allied ,powers' motives come out more distinctly4 ,the ,arabs' claim of independence was used as a difficulty against keeping ,turkish ,sovereignty4 ,this was defended in the of self-determination and by pointing out parallels of ,transylvania and other provinces4 ,when the final moment came1 the ,allies have ventured to divide the spoils amongst themselves4 ,britain is given the mandate over ,mesopotamia and ,palestine and ,france has the mandate over ,syria4 ,the ,arab delegation complains in their note lately issued expressing their disappointment at the ,supreme ,council's decision with regard to the ,arab liberated countries1 which1 it declares1 is contrary to the principle of self-determination4 99 99 99 99 99 ,so what little news has arrived about the ,turkish treaty1 is uniformly disquieting4 ,the ,moslems have found sufficient ground to honour ,russia1 more than the ,allies4 ,russia has recognised the freedom of ,khiva and ,bokhara4 ,the ,moslem world1 as ,h4 ,m4 the ,amir of ,afghanistan said in his speech1 will feel grateful towards ,russia in spite of all the rumours abroad about its anarchy and disorder1 whereas the whole ,moslem world will resent the action of the other ,european nations who have allied with each other to carry out a joint coercion and extinction of ,turkey in the name of self-determination and partly in the guise of the interest of civilization4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the terms of the ,turkish treaty are not only a breach of the ,premier's pledge1 not only a sin against the principle of self-determination1 but they also show a reckless indifference of the ,allied ,powers towards the ,koranic injunctions4 ,the terms point out that ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's misinformed ideas of ,khilafat have prevailed in the ,council4 ,like ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george other statesmen also at ,san ,remo have compared ,caliphate with ,popedom and ignored the ,koronic idea of associating spiritual power with temporal power4 ,these misguided statesmen were too much possessed by haughtiness and so they refused to receive any enlightenment on the question of ,khilafat from the ,deputation4 ,they could have corrected themselves had they heard ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali on this point4 ,speaking at the ,essex ,hall meeting ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali distinguished between ,popedom and ,caliphate and clearly explained what ,caliphate means4 ,he said3 ,islam is supernational and not national1 the basis of ,islamic sympathy is a common outlook on life and common culture4444 ,and it has two centres4 ,the personal centre is the island of ,arabia4 ,the ,khalifa is the ,commander of the ,faithful and his orders must be obeyed by all ,muslims so long and so long only1 as they are not at variance with the ,commandments of ,god and the ,traditions of the ,prophet4 ,but since there is no lacerating distinction between things temporal and things spiritual1 the ,khalifa is something more than a ,pope and cannot be ,vaticanised4 ,but he is also less than a ,pope for he is not infallible4 ,if he persists in un-,islamic conduct we can depose him4 ,and we have deposed him more than once4 ,but so long as he orders only that which ,islam demands we must support him4 ,he and no other ruler is the ,defender of our faith4 ,these few words could have removed the mis-undertakings rooted in the minds of those that at ,san ,remo1 if they were in earnest for a just solution4 ,but ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali's deputation was not given any hearing by the ,peace ,conference4 ,they were told that the ,peace ,conference had already heard the official delegation of ,india on this question4 ,but the wrong notions the ,allies still entertain about ,caliphate are a sufficient indication of the effects of the work of this official delegation4 ,the result of these wrong notions is the present settlement and this unjust settlement will unsettle the world4 ,they know not what they do4 ,,turkish ,,peace ,,terms ,the question of question to-day is the ,khilafat question1 otherwise known as that of the ,turkish peace terms4 ,his ,excellency the ,viceroy deserves our thanks for receiving the joint deputation even at this late hour1 especially when he was busy preparing to receive the head of the different provinces4 ,his ,excellency must be thanked for the unfailing courtesy with which he received the deputation and the courteous language in which his reply was couched4 ,but mere courtesy1 valuable as it is at all times1 never so valuable as at this1 is not enough at this critical moment4 ',sweet words butter no parsnips' is a proverb more applicable to-day than ever before4 ,behind the courtesy there was the determination to punish ,turkey4 ,punishment of ,turkey is a thing which ,muslim sentiment cannot tolerate for a moment4 ,muslim soldiers are as responsible for the result of the war as any others4 ,it was to appease them that ,mr4 ,asquith said when ,turkey decided to join the ,central ,powers that the ,british ,government had no designs on ,turkey and that ,his ,majesty's ,government would never think of punishing the ,sultan for the misdeeds of the ,turkish ,committee4 ,examined by that standard the ,viceregal reply is not only disappointing but it is a fall from truth and justice4 ,what is this ,british ,empire8 ,it is as much ,mahomedan and ,hindu as it is ,christian4 ,its religious neutrality is not a virtue1 or if it is1 it is a virtue of necessity4 ,such a mighty ,empire could not be held together on any other terms4 ,british ministers are therefore bound to protect ,mahomedan interests as any other4 ,indeed as the ,muslim rejoinder says1 they are bound to make the cause their own4 ,what is the use of ,his ,excellency having presented the ,muslim claim before the ,conference8 ,if the cause is lost the ,mahomedans will be entitled to think that ,britain did not do her duty by them4 ,and the ,viceregal reply confirms the view4 ,when ,his ,excellency says that ,turkey must suffer for her having joined the ,central ,powers he but expresses the opinion of ,british ministers4 ,we hope1 therefore1 with the framers of the ,muslim rejoinder that ,his ,majesty's ministers will mend the mistakes if any have been committed and secure a settlement that would satisfy ,mahomedan sentiment4 ,what does the sentiment demand8 ,the preservation of the ,khilafat with such guarantee as may be necessary for the protection of the interests of the non-,muslim races living under ,turkish rule and the ,khalif's control over ,arabia and the ,holy ,places with such arrangement as may be required for guaranteeing ,arab self-rule1 should the ,arabs desire it4 ,it is hardly possible to state the claim more fairly than has been done4 ,it is a claim backed by justice1 by the declarations of ,british ministers and by the unanimous ,hindu and ,muslim opinion4 ,it would be midsummer madness to reject or whittle down a claim so backed4 ,,the ,,suzerainty ,,over ,,arabia ,as ,i told you in my last letter ,i think ,mr4 ,gandhi has made a serious mistake in the ,kailafat business4 ,the ,indian ,mahomedans base their demand on the assertion that their religion requires the ,turkish rule over ,arabia3 but when they have against them in this matter1 the ,arabs themselves1 it is impossible to regard the theory of the ,indian ,mahomedans as essential to ,islam4 ,after all if the ,arabs do not represent ,islam1 who does8 ,it is as if the ,german ,roman ,catholics made a demand in the name of ,roman ,catholicism with ,rome and the ,italians making a contrary demand4 ,but even if the religion of the ,indian ,mahomedans did require that ,turkish rule should be imposed upon the ,arabs against their will1 one could not1 now-a-days1 recognise as a really religious demand1 one which required the continued oppression of one people by another4 ,when an assurance was given at the beginning of the war to the ,indian ,mahomedans that the ,mahomedan religion would be respected1 that could never have meant that a temporal sovereignty which violated the principles of self-determination would be upheld4 ,we could not now stand by and see the ,turks re-conquer the ,arabs 7for the ,arabs would certainly fight against them7 without grossly betraying the ,arabs to whom we have given pledges4 ,it is not true that the ,arab hostility to the ,turks was due simply to ,european suggestion4 ,no doubt1 during the war we availed ourselves of the ,arab hostility to the ,turks to get another ally1 but the hostility had existed long before the war4 ,the ,non-,turkish ,mahomedan subjects of the ,sultan in general wanted to get rid of his rule4 ,it is the ,indian ,mahomedans who have no experience of that rule who want to impose it on others4 ,as a matter of fact the idea of any restoration of ,turkish rule in ,syria or ,arabia1 seems so remote from all possibilities that to discuss it seems like discussing a restoration of the ,holy ,roman ,empire4 ,i cannot conceive what series of events could bring it about4 ,the ,indian ,mahomedans certainly could not march into ,arabia themselves and conquer the ,arabs for the ,sultan4 ,and no amount of agitation and trouble in ,india would ever induce ,england to put back ,turkish rule in ,arabia4 ,in this matter it is not ,english ,imperialism which the ,indian ,mahomedans are up against1 but the mass of ,english ,liberal and ,humanitarian opinion1 the mass of the better opinion of ,england1 which wants self-determination to go forward in ,india4 ,supposing the ,indian ,mahomedans could stir up an agitation so violent in ,india as to sever the connection between ,india and the ,british ,crown1 still they would not be any nearer to their purpose4 ,for to-day they do have considerable influence on ,british world-policy4 ,even if in this matter of the ,turkish question their influence has not been sufficient to turn the scale against the very heavy weights on the other side1 it has weighed in the scale4 ,but apart from the ,british connection1 ,indian ,mahomedans would have no influence at all outside ,india4 ,they would not count for more in world politics than the ,mahomedans of ,china4 ,i think it is likely 7apart from the pressure of ,america on the other side4 ,i should say certain7 that the influence of the ,indian ,mahomedans may at any rate avail to keep the ,sultan in ,constantinople4 ,but ,i doubt whether they will gain any advantage by doing so4 ,for a ,turkey cut down to the ,turkish parts of ,asia-,minor1 ,constantinople would be a very inconvenient capital4 ,i think its inconvenience would more than outweigh the sentimental gratification of keeping up a phantom of the old ,ottoman ,empire4 ,but if the ,indian ,mahomedans want the ,sultan to retain his place in ,constantinople ,i think the assurances given officially by the ,viceroy in ,india now binds us to insist on his remaining there and ,i think he will remain there in spite of ,america4 ,this is an extract1 from the letter of an ,englishman enjoying a position in ,great ,britain1 to a friend in ,india4 ,it is a typical letter1 sober1 honest1 to the point and put in such graceful language that whilst it challenges you1 it commands your respect by its very gracefulness4 ,but it is just this attitude based upon insufficient or false information which has ruined many a cause in the ,british ,isles4 ,the superficiality1 the one-sidedness the inaccuracy and often even dishonesty that have crept into modern journalism1 continuously mislead honest men who want to see nothing but justice done4 ,then there are always interested groups whose business it is to serve their ends by means of faul or food4 ,and the honest ,englishman wishing to vote for justice but swayed by conflicting opinions and dominated by distorted versions1 often ends by becoming an instrument of injustice4 ,the writer of the letter quoted above has built up convincing argument on imaginary data4 ,he has successfully shown that the ,mahomedan case1 as it has been presented to him1 is a rotten case4 ,in ,india1 where it is not quite easy to distort facts about the ,khilafat1 ,english friends admit the utter justice of the ,indian-,mahomedan claim4 ,but they plead helplessness and tell us that the ,government of ,india and ,mr4 ,montagu have done all it was humanly possible for them to do4 ,and if now the judgment goes against ,islam1 ,indian ,mahomedans should resign themselves to it4 ,this extraordinary state of things would not be possible except under this modern rush and preoccupations of all responsible people4 ,let us for a moment examine the case as it has been imagined by the writer4 ,he suggests that ,indian ,mahomedans want ,turkish rule in ,arabia in spite of the opposition of the ,arabs themselves1 and that1 if the ,arabs do not want ,turkish rule1 the writer argues1 no false religions sentiment can be permitted to interfere with self-determination of the ,arabs when ,india herself has been pleading for that very status4 ,now the fact is that the ,mahomedans1 as is known to everybody who has at all studied the case1 have never asked for ,turkish rule in ,arabia in opposition to the ,arabs4 ,on the contrary1 they have said that they have no intention of resisting ,arabian self-government4 ,all they ask for is ,turkish suzerainty over ,arabia which would guarantee complete self-rule for the ,arabs4 ,they want ,khalif's control of the ,holy ,places of ,islam4 ,in other words they ask for nothing more than what was guaranteed by ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george and on the strength of which guarantee ,mahomedan soldiers split their blood on behalf of the ,allied ,powers4 ,all the elaborate argument therefore and the cogent reasoning of the above extract fall to pieces based as they are upon a case that has never existed4 ,i have thrown myself heart and soul into this question because ,british pledges abstract justice1 and religious sentiment coincide4 ,i can conceive the possibility of a blind and fanatical religious sentiment existing in opposition to pure justice4 ,i should then resist the former and fight for the latter4 ,nor would ,i insist upon pledges given dishonestly to support an unjust cause as has happened with ,england in the case of the secret treaties4 ,resistance there becomes not only lawful but obligatory on the part of a nation that prides itself on its righteousness4 ,it is unnecessary for me to examine the position imagined by the ,english friend1 viz41 how ,india would have fared had she been an independent power4 ,it is unnecessary because ,indian ,mahomedans1 and for that matter ,india1 are fighting for a cause that is admittedly just2 a cause in aid of which they are invoking the whole-hearted support of the ,british people4 ,i would however venture to suggest that this is a cause in which mere sympathy will not suffice4 ,it is a cause which demands support that is strong enough to bring about substantial justice4 ,,further ,,questions ,,answered ,i have been overwhelmed with public criticism and private advice and even anonymous letters telling me exactly what ,i should do4 ,some are impatient that ,i do not advise immediate and extensive non-co-operation2 others tell me what harm ,i am doing the country by throwing it knowingly in a tempest of violence on either side4 ,it is difficult for me to deal with the whole of the criticism1 but ,i would summarize some of the objections and endeavour to answer them to the best of my ability4 ,these are in addition to those ,i have already answered3-- 7#a7 ,turkish claim is immoral or unjust and how can ,i1 a lover of truth and justice1 support it8 7#b7 ,even if the claim be just in theory1 the ,turk is hopelessly incapable1 weak and cruel4 ,he does not deserve any assistance4 7#c7 ,even if ,turkey deserves all that is claimed for her1 why should ,i land ,india in an international struggle8 7#d7 ,it is no part of the ,indian ,mahomedans' business to meddle in this affair4 ,if they cherish any political ambition1 they have tried1 they have failed and they should now sit still4 ,if it is a religious matter with them1 it cannot appeal to the ,hindu reason in the manner it is put and in any case ,hindus ought not to identify themselves with ,mahomedans in their religious quarrel with ,christendom4 7#e7 ,in no case should ,i advocate non-co-operation which in its extreme sense is nothing but a rebellion1 no matter how peaceful it may be4 7#f7 ,moreover1 my experience of last year must show me that it is beyond the capacity of any single human being to control the forces of violence that are lying dormant in the land4 7#g7 ,non-co-operation is futile because people will never respond in right earnest1 and reaction that might afterwards set in will be worse than the state of hopefulness we are now in4 7#h7 ,non-co-operation will bring about cessation of all other activities1 even working of the ,reforms1 thus set back the clock of progress4 7#i7 ,however pure my motives may be1 those of the ,mussalmans are obviously revengeful4 ,i shall now answer the objections in the order in which they are stated-- 7#a7 ,in my opinion the ,turkish claim is not only not immoral and unjust1 but it is highly equitable1 if only because ,turkey wants to retain what is her own4 ,and the ,mahomedan manifesto has definitely declared that whatever guarantees may be necessary to be taken for the protection of non-,muslim and non-,turkish races1 should be taken so as to give the ,christians theirs and the ,arabs their self-government under the ,turkish suzerainty4 7#b7 ,i do not believe the ,turk to be weak1 incapable or cruel4 ,he is certainly disorganised and probably without good generalship4 ,he has been obliged to fight against heavy odds4 ,the argument of weakness1 incapacity and cruelty one often hears quoted in connection with those from whom power is sought to be taken away4 ,about the alleged massacres a proper commission has been asked for1 but never granted4 ,and in any case security can be taken against oppression4 7#c7 ,i have already stated that if ,i were not interested in the ,indian ,mahomedans1 ,i would not interest myself in the welfare of the ,turks any more than ,i am in that of the ,austrians or the ,poles4 ,but ,i am bound as an ,indian to share the sufferings and trial of fellow-,indians4 ,if ,i deem the ,mahomedan to be my brother4 ,it is my duty to help him in his hour of peril to the best of my ability1 if his cause commends itself to me as just4 7#d7 ,the fourth refers to the extent ,hindus should join hands with the ,mahomedans4 ,it is therefore a matter of feeling and opinion4 ,it is expedient to suffer for my ,mahomedan brother to the utmost in a just cause and ,i should therefore travel with him along the whole road so long as the means employed by him are as honourable as his end4 ,i cannot regulate the ,mahomedan feeling4 ,i must accept his statement that the ,khilafat is with him a religious question in the sense that it binds him to reach the goal even at the cost of his own life4 7#e7 ,i do not consider non-co-operation to be a rebellion1 because it is free from violence4 ,in a larger sense all opposition to a ,government measure is a rebellion4 ,in that sense1 rebellion in a just cause is a duty1 the extent of opposition being determined by the measure of the injustice done and felt4 7#f7 ,my experience of last year shows me that in spite of aberrations in some parts of ,india1 the country was entirely under control that the influence of ,satyagraha was profoundly for its good and that where violence did break out there were local causes that directly contributed to it4 ,at the same time ,i admit that even the violence that did take place on the part of the people and the spirit of lawlessness that was undoubtedly shown in some parts should have remained under check4 ,i have made ample acknowledgment of the miscalculation ,i then made4 ,but all the painful experience that ,i then gained did not any way shake my belief in ,satyagraha or in the possibility of that matchless force being utilised in ,india4 ,ample provision is being made this time to avoid the mistakes of the past4 ,but ,i must refuse to be deterred from a clear course2 because it may be attended by violence totally unintended and in spite of extraordinary efforts that are being made to prevent it4 ,at the same time ,i must make my position clear4 ,nothing can possibly prevent a ,satyagrahi from doing his duty because of the frown of the authorities4 ,i would risk1 if necessary1 a million lives so long as they are voluntary sufferers and are innocent1 spotless victims4 ,it is the mistakes of the people that matter in a ,satyagraha campaign4 ,mistakes1 even insanity must be expected from the strong and the powerful1 and the moment of victory has come when there is no retort to the mad fury of the powerful1 but a voluntary1 dignified and quiet submission but not submission to the will of the authority that has put itself in the wrong4 ,the secret of success lies therefore in holding every ,english life and the life of every officer serving the ,government as sacred as those of our own dear ones4 ,all the wonderful experience ,i have gained now during nearly #dj years of conscious existence1 has convinced me that there is no gift so precious as that of life4 ,i make bold to say that the moment the ,englishmen feel that although they are in ,india in a hopeless minority1 their lives are protected against harm not because of the matchless weapons of destruction which are at their disposal1 but because ,indians refuse to take the lives even of those whom they may consider to be utterly in the wrong that moment will see a transformation in the ,english nature in its relation to ,india and that moment will also be the moment when all the destructive cutlery that is to be had in ,india will begin to rust4 ,i know that this is a far-off vision4 ,that cannot matter to me4 ,it is enough for me to see the light and to act up to it1 and it is more than enough when ,i gain companions in the onward march4 ,i have claimed in private conversations with ,english friends that it is because of my incessant preaching of the gospel of non-violence and my having successfully demonstrated its practical utility that so far the forces of violence1 which are undoubtedly in existence in connection with the ,khilafat movement1 have remained under complete control4 7#g7 ,from a religious standpoint the seventh objection is hardly worth considering4 ,if people do not respond to the movement of non-co-operation1 it would be a pity1 but that can be no reason for a reformer not to try4 ,it would be to me a demonstration that the present position of hopefulness is not dependent on any inward strength or knowledge1 but it is hope born of ignorance and superstition4 7#h7 ,if non-co-operation is taken up in earnest1 it must bring about a cessation of all other activities including the ,reforms1 but ,i decline to draw therefore the corollary that it will set back the clock of progress4 ,on the contrary1 ,i consider non-co-operation to be such a powerful and pure instrument1 that if it is enforced in an earnest spirit1 it will be like seeking first the ,kingdom of ,god and everything else following as a matter of course4 ,people will have then realised their true power4 ,they would have learnt the value of discipline1 self-control1 joint action1 non-violence1 organisation and everything else that goes to make a nation great and good1 and not merely great4 7#i7 ,i do not know that ,i have a right to arrogate greater purity for myself than for our ,mussalman brethren4 ,but ,i do admit that they do not believe in my doctrine of non-violence to the full extent4 ,for them it is a weapon of the weak1 an expedient4 ,they consider non-co-operation without violence to be the only thing open to them in the war of direct action4 ,i know that if some of them could offer successful violence1 they would do to-day4 ,but they are convinced that humanly speaking it is an impossibility4 ,for them1 therefore1 non-co-operation is a matter not merely of duty but also of revenge4 ,whereas ,i take up non-co-operation against the ,government as ,i have actually taken it up in practice against members of my own family4 ,i entertain very high regard for the ,british constitution1 ,i have not only no enmity against ,englishmen but ,i regard much in ,english character as worthy of my emulation4 ,i count many as my friends4 ,it is against my religion to regard any one as an enemy4 ,i entertain similar sentiments with respect to ,mahomedans4 ,i find their cause to be just and pure4 ,although therefore their viewpoint is different from mine ,i do not hesitate to associate with them and invite them to give my method a trial1 for1 ,i believe that the use of a pure weapon even from a mistaken motive does not fail to produce some good1 even as the telling of truth if only because for the time being it is the best policy1 is at least so much to the good4 ,,mr4 ,,candler',s ,,open ,,letter ,mr4 ,candler has favoured me with an open letter on this question of questions4 ,the letter has already appeared in the ,press4 ,i can appreciate ,mr4 ,candler's position as ,i would like him and other ,englishmen to appreciate mine and that of hundreds of ,hindus who feel as ,i do4 ,mr4 ,candler's letter is an attempt to show that ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's pledge is not in any way broken by the peace terms4 ,i quite agree with him that ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's words ought not to be torn from their context to support the ,mahomedan claim4 ,these are ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's words as quoted in the recent ,viceregal message3 ,nor are we fighting to destroy ,austria-,hungary or to deprive ,turkey of its capital or of the rich and renowned lands of ,asia ,minor and ,thrace which are predominantly ,turkish in race4 ,mr4 ,candler seems to read 'which'1 as if it meant 'if they1' whereas ,i give the pronoun its natural meaning1 namely1 that the ,prime ,minister knew in #aiah1 that the lands referred to by him were predominantly ,turkish in race4 ,and if this is the meaning ,i venture to suggest that the pledge has been broken in a most barefaced manner1 for there is practically nothing left to the ,turk of 'the rich and renowned lands of ,asia ,minor and ,thrace4' ,i have already my view of the retention of the ,sultan in ,constantinople4 ,it is an insult to the intelligence of man to suggest that 'the maintenance of the ,turkish ,empire in the homeland of the ,turkish race with its capital at ,constantinople has been left unimpaired by the terms of peace4 ,this is the other passage from the speech which ,i presume ,mr4 ,candler wants me to read together with the one already quoted3-- ,while we do not challenge the maintenance of the ,turkish ,empire in the home-land of the ,turkish race with its capital at ,constantinople1 the passage between the ,mediterranean and the ,black ,sea being inter-nationalised1 ,armenia1 ,mesopotamia1 ,syria and ,palestine are in our judgment entitled to a recognition of their separate national condition4 ,did that mean entire removal of ,turkish influence1 extinction of ,turkish suzerainty and the introduction of ,european-,christian influence under the guise of ,mandates8 ,have the ,moslems of ,arabia1 ,armenia1 ,mesopotamia1 ,syria and ,palestine been committed1 or is the new arrangement being superimposed upon them by ,powers conscious of their own brute-strength rather than of justice of their action8 ,i for one would nurse by every legitimate means the spirit of independence in the brave ,arabs1 but ,i shudder to think what will happen to them under the schemes of exploitation of their country by the greedy capitalists protected as they will be by the mandatory ,powers4 ,if the pledge is to be fulfilled1 let these places have full self-government with suzerainty to be retained with ,turkey as has been suggested by the ,times of ,india4 ,let there be all the necessary guarantees taken from ,turkey about the internal independence of the ,arabs4 ,but to remove that suzerainty1 to deprive the ,khalif of the wardenship of the ,holy ,places is to render ,khilafat a mockery which no ,mahomedan can possibly look upon with equanimity1 ,i am not alone in my interpretation of the pledge4 ,the ,right ,hon'ble ,ameer ,ali calls the peace terms a breach of faith4 ,mr4 ,charles ,roberts reminds the ,british public that the ,indian ,mussalman sentiment regarding the ,turkish ,treaty is based upon the ,prime ,minister's pledge regarding ,thrace1 ,constantinople and ,turkish lands in ,asia ,minor1 repeated on ,february #bf last with deliberation by ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george4 ,mr4 ,roberts holds that the pledge must be treated as a whole1 not as binding only regarding ,constantinople but also binding as regards ,thrace and ,asia ,minor4 ,he describes the pledge as binding upon the nation as a whole and its breach in any part as a gross breach of faith on the part of the ,british ,empire4 ,he demands that if there is an unanswerable reply to the charge of breach of faith it ought to be given and adds the ,prime ,minister may regard his own word lightly if he chooses1 but he has no right to break a pledge given on behalf of the nation4 ,he concludes that it is incredible that such pledge should not have been kept in the letter and in the spirit4 ,he adds3 ,i have reason to believe that these views are fully shared by prominent members of the ,cabinet4 ,i wonder if ,mr4 ,candler knows what is going on to-day in ,england4 ,mr4 ,pickthall writing in ,new ,age says3 ,no impartial international enquiry into the whole question of the ,armenian massacres has been instituted in the ample time which has elapsed since the conclusion of armistice with ,turkey4 ,the ,turkish ,government has asked for such enquiry4 ,but the ,armenian organisations and the ,armenian partisans refuse to hear of such a thing1 declaring that the ,bryce and ,lepssens reports are quite sufficient to condemn the ,turks4 ,in other words the judgment should be given on the case for prosecution alone4 ,the inter-allied commission which investigated the unfortunate events in ,smyrna last year1 made a report unfavourable to ,greek claims4 ,therefore1 that report has not been published here in ,england1 though in other countries it has long been public property4 ,he then goes on to show how money is being scattered by ,armenian and ,greek emissaries in order to popularise their cause and adds3 ,this conjunction of dense ignorance and cunning falsehood is fraught with instant danger to the ,british realm1 and concludes3 ,a ,government and people which prefer propaganda to fact as the ground of policy--and foreign policy at that--is self-condemned4 ,i have reproduced the above extract in order to show that the present ,british policy has been affected by propaganda of an unscrupulous nature4 ,turkey which was dominant over two million square miles of ,asia1 ,africa and ,europe in the #agth century1 under the terms of the treaty1 says the ,london ,chronicle1 has dwindled down to little more than #a1jjj square miles4 ,it says1 ,all ,european ,turkey could now be accommodated comfortably between the ,landsend and the ,tamar1 ,cornawal alone exceeding its total area and but for its alliance with ,germany1 ,turkey could have been assured of retaining at least sixty thousand square miles of the ,eastern ,balkans4 ,i do not know whether the ,chronicle view is generally shared4 ,is it by way of punishment that ,turkey is to undergo such shrinkage1 or is it because justice demands it8 ,if ,turkey had not made the mistake of joining ,germany1 would the principle of nationality have been still applied to ,armenia1 ,arabia1 ,mesopotamia and ,palestine8 ,let me now remind those who think with ,mr4 ,candler that the promise was not made by ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george to the people of ,india in anticipation of the supply of recruits continuing4 ,in defending his own statement ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george is reported to have said3 ,the effect of the statement in ,india was that recruiting went up appreciably from that very moment4 ,they were not all ,mahomedans but there were many ,mahomedans amongst them4 ,now we are told that was an offer to ,turkey4 ,but they rejected it1 and therefore we were absolutely free4 ,it was not4 ,it is too often forgotten that we are the greatest ,mahomedan power in the world and one-fourth of the population of the ,british ,empire is ,mahomedan4 ,there have been no more loyal adherents to the throne and no more effective and loyal supporters of the ,empire in its hour of trial4 ,we gave a solemn pledge and they accepted it4 ,they are disturbed by the prospect of our not abiding by it4 ,who shall interpret that pledge and how8 ,how did the ,government of ,india itself interpret it8 ,did it or did it not energetically support the claim for the control of the ,holy ,places of ,islam vesting in the ,khalif8 ,did the ,government of ,india suggest that the whole of ,jazirat-ul-,arab could be taken away consistently with that pledge from the sphere of influence of the ,khalif1 and given over to the ,allies as mandatory ,powers8 ,why does the ,government of ,india sympathise with the ,indian ,mussalmans if the terms are all they should be8 ,so much for the pledge4 ,i would like to guard myself against being understood that ,i stand or fall absolutely by ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's declaration4 ,i have advisedly used the adverb 'practically' in connection with it4 ,it is an important qualification4' ,mr4 ,candler seems to suggest that my goal is something more than merely attaining justice on the ,khilafat4 ,if so1 he is right4 ,attainment of justice is undoubtedly the corner-stone1 and if ,i found that ,i was wrong in my conception of justice on this question1 ,i hope ,i shall have the courage immediately to retrace my steps4 ,but by helping the ,mahomedans of ,india at a critical moment in their history1 ,i want to buy their friendship4 ,moreover1 if ,i can carry the ,mahomedans with me ,i hope to wean ,great ,britain from the downward path along which the ,prime ,minister seems to me to be taking her4 ,i hope also to show to ,india and the ,empire at large that given a certain amount of capacity for self-sacrifice1 justice can be secured by peacefullest and cleanest means without sowing or increasing bitterness between ,english and ,indians4 ,for1 whatever may be the temporary effect of my methods1 ,i know enough of them to feel certain that they alone are immune from lasting bitterness4 ,they are untainted with hatred1 expedience or untruth4 ,,in ,,process ,,of ,,keeping ,the writer of ',current ,topics' in the ,times of ,india has attempted to challenge the statement made in my ,khilafat article regarding ministerial pledges1 and in doing so cites ,mr4 ,asquith's ,guild-,hall speech of ,november #aj1 #aiad4 ,when ,i wrote the articles1 ,i had in mind ,mr4 ,asquith's speech4 ,i am sorry that he ever made that speech4 ,for1 in my humble opinion1 it betrayed to say the least1 a confusion of thought4 ,could he think of the ,turkish people as apart from the ,ottoman ,government8 ,and what is the meaning of the death-knell of ,ottoman ,dominion in ,europe and ,asia if it be not the death knell of ,turkish people as a free and governing race8 ,is it1 again1 true historically that the ,turkish rule has always been a blight that 'has withered some of the fairest regions of the earth8' ,and what is the meaning of his statement that followed1 viz41 ,nothing is further from our thoughts than to imitate or encourage a crusade against their belief8 ,if words have any meaning1 the qualifications that ,mr4 ,asquith introduced in his speech should have meant a scrupulous regard for ,indian ,muslim feeling4 ,and if that be the meaning of his speech1 without anything further to support me ,i would claim that even ,mr4 ,asquith's assurance is in danger of being set at nought if the resolutions of the ,san ,remo ,conference are to be crystallised into action4 ,but ,i base remarks on a considered speech made by ,mr4 ,asquith's successor two years later when things had assumed a more threatening shape than in #aiad and when the need for ,indian help was much greater than in #aiad4 ,his pledge would bear repetition till it is fulfilled4 ,he said3 ,nor are we fighting to deprive ,turkey of its capital or of the rich and renowned lands of ,asia ,minor and ,thrace which are predominantly ,turkish in race4 ,we do not challenge the maintenance of the ,turkish ,empire in the homelands of the ,turkish race with its capital at ,constantinople4 ,if only every word of this pledge is fulfilled both in letter and in spirit1 there would be little left for quarrelling about4 ,in so far as ,mr4 ,asquith's declaration can be considered hostile to the ,indian ,muslim claim1 it its superseded by the later and more considered declaration of ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george--a declaration made irrevocable by fulfilment of the consideration it expected1 viz4 the enlistment of the brave ,mahomedan soldiery which fought in the very place which is now being partitioned in spite of the pledge4 ,but the writer of ',current ,topics' says ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george is now in process of keeping his pledge ,i hope he is right4 ,but what has already happened gives little ground for any such hope4 ,for1 imprisonment or internment of the ,khalif in his own capital will be not only a mockery of fulfilment but it would he adding injury to insult4 ,either the ,turkish ,empire is to be maintained in the homelands of the ,turkish race with its capital at ,constantinople or it is not4 ,if it is1 let the ,indian ,mahomedans feel the full glow of it or if the ,empire is to be broken up1 let the mask of hypocrisy be lifted and ,india see the truth in its nakedness4 ,to join the ,khilafat movement then means to join a movement to keep inviolate the pledge of a ,british minister4 ,surely1 such a movement is worth much greater sacrifice than may be involved in non-co-operation4 ,,appeal ,,to ,,the ,,viceroy ,your ,excellency4 ,as one who has enjoyed a certain measure of your ,excellency's confidence1 and as one who claims to be a devoted well-wisher of the ,british ,empire1 ,i owe it to your ,excellency1 and through your ,excellency to ,his ,majesty's ,ministers1 to explain my connection with and my conduct in the ,khilafat question4 ,at the very earliest stages of the war1 even whilst ,i was in ,london organising the ,indian ,volunteer ,ambulance ,corps1 ,i began to interest myself in the ,khilafat question4 ,i perceived how deeply moved the little ,mussalman ,world in ,london was when ,turkey decided to throw in her lot with ,germany4 ,on my arrival in ,india in the ,january of #aiae1 ,i found the same anxiousness and earnestness among the ,mussalmans with whom ,i came in contact4 ,their anxiety became intense when the information about the ,secret ,treaties leaked out4 ,distrust of ,british intentions filled their minds1 and despair took possession of them4 ,even at that moment ,i advised my ,mussalman friends not to give way to despair1 but to express their fear and their hopes in a disciplined manner4 ,it will be admitted that the whole of ,mussalman ,india has behaved in a singularly restrained manner during the past five years and that the leaders have been able to keep the turbulent sections of their community under complete control4 ,the peace terms and your ,excellency's defence of them have given the ,mussalmans of ,india a shock from which it will be difficult for them to recover4 ,the terms violate ministerial pledges and utterly disregard ,mussalman sentiment4 ,i consider that as a staunch ,hindu wishing to live on terms of the closest friendship with my ,mussalman countrymen4 ,i should be an unworthy son of ,india if ,i did not stand by them in their hour of trial4 ,in my humble opinion their cause is just4 ,they claim that ,turkey must be punished if their sentiment is to be respected4 ,muslim soldiers did fight to inflict punishment on their own ,khalifa or to deprive him of his territories4 ,the ,mussalman attitude has been consistent1 throughout these five years4 ,my duty to the ,empire to which ,i owe my loyalty requires me to resist the cruel violence that has been done to the ,mussalman sentiment4 ,so far as ,i am aware1 ,mussulmans and ,hindus have as a whole lost faith in ,british justice and honour4 ,the report of the majority of the ,hunter ,committee1 ,your ,excellency's despatch thereon and ,mr4 ,montagu's reply have only aggravated the distrust4 ,in these circumstances the only course open to one like me is either in despair to sever all connection with ,british rule1 or1 if ,i still retained faith in the inherent superiority of the ,british constitution to all others at present in vogue to adopt such means as will rectify the wrong done1 and thus restore confidence4 ,i have not lost faith in such superiority and ,i am not without hope that somehow or other justice will yet be rendered if we show the requisite capacity for suffering4 ,indeed1 my conception of that constitution is that it helps only those who are ready to help themselves4 ,i do not believe that it protects the weak4 ,it gives free scope to the strong to maintain their strength and develop it4 ,the weak under it go to the wall4 ,it is1 then1 because ,i believe in the ,british constitution that ,i have advised my ,mussalman friends to withdraw their support from your ,excellency's ,government and the ,hindus to join them1 should the peace terms not be revised in accordance with the solemn pledges of ,ministers and the ,muslim sentiment4 ,three courses were open to the ,mahomedans in order to mark their emphatic disapproval of the utter injustice to which ,his ,majesty's ,ministers have become party1 if they have not actually been the prime perpetrators of it4 ,they are3-- 7#a7 ,to resort to violence1 7#b7 ,to advise emigration on a wholesale scale1 7#c7 ,not to be party to the injustice by ceasing to co-operate with the ,government4 ,your ,excellency must be aware that there was a time when the boldest1 though the most thoughtless among the ,mussulmans favoured violence1 and the ,hijrat 7emigration7 has not yet ceased to be the battle-cry4 ,i venture to claim that ,i have succeeded by patient reasoning in weaning the party of violence from its ways4 ,i confess that ,i did not--,i did not attempt to succeed in weaning them from violence on moral grounds1 but purely on utilitarian grounds4 ,the result1 for the time being at any has1 however1 been to stop violence4 ,the ,school of ,hijrat has received a check1 if it has not stopped its activity entirely4 ,i hold that no repression could have prevented a violent eruption1 if the people had not had presented to them a form of direct action involving considerable sacrifice and ensuring success if such direct action was largely taken up by the public4 ,non-co-operation was the only dignified and constitutional form of such direct action4 ,for it is the right recognised from times immemorial of the subject to refuse to assist a ruler who misrules4 ,at the same time ,i admit that non-co-operation practised by the mass of people is attended with grave risks4 ,but1 in a crisis such as has overtaken the ,mussalmans of ,india1 no step that is unattended with large risks1 can possibly bring about the desired change4 ,not to run some risks now will be to court much greater risks if not virtual destruction of ,law and ,order4 ,but there is yet an escape from non-co-operation4 ,the ,mussalman representation has requested your ,excellency to lead the agitation yourself1 as did your distinguished predecessor at the time of the ,south ,african trouble4 ,but if you cannot see your way to do so1 and non-co-operation becomes a dire necessity1 ,i hope that your ,excellency will give those who have accepted my advice and myself the credit for being actuated by nothing less than a stern sense of duty4 ,i have the honour to remain1 ,your ,excellency's faithful servant1 7,sd47 ,m4,k4 ,,gandhi4 ,laburnam ,road1 ,gamdevi1 ,bombay #bbnd ,june #aibj ,,the ,,premier',s ,,reply ,the ,english mail has brought us a full and official report of the ,premier's speech which he recently made when he received the ,khilafat deputation4 ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's speech is more definite and therefore more disappointing than ,h4,e4 the ,viceroy's reply to the deputation here4 ,he draws quite unwarranted deductions from the same high principles on which he had based his own pledge only two years ago4 ,he declares that ,turkey must pay the penalty of defeat4 ,this determination to punish ,turkey does not become one whose immediate predecessor had1 in order to appease ,muslim soldiers1 promised that the ,british ,government had no designs on ,turkey and that ,his ,majesty's ,government would never think of punishing the ,sultan for the misdeeds of the ,turkish ,committee4 ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george has expressed his belief that the majority of the population of ,turkey did not really want to quarrel with ,great ,britain and that their rulers misled the country4 ,in spite of this conviction and in spite of ,mr4 ,asquith's promise1 he is out to punish ,turkey and punish it in the name of justice4 ,he expounds the principle of self-determination and justifies the scheme of depriving ,turkey of its territories one after another4 ,while justifying this scheme he does not exclude even ,thrace and this strikes the reader most1 because this very ,thrace he had mentioned in his pledge as predominantly ,turkish4 ,now we are told by him that both the ,turkish census and the ,greek census agree in pointing out the ,mussulman population in ,thrace is in a considerable minority6 ,mr4 ,yakub ,hussain speaking at the ,madras ,khilafat conference has challenged the truth of this statement4 ,the ,prime ,minister cites among others also the example of ,smyrna where1 he says1 we had a most careful investigation by a very impartial committee in the whole of the question of ,smyrna and it was found that considerable majority was non-,turkish4' ,who will believe the one-sided impartial committee's investigations until it is disproved that thousands of ,musselmans have been murdered and hundreds of thousands have been driven away from their hearths and homes8 ,strangely enough ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george1 believes in the necessity of fresh investigations by a purposely appointed committee in ,smyrna as the most authenticated and up-to-date report1 whereas he would not accept ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali's proposal for an impartial commission in regard to ,armenian massacre6 ,doubtful and one-sided facts and figures suffice for him even to conclude that the ,turkish ,government is incapable of protecting its subjects4 ,and he proceeds to suggest foreign interference in ruling over ,asia ,minor in the interests of civilization4 ,here he cuts at the root of the ,sultan's independence4 ,this proposal of appropriating supervision is distinctly unlike the treatment meted out to other enemy powers4 ,this detraction of the ,sultan's suzerainty is only a corollary of the ,premier's indifference towards the ,muslim idea of the ,caliphate4 ,the premier's injustice in treating the ,turkish question becomes graver when he thus lightly handles the ,khilafat question4 ,there had been occasions when the ,british have used to their advantage the ,muslim idea of associating the ,caliph's spiritual power with temporal power4 ,now this very association is treated as a controversial question by the great statesman4 ,will this raise the reputation of ,great ,britain or stain it8 ,can this be tolerated by those who fought against ,turkey with full faith in ,british honesty8 ,mere receipts of gratitude cannot console the wounded ,mussalmans4 ,there lies the alternative for ,england to choose between two mandates--a mandate over some ,turkish territories which is sure to lead to chaos all over the world and a mandate over the hearts of the ,muhomedans which will redeem the pledged honour of ,britain4 ,the prime minister has an unwise choice4 ,this narrow view registers the latest temperature of ,british diplomacy4 ,,the ,,mussulman ,,representation ,slowly but surely the ,mussulmans are preparing for the battle before them4 ,they have to fight against odds that are undoubtedly heavy but not half as heavy as the prophet had against him4 ,how often did he not put his life in danger8 ,but his faith in ,god was unquenchable4 ,he went forward with a light heart1 for ,god was on his side1 for he represented truth4 ,if his followers have half the prophet's faith and half his spirit of sacrifice1 the odds will be presently even and will in little while turn against the despoilers of ,turkey4 ,already the rapacity of the ,allies is telling against themselves4 ,france finds her task difficult4 ,greece cannot stomach her ill-gotten gains4 ,and ,england finds ,mesopotamia a tough job4 ,the oil of ,mosul may feed the fire she has so wantonly lighted and burn her fingers badly4 ,the newspapers say the ,arabs do not like the presence of the ,indian soldiery in their midst4 ,i do not wonder4 ,they are a fierce and a brave people and do not understand why ,indian soldiers should find themselves in ,mesopotamia4 ,whatever the fate of non-co-operation1 ,i wish that not a single ,indian will offer his services for ,mesopotamia whether for the civil or the military department4 ,we must learn to think for ourselves and before entering upon any employment find out whether thereby we may not make ourselves instruments of injustice4 ,apart from the question of ,khilafat and from the point of abstract justice the ,english have no right to hold ,mesopotamia4 ,it is no part of our loyalty to help the ,imperial ,government in what is in plain language daylight robbery4 ,if therefore we seek civil or military employment in ,mesopotamia we do so for the sake of earning a livelihood4 ,it is our duty to see that the source is not tainted4 ,it surprises me to find so many people shirking over the mention of non-co-operation4 ,there is no instrument so clean1 so harmless and yet so effective as non-co-operation4 ,judiciously hauled it need not produce any evil consequences4 ,and its intensity will depend purely on the capacity of the people for sacrifice4 ,the chief thing is to prepare the atmosphere of non-co-operation4 ,we are not going to co-operate with you in your injustice1 is surely the right and the duty of every intelligent subject to say4 ,were it not for our utter servility1 helplessness and want of confidence in ourselves1 we would certainly grasp this clean weapon and make the most effective use of it4 ,even the most despotic government cannot stand except for the consent of the governed which consent is often forcibly procured by the despot4 ,immediately the subject ceases to fear the despotic force his power is gone4 ,but the ,british government is never and nowhere entirely or laid upon force4 ,it does make an honest attempt to secure the goodwill of the governed4 ,but it does not hesitate to adopt unscrupulous means to compel the consent of the governed4 ,it has not gone beyond the ',honesty is the best policy' idea4 ,it therefore bribes you into consenting its will by awarding titles1 medals and ribbons1 by giving you employment1 by its superior financial ability to open for its employees avenues for enriching themselves and finally when these fail1 it resorts to force4 ,that is what ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer did and that is almost every ,british administrator will certainly do if he thought it necessary4 ,if then we would not be greedy1 if we would not run after titles and medals and honorary posts which do the country no good1 half the battle is won4 ,my advisers are never tired of telling me that even if the ,turkish peace terms are revised it will not be due to non-co-operation4 ,i venture to suggest to them that non-co-operation has a higher purpose than mere revision of the terms4 ,if ,i cannot compel revision ,i must at least cease to support a government that becomes party to the usurpation4 ,and if ,i succeed in pushing non-co-operation to the extreme limit1 ,i do compel the ,government to choose between ,india and the usurpation4 ,i have faith enough in ,england to know that at that moment ,england will expel her present jaded ministers and put in others who will make a clean sweep of the terms in consultation with an awakened ,india1 draft terms that will be honourable to her1 to ,turkey and acceptable to ,india4 ,but ,i hear my critics say ,india has not the strength of purpose and the capacity for the sacrifice to achieve such a noble end4 ,they are partly right4 ,india has not these qualities now1 because we have not--shall we not evolve them and infect the nation with them8 ,is not the attempt worth making8 ,is my sacrifice too great to gain such a great purpose8 ,,criticism ,,of ,,the ,,muslim ,,manifesto ,the ,khilafat representation addressed to the ,viceroy and my letter on the same subject have been severely criticised by the ,anglo-,indian press4 ,the ,times of ,india which generally adopts an impartial attitude has taken strong exception to certain statements made in the ,muslim manifesto and has devoted a paragraph of its article to an advance criticism of my suggestion that ,his ,excellency should resign if the peace terms are not revised4 ,the ,times of ,india excepts to the submission that the ,british ,empire may not treat ,turkey like a departed enemy4 ,the signatories have1 ,i think1 supplied the best of reasons4 ,they say ,we respectfully submit that in the treatment of ,turkey the ,british ,government are bound to respect ,indian ,muslim sentiment in so far as it is neither unjust nor unreasonable4 ,if the seven crore ,mussulmans are partners in the ,empire1 ,i submit that their wish must be held to be all sufficient for refraining from punishing ,turkey4 ,it is beside the point to quote what ,turkey did during the war4 ,it has suffered for it4 ,the ,times inquires wherein ,turkey has been treated worse than the other ,powers4 ,i thought that the fact was self-evident4 ,neither ,germany nor ,austria and ,hungary has been treated in the same way that ,turkey has been4 ,the whole of the ,empire has been reduced to the retention of a portion of its capital1 as it were1 to mock the ,sultan and that too has been done under terms so humiliating that no self-respecting person much less a reigning sovereign can possibly accept4 ,the ,times has endeavoured to make capital out of the fact that the representation does not examine the reason for ,turkey not joining the ,allies4 ,well there was no mystery about it4 ,the fact of ,russia being one of the ,allies was enough to warn ,turkey against joining them4 ,with ,russia knocking at the gate at the time of the war it was not an easy matter for ,turkey to join the ,allies4 ,but ,turkey had cause to suspect ,great ,britain herself4 ,she knew that ,england had done no friendly turn to her during the ,bulgarian ,war4 ,she was hardly well served at the time of the war with ,italy4 ,it was still no doubt a bad choice4 ,with the ,musssalmans of ,india awakened and ready to support her1 her statesmen might have relied upon ,britain not being allowed to damage ,turkey if she had remained with the ,allies4 ,but this is all wisdom after event4 ,turkey made a bad choice and she was punished for it4 ,to humiliate her now is to ignore the ,indian ,mussulman sentiment4 ,britain may not do it and retain the loyalty of the awakened ,mussulmans of ,india4 ,for ,the ,times to say that the peace terms strictly follow the principle of self-determination is to throw dust in the eyes of its readers4 ,is it the principle of self-determination that has caused the cessation of ,adrianople and ,thrace to ,greece8 ,by what principle of self-determination has ,smyrna been handed to ,greece8 ,have the inhabitants of ,thrace and ,smyrna asked for ,grecian tutelege8 ,i decline to believe that the ,arabs like the disposition that has been made of them4 ,who is the ,king of ,hedjaj and who is ,emir ,feisul8 ,have the ,arabs elected these kings and chiefs8 ,do the ,arabs like the ,mandate being taken by ,england8 ,by the time the whole thing is finished1 the very name self-determination will stink in one's nostrils4 ,already signs are not wanting to show that the ,arabs1 the ,thracians and the ,smyrnans are resenting their disposal4 ,they may not like ,turkish rule but they like the present arrangement less4 ,they could have made their own honourable terms with ,turkey but these self-determining people will now be held down by the 'matchless might' of the allied i4e41 ,british forces4 ,britain had the straight course open to her of keeping the ,turkish ,empire intact and taking sufficient guarantees for good government4 ,but her ,prime ,minister chose the crooked course of secret treaties1 duplicity and hypocritical subterfuges4 ,there is still a way out4 ,let her treat ,india as a real partner4 ,let her call the true representatives of the ,mussalmans4 ,let them go to ,arabia and the other parts of the ,turkish ,empire and let her devise a scheme that would not humiliate ,turkey1 that would satisfy the just ,muslim sentiment and that will secure honest self-determination for the races composing that ,empire4 ,if it was ,canada1 ,australia or ,south ,africa that had to be placated1 ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george would not have dared to ignore them4 ,they have the power to secede4 ,india has not4 ,let him no more insult ,india by calling her a partner1 if her feelings count for naught4 ,i invite ,the ,times of ,india to reconsider its position and join an honourable agitation in which a high-souled people are seeking nothing but justice4 ,i do with all deference still suggest that the least that ,lord ,chelmsford can do is to resign if the sacred feelings of ,india's sons are not to be consulted and respected by the ,ministers4 ,the ,times is over-taxing the constitution when it suggests that as a constitutional ,viceroy it is not open to ,lord ,chelmsford to go against the decision of his ,majesty's ,ministers4 ,it is certainly not open to a ,viceroy to retain office and oppose ministerial decisions4 ,but the constitution does allow a ,viceroy to resign his high office when he is called upon to carry out decisions that are immoral as the peace terms are or like these terms are calculated to stir to their very depth the feelings of those whose affair he is administering for the time being4 ,,the ,,mahomedan ,,decision ,the ,khilafat meeting at ,allahabad has unanimously reaffirmed the principle of non-co-operation and appointed an executive committee to lay down and enforce a detailed programme4 ,this meeting was preceded by a joint ,hindu-,mahomedan meeting at which ,hindu leaders were invited to give their views4 ,mrs4 ,beasant1 the ,hon'ble ,pandit ,malaviyuji1 the ,hon'ble ,dr4 ,sapru ,motilal ,nehru ,chintamani and others were present at the meeting4 ,it was a wise step on the part of the ,khilafat ,committee to invite ,hindus representing all shades of thought to give them the benefit of their advice4 ,mrs4 ,besant and ,dr4 ,sapru strongly dissuaded the ,mahomedans present from the policy of non-co-operation4 ,the other ,hindu speakers made non-committal speeches4 ,whilst the other ,hindu speakers approved of the principle of non-co-operation in theory1 they saw many practical difficulties and they feared also complications arising from ,mahomedans welcoming an ,afghan invasion of ,india4 ,the ,mahomedan speakers gave the fullest and frankest assurances that they would fight to a man any invader who wanted to conquer ,india1 but were equally frank in asserting that any invasion from without undertaken with a view to uphold the prestige of ,islam and to vindicate justice would have their full sympathy if not their actual support4 ,it is easy enough to understand and justify the ,hindu caution4 ,it is difficult to resist ,mahomedan position4 ,in my opinion1 the best way to prevent ,india from becoming the battle ground between the forces of ,islam and those of the ,english is for ,hindus to make non-co-operation a complete and immediate success1 and ,i have little doubt that if the ,mahomedans remain true to their declared intention and are able to exercise self-restraint1 and make sacrifices the ,hindus will play the game and join them in the campaign of non-co-operation4 ,i feel equally certain that the ,hindus will not assist ,mahomedans in promoting or bringing about an armed conflict between the ,british ,government and their allies1 and ,afghanistan4 ,british forces are too well organised to admit of any successful invasion of the ,indian frontier4 ,the only way1 therefore1 the ,mahomedans can carry on an effective struggle on behalf of the honour of ,islam is to take up non-co-operation in real earnest4 ,it will not only be completely effective if it is adopted by the people on an extensive scale1 but it will also provide full scope for individual conscience4 ,if ,i cannot bear an injustice done by an individual or a corporation1 and if ,i am directly or indirectly instrumental in upholding that individual or corporation1 ,i must answer for it before my ,maker1 but ,i have done all it is humanly possible for me to do consistently with the moral code that refuses to injure even the wrong-doer1 if ,i cease to support the injustice in the manner described above4 ,in applying therefore such a great force there should be no haste1 there should be no temper shown4 ,non-co-operation must be and remain absolutely a voluntary effort4 ,the whole thing then depends upon ,mahomedans themselves4 ,if they will but help themselves ,hindu help will come and the ,government1 great and mighty though it is1 will have to bend before this irresistible force4 ,no ,government can possibly withstand the bloodless opposition of a whole nation4 ,,mr4 ,,andrews' ,,difficulty ,mr4 ,andrews whose love for ,india is equalled only by his love for ,england and whose mission in life is to serve ,god1 i4e41 humanity through ,india1 has contributed remarkable articles to the ',bombay ,chronicle' on the ,khilafat movement4 ,he has not spared ,england1 ,france or ,italy4 ,he has shown how ,turkey has been most unjustly dealt with and how the ,prime ,minister's pledge has been broken4 ,he has devoted the last article to an examination of ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali's letter to the ,sultan and has come to the conclusion that ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali's statement of claim is at variance with the claim set forth in the latest ,khilafat representation to the ,viceroy which he wholly approves4 ,mr4 ,andrews and ,i have discussed the question as fully as it was possible4 ,he asked me publicly to define my own position more fully than ,i have done4 ,his sole object in inviting discussion is to give strength to a cause which he holds as intrinsically just1 and to gather round it the best opinion of ,europe so that the allied powers and especially ,england may for very shame be obliged to revise the terms4 ,i gladly respond to ,mr4 ,andrew's invitation4 ,i should clear the ground by stating that ,i reject any religious doctrine that does not appeal to reason and is in conflict with morality4 ,i tolerate unreasonable religious sentiment when it is not immoral4 ,i hold the ,khilafat claim to be both just and reasonable and therefore it derives greater force because it has behind it the religious sentiment of the ,mussalman world4 ,in my opinion ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali's statement is unexceptionable4 ,it is no doubt clothed in diplomatic language4 ,but ,i am not prepared to quarrel with the language so long as it is sound in substance4 ,mr4 ,andrews considers that ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali's language goes to show that he would resist ,armenian independence against the ,armenians and the ,arabian against the ,arabs4 ,i attach no such meaning to it4 ,what he1 the whole of ,mussalmans and therefore ,i think also the ,hindus resist is the shameless attempt of ,england and the other ,powers under cover of self-determination to emasculate and dismember ,turkey4 ,if ,i understand the spirit of ,islam properly1 it is essentially republican in the truest sense of the term4 ,therefore if ,armenia or ,arabia desired independence of ,turkey they should have it4 ,in the case of ,arabia1 complete ,arabian independence would mean transference of the ,khilafat to an ,arab chieftain4 ,arabia in that sense is a ,mussulman trust1 not purely ,arabian4 ,and the ,arabs without ceasing to be ,mussulman1 could not hold ,arabia against ,muslim opinion4 ,the ,khalifa must be the custodian of the ,holy places and therefore also the routes to them4 ,he must be able to defend them against the whole world4 ,and if an ,arab chief arose who could better satisfy that test than the ,sultan of ,turkey1 ,i have no doubt that he would be recognised as the ,khalifa4 ,i have thus discussed the question academically4 ,the fact is that neither the ,mussulmans nor the ,hindus believe in the ,english ,ministerial word4 ,they do not believe that the ,arabs or the ,armenians want complete independence of ,turkey4 ,that they want self-government is beyond doubt4 ,nobody disputes that claim4 ,but nobody has ever ascertained that either the ,arabs or the ,armenians desire to do away with all connection1 even nominal1 with ,turkey4 ,the solution of the question lies not in our academic discussion of the ideal position1 it lies in an honest appointment of a mixed commission of absolutely independent ,indian ,mussulmans and ,hindus and independent ,europeans to investigate the real wish of the ,armenians and the ,arabs and then to come to a modus vivendi where by the claims of the nationality and those of ,islam may be adjusted and satisfied4 ,it is common knowledge that ,smyrna and ,thrace including ,adrianople have been dishonestly taken away from ,turkey and that mandates have been unscrupulously established in ,syria and ,mesopotamia and a ,british nominee has been set up in ,hedjaj under the protection of ,british guns4 ,this is a position that is intolerable and unjust4 ,apart therefore from the questions of ,armenia and ,arabia1 the dishonesty and hypocrisy that pollute the peace terms require to be instantaneously removed4 ,it paves the way to an equitable solution of the question of ,armenian and ,arabian independence which in theory no one denies and which in practice may be easily guaranteed if only the wishes of the people concerned could with any degree of certainty be ascertained4 ,,the ,,khilafat ,,agitation ,a friend who has been listening to my speeches once asked me whether ,i did not come under the sedition section of the ,indian ,penal ,code4 ,though ,i had not fully considered it1 ,i told him that very probably ,i did and that ,i could not plead 'not guilty' if ,i was charged under it4 ,for ,i must admit that ,i can pretend to no 'affection' for the present ,government4 ,and my speeches are intended to create 'dis-affection' such that the people might consider it a shame to assist or co-operate with a ,government that had forfeited all title to confidence1 respect or support4 ,i draw no distinction between the ,imperial and the ,indian ,government4 ,the latter has accepted1 on the ,khilafat1 the policy imposed upon it by the former4 ,and in the ,punjab case the former has endorsed the policy of terrorism and emasculation of a brave people initiated by the latter4 ,british ministers have broken their pledged word and wantonly wounded the feelings of the seventy million ,mussulmans of ,india4 ,innocent men and women were insulted by the insolent officers of the ,punjab ,government4 ,their wrongs not only remain unrighted but the very officers who so cruelly subjected them to barbarous humiliation retain office under the ,government4 ,when at ,amritsar last year ,i pleaded with all the earnestness ,i could command for co-operation with the ,government and for response to the wishes expressed in the ,royal ,proclamation4 ,i did so because ,i honestly believed that1 a new era was about to begin1 and that the old spirit of fear1 distrust and consequent terrorism was about to give place to the new spirit of respect1 trust and goodwill4 ,i sincerely believed that the ,mussulman sentiment would be placated and that the officers that had misbehaved during the ,martial ,law regime in the ,punjab would be at least dismissed and the people would be otherwise made to feel that a ,government that had always been found quick 7and mighty7 to punish popular excesses would not fail to punish its agents' misdeeds4 ,but to my amazement and dismay ,i have discovered that the present representatives of the ,empire have become dishonest and unscrupulous4 ,they have no real regard for the wishes of the people of ,india and they count ,indian honour as of little consequence4 ,i can no longer retain affection for a ,government so evilly manned as it is now-a-days4 ,and for me1 it is humiliating to retain my freedom and be witness to the continuing wrong4 ,mr4 ,montagu however is certainly right in threatening me with deprivation of my liberty if ,i persist in endangering the existence of the ,government4 ,for that must be the result if my activity bears fruit4 ,my only regret is that inasmuch as ,mr4 ,montagu admits my past services1 he might have perceived that there must be something exceptionally bad in the ,government if a well-wisher like me could no longer give his affection to it4 ,it was simpler to insist on justice being done to the ,mussalmans and to the ,punjab than to threaten me with punishment so that the injustice might be perpetuated4 ,indeed ,i fully expect it will be found that even in promoting disaffection towards an unjust ,government ,i had rendered greater services to the ,empire than ,i am already credited with4 ,at the present moment1 however1 the duty of those who approve my activity is clear4 ,they ought on no account to resent the deprivation of my liberty1 should the ,government of ,india deem it to be their duty to take it away4 ,a citizen has no right to resist such restriction imposed in accordance with the laws of the ,state to which he belongs4 ,much less have those who sympathise with him4 ,in my case there can be no question of sympathy4 ,for ,i deliberately oppose the ,government to the extent of trying to put its very existence in jeopardy4 ,for my supporters1 therefore1 it must be a moment of joy when ,i am imprisoned4 ,it means the beginning of success if only the supporters continue the policy for which ,i stand4 ,if the ,government arrest me1 they would do so in order to stop the progress of ,non-co-operation which ,i preach4 ,it follows that if ,non-co-operation continues with unabated vigour1 even after my arrest1 the ,government must imprison others or grant the people's wish in order to gain their co-operation4 ,any eruption of violence on the part of the people even under provocation would end in disaster4 ,whether therefore it is ,i or any one else who is arrested during the campaign1 the first condition of success is that there must be no resentment shown against it4 ,we cannot imperil the very existence of a ,government and quarrel with its attempt to save itself by punishing those who place it in danger4 ,,hijarat ,,and ,,its ,,meaning ,india is a continent4 ,its articulate thousands know what its inarticulate millions are doing or thinking4 ,the ,government and the educated ,indians may think that the ,khilafat movement is merely a passing phase4 ,the millions of ,mussalmans think otherwise4 ,the flight of the ,mussalmans is growing apace4 ,the newspapers contain paragraphs in out of the way corners informing the readers that a special train containing a barrister with sixty women1 forty children including twenty sucklings1 all told #gfe1 have left for ,afghanistan4 ,they were cheered en route4 ,they were presented with cash1 edibles and other things1 and were joined by more ,muhajarins on the way4 ,no fanatical preaching by ,shaukatali can make people break up and leave their homes for an unknown land4 ,there must be an abiding faith in them4 ,that it is better for them to leave a ,state which has no regard for their religious sentiment and face a beggar's life than to remain in it even though it may be in a princely manner4 ,nothing but pride of power can blind the ,government of ,india to the scene that is being enacted before it4 ,but there is yet another side to the movement4 ,here are the facts as stated in the following ,government ,communique dated #ajth ,july #aibj3-- ,an unfortunate affair in connection with the ,mahajarin occurred on the #hth instant at ,kacha ,garhi between ,peshawar and ,jamrud4 ,the following are the facts as at present reported4 ,two members of a party of the ,mahajarins proceeding by train to ,jamrud were detected by the ,british military police travelling without tickets4 ,altercation ensued at ,islamia ,college ,station1 but the train proceeded to ,kacha ,garhi4 ,an attempt was made to evict these ,mahajarins1 whereupon the military police were attacked by a crowd of some forty ,mahajarins and the ,british officer who intervened was seriously wounded with a spade4 ,a detachment of ,indian troops at ,kacha ,garhi thereupon fired two or three shots at the ,mahajarin for making murderous assault on the ,british officer4 ,one ,mahajarin was killed and one wounded and three arrested4 ,both the military and the police were injured4 ,the body of the ,mahajarin was despatched to ,peshawar and buried on the morning of the #ith4 ,this incident has caused considerable excitement in ,peshawar ,city1 and the ,khilafat ,hijrat ,committee are exercising restraining influence4 ,shops were closed on the morning of the #ith4 ,a full enquiry has been instituted4 ,now ,peshawar to ,jamrud is a matter of a few miles4 ,it was clearly the duty of the military not to attempt to pull out the ticketless ,mahajarins for the sake of a few annas4 ,but they actually attempted force4 ,intervention by the rest of the party was a foregone conclusion4 ,an altercation ensued4 ,a ,british officer was attacked with a spade4 ,firing and a death of a ,mahajarin was the result4 ,has ,british prestige been enhanced by the episode8 ,why have not the ,government put tactful officers in charge at the frontier1 whilst a great religious emigration is in progress8 ,the action of the military will pass from tongue to tongue throughout ,india and the ,mussalman world around1 will not doubt be unconsciously and even consciously exaggerated in the passage and the feeling bitter as it already is will grow in bitterness4 ,the ,communique says that the ,government are making further inquiry4 ,let us hope that it will be full and that better arrangements will be made to prevent a repetition of what appears to have been a thoughtless act on the part of the military4 ,and may ,i draw the attention of those who are opposing non-co-operation that unless they find out a substitute they should either join the non-co-operation movement or prepare to face a disorganised subterranean upheaval whose effect no one can foresee and whose spread it would be impossible to check or regulate8 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,punjab ,,wrongs ,,political ,,freemasonry ,freemasonry is a secret brotherhood which has more by its secret and iron rules than by its service to humanity obtained a hold upon some of the best minds4 ,similarly there seems to be some secret code of conduct governing the official class in ,india before which the flower of the great ,british nation fall prostrate and unconsciously become instruments of injustice which as private individuals they would be ashamed of perpetrating4 ,in no other way is it possible for one to understand the majority report of the ,hunter ,committee1 the despatch of the ,government of ,india1 and the reply thereto of the ,secretary of ,state for ,india4 ,in spite of the energetic protests of a section of the ,press to the personnel of the committee1 it might be said that on the whole the public were prepared to trust it especially as it contained three ,indian members who could fairly be claimed to be independent4 ,the first rude shock to this confidence was delivered by the refusal of ,lord ,hunter's ,committee to accept the very moderate and reasonable demand of the ,congress ,committee that the imprisoned ,punjab leaders might be allowed to appear before it to instruct ,counsel4 ,any doubt that might have been left in the mind of any person has been dispelled by the report of the majority of that committee4 ,the result has justified the attitude of the ,congress ,committee4 ,the evidence collected by it shows what lord ,hunter's ,committee purposely denied itself4 ,the minority report stands out like an oasis in a desert4 ,the ,indian members deserve the congratulation of their countrymen for having dared to do their duty in the face of heavy odds4 ,i wish that they had refused to associate themselves even in a modified manner with the condemnation of the civil disobedience form of ,satyagraha4 ,the defiant spirit of the ,delhi mob on the #cjth ,march #aiai can hardly be used for condemning a great spiritual movement which is admittedly and manifestly intended to restrain the violent tendencies of mobs and to replace criminal lawlessness by civil disobedience of authority1 when it has forfeited all title to respect4 ,on the #cjth ,march civil disobedience had not even been started4 ,almost every great popular demonstration has been hitherto attended all the world over by a certain amount of lawlessness4 ,the demonstration of #cjth ,march and #fth ,april could have been held under any other aegis us under that of ,satyagrah4 ,i hold that without the advent of the spirit of civility and orderliness the disobedience would have taken a much more violent form than it did even at ,delhi4 ,it was only the wonderfully quick acceptance by the people of the principle of ,satyagrah that effectively checked the spread of violence throughout the length and breadth of ,india4 ,and even to-day it is not the memory of the black barbarity of ,general ,dyer that is keeping the undoubted restlessness among the people from breaking forth into violence4 ,the hold that ,satyagrah has gained on the people--it may be even against their will--is curbing the forces of disorder and violence4 ,but ,i must not detain the reader on a defence of ,satyagrah against unjust attacks4 ,if it has gained a foothold in ,india1 it will survive much fiercer attacks than the one made by the majority of the ,hunter ,committee and somewhat supported by the minority4 ,had the majority report been defective only in this direction and correct in every other there would have been nothing but praise for it4 ,after all ,satyagrah is a new experiment in political field4 ,and a hasty attributing to it of any popular disorder would have been pardonable4 ,the universally pronounced adverse judgment upon the report and the despatches rests upon far more painful revelations4 ,look at the manifestly laboured defence of every official act of inhumanity except where condemnation could not be avoided through the impudent admissions made by the actors themselves2 look at the special pleading introduced to defend ,general ,dyer even against himself2 look at the vain glorification of ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer although it was his spirit that actuated every act of criminality on the part of the subordinates2 look at the deliberate refusal to examine his wild career before the events of ,april4 ,his acts were an open book of which the committee ought to have taken judicial notices4 ,instead of accepting everything that the officials had to say1 the ,committee's obvious duty was to tax itself to find out the real cause of the disorders4 ,it ought to have gone out of its way to search out the inwardness of the events4 ,instead of patiently going behind the hard crust of official documents1 the ,committee allowed itself to be guided with criminal laziness by mere official evidence4 ,the report and the despatches1 in my humble opinion1 constitute an attempt to condone official lawlessness4 ,the cautious and half-hearted condemnation pronounced upon ,general ,dyer's massacre and the notorious crawling order only deepens the disappointment of the reader as he goes through page after page of thinly disguised official whitewash4 ,i need1 however1 scarcely attempt any elaborate examination of the report or the despatches which have been so justly censured by the whole national press whether of the moderate or the extremist hue4 ,the point to consider is how to break down this secret--be the secrecy over so unconscious--conspiracy to uphold official iniquity4 ,a scandal of this magnitude cannot be tolerated by the nation1 if it is to preserve its self-respect and become a free partner in the ,empire4 ,the ,all-,india ,congress ,committee has resolved upon convening a special session of the ,congress for the purpose of considering1 among other things1 the situation arising from the report4 ,in my opinion the time has arrived when we must cease to rely upon mere petition to ,parliament for effective action4 ,petitions will have value1 when the nation has behind it the power to enforce its will4 ,what power then have we8 ,when we are firmly of opinion that grave wrong has been done us and when after an appeal to the highest authority we fail to secure redress1 there must be some power available to us for undoing the wrong4 ,it is true that in the vast majority of cases it is the duty of a subject to submit to wrongs on failure of the usual procedure1 so long as they do not affect his vital being4 ,but every nation and every individual has the right and it is their duty1 to rise against an intolerable wrong4 ,i do not believe in armed risings4 ,they are a remedy worse than the disease sought to be cured4 ,they are a token of the spirit of revenge and impatience and anger4 ,the method of violence cannot do good in the long run4 ,witness the effect of the armed rising of the allied powers against ,germany4 ,have they not become even like the ,germans1 as the latter have been depicted to us by them8 ,we have a better method4 ,unlike that of violence it certainly involves the exercise of restraint and patience3 but it requires also resoluteness of will4 ,this method is to refuse to be party to the wrong4 ,no tyrant has ever yet succeeded in his purpose without carrying the victim with him1 it may be1 as it often is1 by force4 ,most people choose rather to yield to the will of the tyrant than to suffer for the consequences of resistance4 ,hence does terrorism form part of the stock-in-trade of the tyrant4 ,but we have instances in history where terrorism has failed to impose the terrorist's will upon his victim4 ,india has the choice before her now4 ,if then the acts of the ,punjab ,government be an insufferable wrong1 if the report of ,lord ,hunter's ,committee and the two despatches be a greater wrong by reason of their grievous condonation of those acts1 it is clear that we must refuse to submit to this official violence4 ,appeal the ,parliament by all means1 if necessary1 but if the ,parliament fails us and if we are worthy to call ourselves a nation1 we must refuse to uphold the ,government by withdrawing co-operation from it4 ,,the ,,duty ,,of ,,the ,,punjabee ,the ,allahabad ,leader deserves to be congratulated for publishing the correspondence on ,mr4 ,bosworth ,smith who was one of the ,martial ,law officers against whom the complaints about persistent and continuous ill-treatment were among the bitterest4 ,it appears from the correspondence that ,mr4 ,bosworth ,smith has received promotion instead of dismissal4 ,sometime before ,martial ,law ,mr4 ,smith appears to have been degraded4 ,he has since been restored1 says the ,leader correspondent1 to his position of a ,deputy ,commissioner of the second grade from which he was degraded and also been invested with power under section #cj of the ,criminal ,procedure ,code4 ,since his arrival1 the poor ,indian population of the town of ,amhala ,cantonment has been living under a regime of horror and tyranny4 ,the correspondent adds3 ,i use both these words deliberately for conveying precisely what they mean4 ,i cull a few passage from this illuminating letter to illustrate the meaning of horror and tyranny4 ,in private complaints he never takes the statement of the complainant4 ,it is taken down by the reader when the court rises and got signed by the magistrate the following day4 ,whether the report received 7upon such complaints7 is favourable to the complainant or unfavourable to him1 it is never ready by the magistrate1 and complaints are dismissed without proper trial4 ,this is the fate of private complaints4 ,now as regards police chellans4 ,pleaders for the accused are not allowed to interview under trial prisoners in police custody4 ,they are not allowed to cross-examine prosecution witnesses4444 ,prosecution witnesses are examined with leading questions4444 ,thus a whole prosecution story is put into the mouth of police1 witnesses for the defence though called in are not allowed to be examined by the defence counsel4444 ,the accused is silenced if he picks up courage to say anything in defence4444 ,any ,cantonment servant can write down the name of any citizen of the ,cantonment on a chit of paper and ask him to appear the next day in court4 ,this is a summons4444 ,if any one does not appear in court who is thus ordered1 criminal warrants of arrest are issued against him4 ,there is much more of this style in the letter which is worth producing1 but ,i have given enough to illustrate the writer's meaning4 ,let me turn for a while to this official's record during ,martial ,law4 ,he is the official who tried people in batches and convicted them after a farcical trial4 ,witnesses have deposed to his having assembled people1 having asked them to give false evidence1 having removed women's veils1 called them 'flies1 bitches1 she-asses' and having spat upon them4 ,he it was who subjected the innocent pleaders of ,shokhupura indescribable persecution4 ,mr4 ,andrews personally investigated complaints against this official and came to the conclusion that no official had behaved worse than ,mr4 ,smith4 ,he gathered the people of ,shokhupura1 humiliated them in a variety of ways1 called them 'suvarlog1' 'gandi mukkhi4' ,his evidence before the ,hunter ,commission betrays his total disregard for truth and this is the officer who1 if the correspondent in question has given correct facts1 has been promoted4 ,the question however is why1 he is at all in ,government service and why he has not been tried for assaulting and abusing innocent men and women4 ,i notice a desire for the impeachment of ,general ,dyer and ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer4 ,i will not stop to examine whether the course is feasible4 ,i was sorry to find ,mr4 ,shastriar joining this cry for the prosecution of ,general ,dyer4 ,if the ,english people will willingly do so1 ,i would welcome such prosecution as a sign of their strong disapproval of the ,jallianwalla ,bagh atrocity1 but ,i would certainly not spend a single farthing in a vain pursuit after the conviction of this man4 ,surely the public has received sufficient experience of the ,english mind4 ,practically the whole ,english ,press has joined the conspiracy to screen these offenders against humanity4 ,i would not be party to make heroes of them by joining the cry for prosecution private or public4 ,if ,i can only persuade ,india to insist upon their complete dismissal1 ,i should be satisfied4 ,but more than the dismissal1 of ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer and ,general ,dyer1 is necessary the peremptory dismissal1 if not a trial1 of ,colonel ,o',brien1 ,mr4 ,bosworth ,smith1 ,rai ,shri ,ram and others mentioned in the ,congress ,sub-,committee's ,report4 ,bad as ,general ,dyer is ,i consider ,mr4 ,smith to be infinitely worse and his crimes to be far more serious than the massacre of ,jallianwalla ,bugh4 ,general ,dyer sincerely believed that it was a soldierly act to terrorise people by shooting them4 ,but ,mr4 ,smith was wantonly cruel1 vulgar and debased4 ,if all the facts that have been deposed to against him are true1 there is not a spark of humanity about him4 ,unlike ,general ,dyer he lacks the courage to confirm what he has done and he wriggles when challenged4 ,this officer remains free to inflict himself upon people who have done no wrong to him1 and who is permitted to disgrace the rule he represents for the time being4 ,what is the ,punjab doing8 ,is it not the duty of the ,punjabis not to rest until they have secured the dismissal of ,mr4 ,smith and the like8 ,the ,punjab leaders have been discharged in vain if they will not utilise the liberty they have received1 in order to purge the administration of ,messrs4 ,bosworth ,smith and ,company4 ,i am sure that if they will only begin a determined agitation they will have the whole ,india by their side4 ,i venture to suggest to them that the best way to qualify for sending ,general ,dyer to the gallows is to perform the easier and the more urgent duty of arresting the mischief still continued by the officials against whom they have assisted in collecting overwhelming evidence4 ,,general ,,dyer ,the ,army ,council has found ,general ,dyer guilty of error of judgment and advised that he should not receive any office under the ,crown4 ,mr4 ,montagu has been unsparing in his criticism of ,general ,dyer's conduct4 ,and yet somehow or other ,i cannot help feeling that ,general ,dyer is by no means the worst offender4 ,his brutality is unmistakable4 ,his abject and unsoldier-like cowardice is apparent in every line of his amazing defence before the ,army ,council4 ,he has called an unarmed crowd of men and children--mostly holiday-makers--'a rebel army4' ,he believes himself to be the saviour of the ,punjab in that he was able to shoot down like rabbits men who were penned in an inclosure4 ,such a man is unworthy of being considered a soldier4 ,there was no bravery in his action4 ,he ran no risk4 ,he shot without the slightest opposition and without warning4 ,this is not an 'error of judgement4' ,it is paralysis of it in the face of fancied danger4 ,it is proof of criminal incapacity and heartlessness4 ,but the fury that has been spent upon ,general ,dyer is1 ,i am sure1 largely misdirected4 ,no doubt the shooting was 'frightful1' the loss of innocent life deplorable4 ,but the slow torture1 degradation and emasculation that followed was much worse1 more calculated1 malicious and soul-killing1 and the actors who performed the deeds deserve greater condemnation that ,general ,dyer for the ,jallianwalla ,bagh massacre4 ,the latter merely destroyed a few bodies but the others tried to kill the soul of a nation4 ,who ever talks of ,col4 ,frank ,johnson who was by far the worst offender8 ,he terrorised guiltless ,lahore1 and by his merciless orders set the tone to the whole of the ,martial ,law officers4 ,but what ,i am concerned with is not even ,col4 ,johnson4 ,the first business of the people of the ,punjab and of ,india is to rid the service of ,col ,o',brien1 ,mr4 ,bosworth ,smith1 ,rai ,shri ,ram and ,mr4 ,malik ,khan4 ,they are still retained in the service4 ,their guilt is as much proved as that of ,general ,dyer4 ,we shall have failed in our duty if the condemnation pronounced upon ,general ,dyer produces a sense of satisfaction and the obvious duty of purging the administration in the ,punjab is neglected4 ,that task will not be performed by platform rhetoric or resolutions merely4 ,stern action is required on out part if we are to make any headway with ourselves and make any impression upon the officials that they are not to consider themselves as masters of the people but as their trusties and servants who cannot hold office if they misbehave themselves and prove unworthy of the trust reposed in them4 ,,the ,,punjab ,,sentences ,the commissioners appointed by the ,congress ,punjab ,sub ,committee have in their report accused ,his ,excellency the ,viceroy of criminal want of imagination4 ,his ,excellency's refusal to commute two death sentences out of five is a fine illustration of the accusation4 ,the rejection of the appeal by the ,privy ,council no more proves the guilt of the condemned than their innocence would have been proved by quashing the proceedings before the ,martial ,law ,tribunal4 ,moreover1 these cases clearly come under the ,royal ,proclamation in accordance with its interpretation by the ,punjab ,government4 ,the murders in ,amritsar were not due to any private quarrel between the murderers and their victims4 ,the offence grave1 though it was1 was purely political and committed under excitement4 ,more than full reparation has been taken for the murders and arson4 ,in the circumstances commonsense dictates reduction of the death sentences4 ,the popular belief favours the view that the condemned men are innocent and have not had a fair trial4 ,the execution has been so long delayed that hanging at this stage would give a rude shock to ,indian society4 ,any ,viceroy with imagination would have at once announced commutation of the death sentences--not so ,lord ,chelmsford4 ,in his estimation1 evidently1 the demands of justice will not be satisfied if at least some of the condemned men are not hanged4 ,public feeling with him counts for nothing4 ,we shall still hope that1 either the ,viceroy or ,mr4 ,montagu will commute the death sentences4 ,but if the ,government will grievously err1 if they carry out the sentences1 the people will equally err if they give way to anger or grief over the hanging if it has unfortunately to take plane4 ,before we become a nation possessing an effective voice in the councils of nations1 we must be prepared to contemplate with equanimity1 not a thousand murders of innocent men and women but many thousands before we attain a status in the world that1 shall not be surpassed by any nation4 ,we hope therefore that all concerned will take rather than lose heart and treat hanging as an ordinary affair of life4 ,since the above was in type1 we have received cruel news4 ,at last ,h4,e4 the ,viceroy has mercilessly given the rude shock to ,indian society4 ,it is now for the latter to take heart in spite of the unkindest cut4--,ed4 ,y4,i4 ,,iv4 ,,swaraj ,,swaraj ,,in ,,one ,,year ,much laughter has been indulged in at my expense for having told the ,congress audience at ,calcutta that if there was sufficient response to my programme of non-co-operation ,swaraj would be attained in one year4 ,some have ignored my condition and laughed because of the impossibility of getting ,swaraj anyhow within one year4 ,others have spelt the 'if' in capitals and suggested that if 'ifs' were permissible in argument1 any absurdity could be proved to be a possibility4 ,my proposition however is based on a mathematical calculation4 ,and ,i venture to say that true ,swaraj is a practical impossibility without due fulfilment of my conditions4 ,swaraj means a state such that we can maintain our separate existence without the presence of the ,english4 ,if it is to be a partnership1 it must be partnership at will4 ,there can be no ,swaraj without our feeling and being the equals of ,englishmen4 ,to-day we feel that we are dependent upon them for our internal and external security1 for an armed peace between the ,hindus and the ,mussulmans1 for our education and for the supply of daily wants1 nay1 even for the settlement of our religious squabbles4 ,the ,rajahs are dependent upon the ,british for their powers and the millionaires for their millions4 ,the ,british know our helplessness and ,sir ,thomas ,holland cracks jokes quite legitimately at the expense of non-co-operationists4 ,to get ,swaraj then is to get rid of our helplessness4 ,the problem is no doubt stupendous even as it is for the fabled lion who having been brought up in the company of goats found it impossible to feel that he was a lion4 ,as ,tolstoy used to put it1 mankind often laboured under hypnotism4 ,under its spell continuously we feel the feeling of helplessness4 ,the ,british themselves cannot be expected to help us out of it4 ,on the contrary1 they din into our ears that we shall be fit to govern ourselves only by slow educative processes4 ,the ,times suggested that if we boycott the councils we shall lose the opportunity of a training in ,swaraj4 ,i have no doubt that there are many who believe what the ,times says4 ,it even resorts to a falsehood4 ,it audaciously says that ,lord ,milner's ,mission listened to the ,egyptians only when they were ready to lift the boycott of the ,egyptian ,council4 ,for me the only training in ,swaraj we need is the ability to defend ourselves against the whole world and to live our natural life in perfect freedom even though it may be full of defects4 ,good ,government is no substitute for self-,government4 ,the ,afghans have a bad ,government but it is self-,government4 ,i envy them4 ,the ,japanese learnt the art through a sea of blood4 ,and if we to-day had the power to drive out the ,english by superior brute force1 we would be counted their superiors1 and in spite of our inexperience in debating at the ,council table or in holding executive offices1 we would be held fit to govern ourselves4 ,for brute force is the only test the west has hitherto recognised4 ,the ,germans were defeated not because they were necessarily in the wrong1 but because the allied ,powers were found to possess greater brute strength4 ,in the end therefore ,india must either learn the art of war which the ,british will not teach her or1 she must follow her own way of discipline and self-sacrifice through non-co-operation4 ,it is as amazing as it is humiliating that less than one hundred-thousand white men should be able to rule three hundred and fifteen million ,indians4 ,they do so somewhat undoubtedly by force1 but more by securing our co-operation in a thousand ways and making us more and more helpless and dependent on them as time goes forward4 ,let us not mistake reformed councils1 more lawcourts and even governorships for real freedom or power4 ,they are but subtler methods of emasculation4 ,the ,british cannot rule us by mere force4 ,and so they resort to all means1 honourable and dishonourable1 in order to retain their hold on ,india4 ,they want ,india's billions and they want ,india's man power for their imperialistic greed4 ,if we refuse to supply them with men and money1 we achieve our goal1 namely1 ,swaraj1 equality1 manliness4 ,the cup of our humiliation was filled during the closing scenes in the ,viceregal ,council4 ,mr4 ,shustri could not move his resolution on the ,punjab4 ,the ,indian victims of ,jullianwala received ,rs4 #a1bej1 the ,english victims of mob-frenzy received lakhs4 ,the officials who were guilty of crimes against those whose servants they were1 were reprimanded4 ,and the councillors were satisfied4 ,if ,india were powerful1 ,india would not have stood this addition of insult1 to her injury4 ,i do not blame the ,british4 ,if we were weak in numbers as they are1 we too would perhaps have resorted to the same methods as they are now employing4 ,terrorism and deception are weapons not of the strong but of the weak4 ,the ,british are weak in numbers we are weak in spite of our numbers4 ,the result is that each is dragging the other down4 ,it is common experience that ,englishmen lose in character after residence in ,india and that ,indians lose in courage and manliness by contact with ,englishmen4 ,this process of weakening is good neither for us1 two nations1 nor for the world4 ,but if we ,indians take care of ourselves the ,english and the rest of the world would take care of themselves4 ,our contributions to the world's progress must therefore consist in setting our own house in order4 ,training in arms for the present is out of the question4 ,i go a step further and believe that ,india has a better mission for the world4 ,it is within her to show that she can achieve her destiny by pure self-sacrifice1 i4e41 self-purification4 ,this can be done only by non-co-operation4 ,and non-co-operation is possible only when those who commenced to co-operate being the process of withdrawal4 ,if we can but free ourselves from the threefold maya of ,government-controlled schools1 ,government law-courts and legislative councils1 and truly control our own education regulate our disputes and be indifferent to their legislation1 we are ready to govern ourselves and we are only then ready to ask the government servants1 whether civil or military1 to resign1 and the tax-payers to suspend payment of taxes4 ,and is it such an impracticable proposition to expect parents to withdraw their children from schools and colleges and establish their own institutions or to ask lawyers to suspend their practice and devote their whole time attention to national service against payment where necessary1 of their maintenance1 or to ask candidates for councils not to enter councils and lend their passive or active assistance to the legislative machinery through which all control is exercised4 ,the movement of non-co-operation is nothing but an attempt to isolate the brute force of the ,british from all the trappings under which it is hidden and to show that brute force by itself cannot for one single moment hold ,india4 ,but ,i frankly confess that1 until the three conditions mentioned by me are fulfilled1 there is no ,swaraj4 ,we may not go on taking our college degrees1 taking thousands of rupees monthly from clients for cases which can be finished in five minutes and taking the keenest delight in wasting national time on the council floor and still expect to gain national self-respect4 ,the last though not the least important part of the ,maya still remains to be considered4 ,that is ,swadeshi4 ,had we not abandoned ,swadeshi1 we need not have been in the present fallen state4 ,if we would get rid of the economic slavery1 we must manufacture our own cloth and at the present moment only by hand-spinning and hand weaving4 ,all this means discipline1 self-denial1 self-sacrifice1 organising ability1 confidence and courage4 ,if we show this in one year among the classes that to-day count1 and make public opinion1 we certainly gain ,swaraj within one year4 ,if ,i am told that even we who lead have not these qualities in us1 there certainly will never be ,swaraj for ,india1 but then we shall have no right to blame the ,english for what they are doing4 ,our salvation and its time are solely dependent upon us4 ,,british ,,rule--,,an ,,evil ,the ,interpreter is however more to the point in asking1 ,does ,mr4 ,gandhi hold without hesitation or reserve that ,british rule in ,india is altogether an evil and that the people of ,india are to be taught so to regard it8 ,he must hold it to be so evil that the wrongs it does outweigh the benefit it confers1 for only so is non-co-operation to be justified at the bar of conscience or of ,christ4 ,my answer is emphatically in the affirmative4 ,so long as ,i believed that the sum total of the energy of the ,british ,empire was good1 ,i clung to it despite what ,i used to regard as temporary aberrations4 ,i am not sorry for having done so4 ,but having my eyes opened1 it would be sin for me to associate myself with the ,empire unless it purges itself of its evil character4 ,i write this with sorrow and ,i should be pleased if ,i discovered that ,i was in error and that my present attitude was a reaction4 ,the continuous financial drain1 the emasculation of the ,punjab and the betrayal of the ,muslim sentiment constitute1 in my humble opinion1 a threefold robbery of ,india4 ',the blessings of pax ,britanica' ,i reckon1 therefore1 to be a curse4 ,we would have at least remained like the other nations brave men and women1 instead of feeling as we do so utterly helpless1 if we had no ,british ,rule imposing on us an armed peace4 ',the blessing' of roads and railways is a return no self-respecting nation would accept for its degradation4 ',the blessing' of education is proving one of the greatest obstacles in our progress towards freedom4 ,a ,,movement ,,of ,,purification ,the fact is that non-co-operation by reason of its non-violence has become a religious and purifying movement4 ,it is daily bringing strength to the nation1 showing it its weak spots and the remedy for removing them4 ,it is a movement of self-reliance4 ,it is the mightiest force for revolutionising opinion and stimulating thought4 ,it is a movement of self-imposed suffering and therefore possesses automatic checks against extravagance or impatience4 ,the capacity of the nation for suffering regulates its advance towards freedom4 ,it isolates the force of evil by refraining from participation in it1 in any shape or form4 ,,why ,,was ,,india ,,lost8 ,a dialog between the ,reader and ,editor1--,indian ,home ,rule4 ,reader3 ,you have said much about civilisation--enough to make me ponder over it4 ,i do not know what ,i should adopt and what ,i should avoid from the nations of ,europe4 but one question comes to my lips immediately4 ,if civilisation is a disease1 and if it has attacked ,england why has she been able to take ,india1 and why is she able to retain it8 ,editor3 ,your question is not very difficult to answer1 and we shall presently be able to examine the true nature of ,swaraj2 for ,i am aware that ,i have still to answer that question4 ,i will1 however1 take up your previous question4 ,the ,english have not taken ,india2 we have given it to them4 ,they are not in ,india because of their strength1 but because we keep them4 ,let us now see whether these positions can be sustained4 ,they came to our country originally for the purpose of trade4 ,recall the ,company ,bahadur4 ,who made it ,bahadur8 ,they had not the slightest intention at the time of establishing a kingdom4 ,who assisted the ,company's officers8 ,who was tempted at the sight of their silver8 ,who bought their goods8 ,history testifies that we did all this4 ,in order to become rich all at once1 we welcomed the ,company's officers with open arms4 ,we assisted them4 ,if ,i am in the habit of drinking ,bhang1 and a seller thereof sells it to me1 am ,i to blame him or myself8 ,by blaming the seller shall ,i be able to avoid the habit8 ,and1 if a particular retailer is driven away will not another take his place8 ,a true servant of ,india will have to go to the root of the matter4 ,if an excess of food has caused me indigestion ,i will certainly not avoid it by blaming water4 ,he is a true physician who probes the cause of disease and1 if you pose as a physician for the disease of ,india1 you will have to find out its true cause4 ,reader3 ,you are right4 ,now1 ,i think you will not have to argue much with me to drive your conclusions home4 ,i am impatient to know your further views4 ,we are now on a most interesting topic4 ,i shall1 therefore1 endeavour to follow your thought1 and stop you when ,i am in doubt4 ,editor3 ,i am afraid that1 in spite of your enthusiasm1 as we proceed further we shall have differences of opinion4 ,nevertheless1 ,i shall argue only when you will stop me4 ,we have already seen that the ,english merchants were able to get a footing in ,india because we encouraged them4 ,when our princes fought among themselves1 they sought the assistance of ,company ,bahadar4 ,that corporation was versed alike in commerce and war4 ,it was unhampered by questions of morality4 ,its object was to increase its commerce and to make money4 ,it accepted our assistance1 and increased the number of its warehouses4 ,to protect the latter it employed an army which was utilised by us also4 ,is it not then useless to blame the ,english for what we did at that time8 ,the ,hindus and the ,mahomedans were at daggers drawn4 ,this1 too1 gave the ,company its opportunity1 and thus we created the circumstances that gave the ,company its control over ,india4 ,hence it is truer to say that we gave ,india to the ,english than that ,india was lost4 ,reader3 ,will you now tell me how they are able to retain ,india8 ,editor3 ,the causes that gave them ,india enable them to retain it4 ,some ,englishmen state that they took1 and they hold1 ,india by the sword4 ,both these statements are wrong4 ,the sword is entirely useless for holding ,india4 ,we alone keep them4 ,napoleon is said to have described the ,english as a nation of shop keepers4 ,it is a fitting description4 ,they hold whatever dominions they have for the sake of their commerce4 ,their army and their navy are intended to protect it4 ,when the ,transvaal offered no such attractions1 the late ,mr4 ,gladstone discovered that it was no right for the ,english to hold it4 ,when it became a paying proposition1 resistance led to war4 ,mr4 ,chamberlain soon discovered that ,england enjoyed a suzerainty over the ,transvaal4 ,it is related that some one asked the late ,president ,kruger whether there was gold in the moon8 ,he replied that it was highly unlikely1 because1 if there were1 the ,english would have annexed it4 ,many problems can be solved by remembering that money is their ,god4 ,then it follows that we keep the ,english in ,india for our base self-interest4 ,we like their commerce1 they please us by their subtle methods1 and get what they want from us4 ,to blame them for this is to perpetuate their power4 ,we further strengthen their hold by quarrelling amongst ourselves4 ,if you accept the above statements1 it is proved that the ,english entered ,india for the purposes of trade4 ,they remain in it for the same purpose1 and we help them to do so4 ,their arms and ammunition are perfectly useless4 ,in this connection1 ,i remind you that it is the ,british flag which is waving in ,japan1 and not the ,japanese4 ,the ,english have a treaty with ,japan for the sake of their commerce and you will see that1 if they can manage it1 their commerce will greatly expand in that country4 ,they wish to convert the whole word into a vast market for their goods4 ,that they cannot do so is true1 but the blame will not be theirs4 ,they will leave no stone unturned to reach the goal4 ,,swaraj ,,my ,,ideal ,the following is a fairly full report of ,mr4 ,gandhi's important speech at ,calcutta on the #acth ,december #aibj3-- ,the very fact1 that so many of you cannot understand ,hindi which is bound to be the ,national medium of expression throughout ,hindustan in gatherings of ,indians belonging to different parts of the land1 shows the depth of the degradation to which we have sunk1 and points to the supreme necessity of the non-co-operation movement which is intended to lift us out of that condition4 ,this ,government has been instrumental in degrading this great nation in various ways1 and it is impossible to be free from it without co-operation amongst ourselves which is in turn impossible without a national medium of expression4 ,but ,i am not here to day to plead for the medium4 ,i am to plead for the acceptance by the country of the programme of non-violent1 progressive non-co-operation4 ,now all the words that ,i have used here are absolutely necessary and the two adjectives 'progressive' and 'non-violent' are integral part of a whole4 ,with me non-violence is part of my religion1 a matter of creed4 ,but with the great number of ,mussalmans non-violence is a policy1 with thousand1 if not millions of ,hindus1 it is equally a matter of policy4 ,but whether it is a creed or a policy1 it is utterly impossible for you to finish the programme for the enfranchisement of the millions of ,india1 without recognising the necessity and the value of non-violence4 ,violence may for a moment avail to secure a certain measure of success but it could not in the long run achieve any appreciable result4 ,on the other hand all violence would prove destructive to the honour and self-respect of the nation4 ,the blue books issued by the ,government of ,india show that inasmuch as we have used violence1 military expenditure has gone up1 not proportionately but in geometrical progression4 ,the bonds of our slavery have been forged all the stronger for our having offered violence4 ,and the whole history of ,british rule in ,india is a demonstration of the fact that we have never been able to offer successful violence4 ,whilst therefore ,i say that rather than have the yoke of a ,government that has so emasculated us1 ,i would welcome violence4 ,i would urge with all the emphasis that ,i can command that ,india will never be able to regain her own by methods of violence4 ,lord ,ronaldshay who has done me the honour of reading my booklet on ,home ,rule has warned my countrymen against engaging themselves in a struggle for a ,swaraj such as is described in that booklet4 ,now though ,i do not want to withdraw a single word of it1 ,i would say to you on this occasion that ,i do not ask ,india to follow out to-day the methods prescribed in my booklet4 ,if they could do that they would have ,home ,rule not in a year but in a day1 and ,india by realising that ideal wants to acquire an ascendancy over the rest of the world4 ,but it must remain a day dream more or less for the time being4 ,what ,i am doing to-day is that ,i am giving the country a pardonable programme not the abolition of law courts1 posts1 telegraphs and of railways but for the attainment of ,parliamentary ,swarja4 ,i am telling you to do that so long as we do not isolate ourselves from this ,government1 we are co-operating with it through schools1 law courts and councils1 through service civil and military and payment of taxes and foreign trade4 ,the moment this fact is realised and non-co-operation is effected1 this ,government must totter to pieces4 ,if ,i know that the masses were prepared for the whole programme at once1 ,i would not delay in putting it at once to work4 ,it is not possible at the present moment1 to prevent the masses from bursting out into wrath against those who come to execute the law1 it is not possible1 that the military would lay down their arms without the slightest violence4 ,if that were possible to-day1 ,i would propose all the stages of non-co-operation to be worked simultaneously4 ,but we have not secured that control over the masses1 we have uselessly frittered away precious years of the nation's life in mastering a language which we need least for winning our liberty2 we have frittered away all those years in learning liberty from ,milton and ,shakespeare1 in deriving inspiration from the pages of ,mill1 whilst liberty could be learnt at our doors4 ,we have thus succeeded in isolating ourselves from the masses3 we have been westernised4 ,we have failed these #ce years to utilise our education in order to permeate the masses4 ,we have sat upon the pedestal and from there delivered harangues to them in a language they do not understand and we see to-day that we are unable to conduct large gatherings in a disciplined manner4 ,and discipline is the essence of success4 ,here is therefore one reason why ,i have introduced the word 'progressive' in the non-co-operation ,resolution4 ,without any impertinence ,i may say that ,i understand the mass mind better than any one amongst the educated ,indians4 ,i contend that the masses are not ready for suspension of payment of taxes4 ,they have not yet learnt sufficient self-control4 ,if ,i was sure of non-violence on their part ,i would ask them to suspend payment to-day and not waste a single moment of the nations time4 ,with me the liberty of ,india has become a passion4 ,liberty of ,islam is as dear to me4 ,i would not therefore delay a moment if ,i found that the whole of the programme could be enforced at once4 ,it grieves me to miss the faces of dear and revered leaders in this assembly4 ,we miss here the trumpet voice of ,surendranath ,banorji1 who has rendered inestimable service to the country4 ,and though we stand as poles asunder to-day1 though we may have sharp differences with him1 we must express them with becoming restraint4 ,i do not ask you to give up a single iota of principle4 ,i urge non-violence in language and in deed4 ,if non-violence is essential in our dealings with ,government1 it is more essential in our dealings with our leaders4 ,and it grieves me deeply to hear of recent instances of violence reported to have been used in ,east ,bongal against our own people4 ,i was pained to hear that the ears of a man who had voted at the recent elections had been cut1 and night soil had been thrown into the bed of a man who had stood as a candidate4 ,non-co-operation is never going to succeed in this way4 ,it will not succeed unless we create an atmosphere of perfect freedom1 unless we prize our opponents liberty as much as our own4 ,the liberty of faith1 conscience1 thought and action which we claim for ourselves must be conceded equally to others4 ,non co-operation is a process of purification and we must continually try to touch the hearts of those who differ from us1 their minds1 and their emotions1 but never their bodies4 ,discipline and restraint are the cardinal principles of our conduct and ,i warn you against any sort of tyrannical social ostracism4 ,i was deeply grieved therefore to hear of the insult offered to a dead body in ,delhi and feel that if it was the action of non-co-operators they have disgraced themselves and their creed4 ,i repeat we cannot deliver our land through violence4 ,it was not a joke when ,i said on the congress platform that ,swaraj could be established in one year if there was sufficient response from the nation4 ,three months of this year are gone4 ,if we are true to our salt1 true to our nation1 true to the songs we sing1 if we are true to the ,bhagwad ,gita and the ,koran1 we would finish the programme in the remaining nine months and deliver ,islam the ,punjab and ,india4 ,i have proposed a limited programme workable within one year1 having a special regard to the educated classes4 ,we seem to be labouring under the illusion that we cannot possibly live without ,councils1 law courts and schools provided by the ,government4 ,the moment we are disillusioned we have ,swaraj4 ,it is demoralising both for ,government and the governed that a hundred thousand pilgrims should dictate terms to a nation composed of three hundred millions4 ,and how is it they can thus dictate terms4 ,it is because we have been divided and they have ruled4 ,i have never forgotten ,humes' frank confession that the ,british ,government was sustained by the policy of ,divide and ,rule4 ,therefore it is that ,i have laid stress upon ,hindu ,muslim ,unity as one of the important essentials for the success of ,non-co-operation4 ,but1 it should be no lip unity1 nor bunia unity it should be a unity broad based on a recognition of the heart4 ,if we want to save ,hinduism1 ,i say for ,gods sake1 do not seek to bargain with the ,mussalmans4 ,i have been going about with ,maulana ,shaukat ,ali all these months1 but ,i have not so much as whispered anything about the protection of the cow4 ,my alliance with the ,ali ,brothers is one of honour4 ,i feel that ,i am on my honour1 the whole of ,hinduism is on its honour1 and if it will not be found wanting1 it will do its duty towards the ,mussalmans of ,india4 ,any bargaining would be degrading to us4 ,light brings light not darkness1 and nobility done with a noble purpose will be twice rewarded4 ,it will be ,god alone who can protect the cow4 ,ask me not to-day--'what about the cow1' ask me after ,islam is vindicated through ,india4 ,ask the ,rajas what they do to entertain their ,english guests4 ,do they not provide beef and champagne for their guests4 ,persuade them first to stop cow killing and then think of bargaining with ,mussalmans4 ,and how are we ,hindus behaving ourselves towards the cow and her progeny6 ,do we treat her as our religion requires us8 ,not till we have set our own house in order and saved the cow from the ,englishmen have we the right to plead on her behalf with the ,mussalmans4 ,and the best way of saving the cow from them is to give them unconditional help in their hour of trouble4 ,similarly what do we owe the ,punjab8 ,the whole of ,india was made to crawl on her belly in as much as a single ,punjabi was made to crawl in that dirty lane in ,amritsar1 the whole womanhood of ,india was unveiled in as much as the innocent woman of ,manianwalla were unveiled by an insolent office2 and ,indian childhood was dishonoured in that1 that school children of tender age were made to walk four times a day to stated places within the martial area in the ,punjab and to salute the ,union ,jack1 through the effect of which order two children1 seven years old died of sunstroke having been made to wait in the noonday sun4 ,in my opinion it is a sin to attend the schools and colleges conducted under the aegis of this ,government so long as it has not purged itself of these crimes by proper repentance4 ,we may not with any sense of self-respect plead before the courts of the ,government when we remember that it was through the ,punjab ,courts that innocent men were sentenced to be imprisoned and hanged4 ,we become participators in the crime of the ,government by voluntarily helping it or being helped by it4 ,the women of ,india have intuitively understood the spiritual nature of the struggle4 ,thousands have attended to listen to the message of non-violent non-co-operation and have given me their precious ornaments for the purpose of advancing the cause of ,swaraj4 ,is it any wonder if ,i believe the possibility of gaining ,swaraj within a year after all these wonderful demonstrations8 ,i would be guilty of want of faith in ,god if ,i under-rated the significance of the response from the women of ,india4 ,i hope that the students will do their duty4 ,the country certainly expects the lawyers who have hitherto led public agitation to recognise the new awakening4 ,i have used strong language but ,i have done so with the greatest deliberation1 ,i am not actuated by any feeling of revenge4 ,i do not consider ,englishmen as my enemy4 ,i recognise the worth of many4 ,i enjoy the privilege of having many ,english friends1 but ,i am a determined enemy of the ,english rule as is conducted at present and if the power--tapasya--of one man could destroy it1 ,i would certainly destroy it1 if it could not be mended4 ,an ,empire that stands for injustice and breach of faith does not deserve to stand if its custodians will not repent and non-co-operation has been devised in order to enable the nation to compel justice4 ,i hope that ,bengal will take her proper place in this movement of self-purification4 ,bengal began ,swadeshi and national education when the rest of ,india was sleeping4 ,i hope that ,bengal will come to the front in this movement for gaining ,swaraj and gaining justice for the ,khilafat and the ,punjab through purification and self-sacrifice4 ,,on ,,the ,,wrong ,,track ,lord ,ronaldshay has been doing me the favour of reading my booklet on ,indian ,home ,rule which is a translation of ,hind ,swaraj4 ,his ,lordship told his audience that if ,swaraj meant what ,i had described it to be in the booklet1 the ,bengalis would have none of it4 ,i am sorry that ,swaraj of the ,congress resolution does not mean the ,swaraj depicted in the booklet2 ,swaraj according to the ,congress means ,swaraj that the people of ,india want1 not what the ,british ,government may condescend to give4 ,in so far as ,i can see1 ,swaraj will be a ,parliament chosen by the people with the fullest power over the finance1 the police1 the military1 the navy1 the courts1 and the educational institutions4 ,i am free to confess that the ,swaraj ,i expect to gain within one year1 if ,india responds will be such ,swaraj as will make practically impossible the repetition of the ,khilafat and the ,punjab wrongs1 and will enable the nation to do good or evil as it chooses1 and not he 'good' at the dictation of an irresponsible1 insolent1 and godless bureaucracy4 ,under that ,swaraj the nation will have the power to impose a heavy protective tariff on such foreign goods as are capable of being manufactured in ,india1 as also the power to refuse to send a single soldier outside ,india for the purpose of enslaving the surrounding or remote nationalities4 ,the ,swaraj that ,i dream of will be a possibility only1 when the nation is free to make its choice both of good and evil4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i adhere to all ,i have said in that booklet and ,i would certainly recommend it to the reader4 ,government over self is the truest ,swaraj1 it is synonymous with moksha or salvation1 and ,i have seen nothing to alter the view that doctors1 lawyers1 and railways are no help1 and are often a hindrance1 to the one thing worth striving after4 ,but ,i know that association1 a satanic activity1 such as the ,government is engaged in1 makes even an effort for such freedom a practical impossibility4 ,i cannot tender allegiance to ,god and ,satan at the same time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the surest sign of the satanic nature of the present system is that even a nobleman of the type of ,lord ,ronaldshay is obliged to put us off the track4 ,he will not deal with the one thing needful4 ,why is he silent about the ,punjab8 ,why does he evade the ,khilafat8 ,can ointments soothe a patient who is suffering from corroding consumption8 ,does his lordship not see that it is not the inadequacy of the reforms that has set ,india aflame but that it is the infliction of the two wrongs and the wicked attempt to make us forget them8 ,does he not see that a complete change of heart is required before reconciliation8 99 99 99 99 99 ,but it has become the fashion nowadays to ascribe hatred to non-co-operationism4 ,and ,i regret to find that even ,col4 ,wedgewood has fallen into the trap4 ,i make bold to say that the only way to remove hatred is to give it disciplined vent4 ,no man can--,i cannot--perform the impossible task of removing hatred so long as contempt and despise for the feelings of ,india are sedulously nursed4 ,it is a mockery to ask ,india not to hate when in the same breath ,india's most sacred feelings are contemptuously brushed aside4 ,india feels weak and helpless and so expresses her helplessness by hating the tyrant who despises her and makes her crawl on the belly1 lifts the veils of her innocent women and compels her tender children to acknowledge his power by saluting his flag four times a day4 ,the gospel of ,non-co-operation addresses itself to the task of making the people strong and self-reliant4 ,it is an attempt to transform hatred into pity4 ,a strong and self-reliant ,india will cease to hate ,bosworth ,smiths and ,frank ,johnsons1 for she will have the power to punish them and therefore the power also to pity and forgive them4 ,to-day she can neither punish nor forgive1 and therefore helplessly nurses hatred4 ,if the ,mussalmans were strong1 they would not hate the ,english but would fight and wrest from them the dearest possessions of ,islam4 ,i know that the ,ali ,brothers who live only for the honour and the prestige of ,islam1 and are prepared any moment to die for it1 will to-day make friends with the latter ,englishmen1 if they were to do justice to the ,khilafat which it is in their power to do4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am positively certain that there is no personal element in this fight4 ,both the ,hindus and the ,mahomedans would to-day invoke blessings on the ,english if they would but give proof positive of their goodness1 faithfulness1 and loyalty to ,india4 ,non-co-operation then is a godsend2 it will purify and strengthen ,india2 and a strong ,india will be a strength to the world as an ,indian weak and helpless is a curse to mankind4 ,indian soldiers have involuntarily helped to destroy ,turkey and are now destroying the flower of the ,arabian nation4 ,i cannot recall a single campaign in which the ,indian soldier has been employed by the ,british ,government for the good of mankind4 ,and yet1 7,oh6 the shame of it67 ,indian ,maharajas are never tired of priding themselves on the loyal help they have rendered the ,english6 ,could degradation sink any lower8 ,,the ,,congress ,,constitution ,the belated report of the ,congress ,constitution ,committee has now been published for general information and opinion has been invited from all public bodies in order to assist the deliberations of the ,all ,india ,congress ,committee4 ,it is a pity that1 small though the ,constitution ,committee was1 all the members never met at any one time in spite of efforts1 to have a meeting of them all4 ,it is perhaps no body's fault that all the members could not meet4 ,at the same time the draft report has passed through the searching examination of all but one member and the report represents the mature deliberations of four out of the five members4 ,it must be stated at the same time that it does not pretend to be the unanimous opinion of the members4 ,rather than present a dissenting minute1 a workable scheme has been brought out leaving each member free to press his own views on to several matters in which they are not quite unanimous4 ,the most important part of the constitution1 however1 is the alteration of the creed4 ,so far as ,i am aware there is no fundamental difference of opinion between the members4 ,in my opinion the altered creed represents the exact feeling of the country at the present moment4 ,i know that the proposed alteration has been subjected to hostile criticism in several newspapers of note4 ,but the extraordinary situation that faces the country is that popular opinion is far in advance of several newspapers which have hitherto commanded influence and have undoubtedly moulded public opinion4 ,the fact is that the formation of opinion to-day is by no means confined to the educated classes1 but the masses have taken it upon themselves not only to formulate opinion but to enforce it4 ,it would be a mistake to belittle or ignore this opinion1 or to ascribe it to a temporary upheaval4 ,it would be equally a mistake to suppose that this awakening amongst the masses is due either to the activity of the ,ali ,brothers or myself4 ,for the time being we have the ear of the masses because we voice their sentiments4 ,the masses are by no means so foolish or unintelligent as we sometimes imagine4 ,they often perceive things with their intuition1 which we ourselves fail to see with our intellect4 ,but whilst the masses know what they want1 they often do not know how to express their wants and1 less often1 how to get what they want4 ,herein comes the use of leadership1 and disastrous results can easily follow a bad1 hasty1 or what is worse1 selfish lead4 ,the first part of the proposed creed expresses the present desire of the nation1 and the second shows the way that desire can be fulfilled4 ,in my humble opinion the ,congress creed with the proposed alteration is but an extension of the original4 ,and so long as no break with the ,british connection is attempted1 it is strictly within even the existing article that defines the ,congress creed4 ,the extension lies in the contemplated possibility of a break with the ,british connection4 ,in my humble opinion1 if ,india is to make unhampered progress1 we must make it clear to the ,british people that whilst we desire to retain the ,british connection1 if we can rise to our full height with it we are determined to dispense with1 and even to get rid of that connection1 if that is necessary for full national development4 ,i hold that it is not only derogatory to national dignity but it actually impedes national progress superstitiously to believe that our progress towards our goal is impossible without ,british connection4 ,it is this superstition which makes some of the best of us tolerate the ,punjab wrong and the ,khilafat insult4 ,this blind adherence to that connection makes us feel helpless4 ,the proposed alteration in the creed enables us to rid ourselves of our helpless condition4 ,i personally hold that it is perfectly constitutional openly to strive after independence1 but lest there may be dispute as to the constitutional character of any movement for complete independence1 the doubtful and highly technical adjective constitutional has been removed from the altered creed in the draft4 ,surely it should be enough to ensure that the methods for achieving our end are legitimate1 honourable1 and peaceful1 ,i believe that this was the reasoning that guided my colleagues in accepting the proposed creed4 ,in any case1 such was certainly my view of the whole alteration4 ,there is no desire on my part to adopt any means that are subversive of law and order4 ,i know1 however1 that ,i am treading on delicate ground when ,i write about law and order for1 to some of our distinguished leaders even my present methods appear to be lawless and conducive to disorder4 ,but even they will perhaps grant that the retention of the word 'constitutional' cannot protect the country against methods such as ,i am employing4 ,it gives rise1 no doubt1 to a luminous legal discussion1 but any such discussion is fruitless when the nation means business4 ,the other important alteration refers to the limitation of the number of delegates4 ,i believe that the advantages of such a limitation are obvious4 ,we are fast reaching a time when without any such limitation the ,congress will become an unwieldy body4 ,it is difficult even to have an unlimited number of visitors2 it is impossible to transact national business if we have an unlimited number of delegates4 ,the next important alteration is about the election of the members of the ,all-,india ,congress ,committee1 making that committee practically the ,subjects ,committee1 and the redistribution of ,india for the purposes of the ,congress on a linguistic basis4 ,it is not necessary to comment on these alterations1 but ,i wish to add that if the ,congress accepts the principle of limiting the number of delegates it would be advisable to introduce the principle of proportional representation4 ,that would enable all parties who wish to be represented at the ,congress4 ,i observe that the ,servant of ,india sees an inconsistency between my implied acceptance of the ,british ,committee1 so far as the published draft constitution is concerned1 and my recent article in ,young ,india on that ,committee and the newspaper ,india4 ,but it is well known that for several years ,i have held my present views about the existence of that body4 ,it would have been irrelevant for me1 perhaps1 to suggest to my colleagues the extinction of that committee4 ,it was not our function to report on the usefulness or otherwise of the ,committee4 ,we were commissioned only for preparing a new constitution4 ,moreover ,i knew that my colleagues were not averse to the existence of the ,british ,committee4 ,and the drawing up of a new constitution enabled me to show that where there was no question of principle ,i was desirous of agreeing quickly with my opponents in opinions4 ,but ,i propose certainly to press for abolition of the committee as it is at present continued1 and the stopping of its organ ,india4 ,,swaraj ,,in ,,nine ,,months ,asked by the ,times representative as to his impressions formed as a result of his activities during the last three months1 ,mr4 ,gandhi said3--,my own impression of these three months' extensive experience is that this movement of non-co-operation has come to stay1 and it is most decidedly a purifying movement1 in spite of isolated instances of rowdyism1 as for instance at ,mrs4 ,besant's meeting in ,bombay1 at some places in ,delhi1 ,bengal1 and even in ,gujarat4 ,the people are assimilating day after day the spirit of non-violence1 not necessarily as a creed1 but as an inevitable policy4 ,i expect most startling results1 more startling than1 say1 the discoveries of ,sir ,j4,c4 ,bose1 or the acceptance by the people of non-violence4 ,if the ,government could be assured beyond any possibility of doubt that no violence would ever be offered by us the ,government would from that moment alter its character1 unconsciously and involuntarily1 but nonetheless surely on that account4 ,alter its character1--in what1 direction8 asked the ,times representative4 ,certainly in the direction which we ask it should move--that being in the direction of ,government becoming responsive to every call of the nation4 ,will you kindly explain further8 asked the representative4 ,by that ,i mean1 said ,mr4 ,gandhi1 people will be able by asserting themselves through fixed determination and self-sacrifice to gain the redress of the ,khilafat wrong1 the ,punjab wrong1 and attain the ,swaraj of their choice4 ,but what is your ,swaraj1 and where does the ,government come in there--the ,government which1 you say will alter its character unconsciously8 ,my ,swaraj1 said ,mr4 ,gandhi1 is the ,parliamentary ,government of ,india in the modern sense of the term for the time being1 and that ,government would be secured to us either through the friendly offices of the ,british people or without them4 ,what do you mean by the phrase1 'without them6' questioned the interviewer4 ,this movement1 continued ,mr4 ,gandhi1 is an endeavour to purge the present ,government of selfishness and greed which determine almost every one of their activities4 ,suppose that we have made it impossible by disassociation from them to feed their greed4 ,they might not wish to remain in ,india1 as happened in the case of ,somaliland1 where the moment its administration ceased to be a paying proposition they evacuated it4 ,how do you think1 queried the representative1 in practice this will work out8 ,what ,i have sketched before you1 said ,mr4 ,gandhi1 is the final possibility4 ,what ,i expect is that nothing of that kind will happen4 ,in so far as ,i understand the ,british people ,i will recognise the force of public opinion when it has become real and patent4 ,then1 and only then1 will they realise the hideous injustice which in their name the ,imperial ministers and their representatives in ,india have perpetrated4 ,they will therefore remedy the two wrongs in accordance with the wishes of the people1 and they will also offer a constitution exactly in accordance with the wishes of the people of ,india1 as represented by their chosen leaders4 ,supposing that the ,british ,government wish to retire because ,india is not a paying concern1 what do you think will then be the position of ,india8 ,mr4 ,gandhi answered3 ,at that stage surely it is easy to understand that ,india will then have evolved either outstanding spiritual height or the ability to offer violence1 against violence4 ,she will have evolved an organising ability of a high order1 and will therefore be in every way able to cope with any emergency that might arise4 ,in other words1 observed the ,times representative1 you expect the moment of the ,british evacuation1 if such a contingency arises1 will coincide with the moment of ,india's preparedness and ability and conditions favourable for ,india to take over the ,indian administration as a going concern and work it for the benefit and advancement of the ,nation8 ,mr4 ,gandhi answered the question with an emphatic affirmative4 ,my experience during the last months fills me with the hope1 continued ,mr4 ,gandhi1 that within the nine months that remain of the year in which ,i have expected ,swaraj for ,india we shall redress the two wrongs and we shall see ,swaraj established in accordance with the wishes of the people of ,india4 ,where will the present ,government be at the end of the nine months8 ,asked the ,times representative4 ,mr4 ,gandhi1 with a significant smile1 said3 ,the lion will then lie with the lamb4 ,young ,india1 ,december1 #aibj4 ,,the ,,attainment ,,of ,,swaraj ,mr4 ,gandhi in moving his resolution on the creed before the ,congress1 said1 ,the resolution which ,i have the honour to move is as follows3 ,the object of the ,indian ,national ,congress is the attainment of ,swarajya by the people of ,india by all legitimate and peaceful means4 ,there are only two kinds of objections1 so far as ,i understand1 that will be advanced from this platform4 ,one is that we may not to-day think of dissolving the ,british connection4 ,what ,i say is that it is derogatory to national dignity to think of permanence of ,british connection at any cost4 ,we are labouring under a grievous wrong1 which it is the personal duty of every ,indian to get redressed4 ,this ,british ,government not only refused to redress the wrong1 but it refuses to acknowledge its mistake and so long as it retains its attitude1 it is not possible for us to say all that we want to be or all that we want to get1 retaining ,british connection4 ,no matter what difficulties be in our path1 we must make the clearest possible declaration to the world and to the whole of ,india1 that we may not possibly have ,british connection1 if the ,british people will not do this elementary justice4 ,i do not1 for one moment1 suggest that we want to end at the ,british connection at all costs1 unconditionally4 ,if the ,british connection is for the advancement of ,india1 we do not want to destroy it4 ,but if it is inconsistent with our national self respect1 then it is our bounden duty to destroy it4 ,there is room in this resolution for both--those who believe that1 by retaining ,british connection1 we can purify ourselves and purify ,british people1 and those who have no belief4 ,as for instance1 take the extreme case of ,mr4 ,andrews4 ,he says all hope for ,india is gone for keeping the ,british connection4 ,he says there must be complete severance--complete independence4 ,there is room enough in this creed for a man like ,mr4 ,andrews also4 ,take another illustration1 a man like myself or my brother ,shaukat ,ali4 ,there is certainly no room for us1 if we have eternally to subscribe to the doctrine1 whether these wrongs are redressed or not1 we shall have to evolve ourselves within the ,british ,empire2 there is no room for me in that creed4 ,therefore this creed is elastic enough to take in both shades of opinions and the ,british people will have to beware that1 if they do not want to do justice1 it will be the bounden duty of every ,indian to destroy the ,empire4 ,i want just now to wind up my remarks with a personal appeal1 drawing your attention to an object lesson that was presented in the ,bengal camp yesterday4 ,if you want ,swaraj1 you have got a demonstration of how to get ,swaraj4 ,there was a little bit of skirmish1 a little bit of squabble1 and a little bit of difference in the ,bengal camp1 as there will always be differences so long as the world lasts4 ,i have known differences between husband and wife1 because ,i am still a husband2 ,i have noticed differences between parents and children1 because ,i am still a father of four boys1 and they are all strong enough to destroy their father so far as bodily struggle is concerned2 ,i possess that varied experience of husband and parent2 ,i know that we shall always have squabbles1 we shall always have differences but the lesson that ,i want to draw your attention to is that ,i had the honour and privilege of addressing both the parties4 ,they gave me their undivided attention and what is more they showed their attachment1 their affection and their fellowship for me by accepting the humble advice that ,i had the honour of tendering to them1 and ,i told them ,i am not here to distribute justice that can be awarded only through our worthy president4 ,but ,i ask you not to go to the president1 you need not worry him4 ,if you are strong1 if you are brave1 if you are intent upon getting ,swaraj1 and if you really want to revise the creed1 then you will bottle up your rage1 you will bottle up all the feelings of injustice that may rankle in your hearts and forget these things here under this very roof and ,i told them to forget their differences1 to forgot the wrongs4 ,i don't want to tell you or go into the history of that incident4 ,probably most of you know4 ,i simply want to invite your attention to the fact4 ,i don't say they have settled up their differences4 ,i hope they have but ,i do know that they undertook to forget the differences4 ,they undertook not to worry the ,president1 they undertook not to make any demonstration here or in the ,subjects ,committee4 ,all honour to those who listened to that advice4 ,i only wanted my ,bengali friends and all the other friends who have come to this great assembly with a fixed determination to seek nothing but the settlement of their country1 to seek nothing but the advancement of their respective rights1 to seek nothing but the conservation of the national honour4 ,i appeal to every one of you to copy the example set by those who felt aggrieved and who felt that their heads were broken4 ,i know1 before we have done with this great battle on which we have embarked at the special sessions of the ,congress1 we have to go probably1 possibly through a sea of blood1 but let it not be said of us or any one of us that we are guilty of shedding blood1 but let it be said by generations yet to be born that we suffered1 that we shed not somebody's blood but our own1 and so ,i have no hesitation in saying that ,i do not want to show much sympathy for those who had their heads broken or who were said to be even in danger of losing their lives4 ,what does it matter8 ,it is much better to die at the hands1 at least1 of our own countrymen4 ,what is there to revenge ourselves about or upon4 ,so ,i ask everyone of you that if at any time there is blood-boiling within you against some fellow countrymen of yours1 even though he may be in the employ of ,government1 though he may be in the ,secret ,service1 you will take care not to be offended and not to return blow for blow4 ,understand that the very moment you return the blow from the detective1 your cause is lost4 ,this is your non-violent campaign4 ,and so ,i ask everyone of you not to retaliate but to bottle up all your rage1 to dismiss your rage from you and you will rise graver men4 ,i am here to congratulate those who have restrained themselves from going to the ,president and bringing the dispute before him4 ,therefore ,i appeal to those who feel aggrieved to feel that they have done the right thing in forgetting it and if they have not forgotten ,i ask them to try to forget the thing2 and that is the object lesson to which ,i wanted to draw your attention if you want to carry this resolution4 ,do not carry this resolution only by an acclamation for this resolution1 but ,i want you to accompany the carrying out of this resolution with a faith and resolve which nothing on earth can move4 ,that you are intent upon getting ,swaraj at the earliest possible moment and that you are intent upon getting ,swaraj by means that are legitimate1 that are honourable and by means that are non-violent1 that are peaceful1 you have resolved upon1 so far you can say to-day4 ,we cannot give battle to this ,government by means of steel1 but we can give battle by exercising1 what ,i have so often called1 soul force and soul force is not the prerogative of one man of a ,sanyasi or even a so-called saint4 ,soul force is the prerogative of every human being1 female or male and therefore ,i ask my countrymen1 if they want to accept this resolution1 to accept it with that firm determination and to understand that it is inaugurated under such good and favourable auspices as ,i have described to you4 ,in my humble opinion1 the ,congress will have done the rightest thing1 if it unanimously adopts this resolution4 ,may ,god grant that you will pass this resolution unanimously1 may ,god grant that you will also have the courage and the ability to carry out the resolution and that within one year4 ,v4 ,,hindu ,,moslem ,,unity ,a dialogue between ,editor and reader on the ,hindu-,moslem ,unity--,indian ,home ,rule4 ,,the ,,hindus ,,and ,,the ,,mahomedans4 ,,editor3 ,your last question is a serious one1 and yet1 on careful consideration1 it will be found to be easy of solution4 ,the question arises because of the presence of the railways of the lawyers1 and of the doctors4 ,we shall presently examine the last two4 ,we have already considered the railways4 ,i should1 however1 like to add that man is so made by nature as to require him to restrict his movements as far as his hands and feet will take him4 ,if we did not rush about from place to place by means of railways such other maddening conveniences1 much of the confusion that arises would be obviated4 ,our difficulties are of our own creation4 ,god set a limit to a man's locomotive ambition in the construction of his body4 ,man immediately proceeded to discover means of overriding the limit4 ,god gifted man with intellect that he might know his ,maker4 ,man abused it1 so that he might forget his ,maker4 ,i am so constructed that ,i can only serve my immediate neighbours1 but1 in my conceit1 ,i pretend to have discovered that ,i must with my body serve every individual in the ,universe4 ,in thus attempting the impossible1 man comes in contact with different natures1 different religions1 and is utterly confounded4 ,according to this reasoning1 it must be apparent to you that railways are a most dangerous institution4 ,man has therefore gone further away from his ,maker4 ,,reader3 ,but ,i am impatient to hear your answer to my question4 ,has the introduction of ,mahomedanism not unmade the nation8 ,,editor3 ,india cannot cease to be one nation because people belonging to different religions live in it4 ,the introduction of foreigners does not necessarily destroy the nation1 they merge in it4 ,a country is one nation only when such a condition obtains in it4 ,that country must have a faculty for assimilation4 ,india has ever been such a country4 ,in reality1 there are as many religions as there are individuals1 but those who are conscious of the spirit of nationality do not interfere with one another's religion4 ,if they do1 they are not fit to be considered a nation4 ,if the ,hindus believe that ,india should be peopled only by ,hindus1 they are living in dreamland4 ,the ,hindus1 the ,mahomedans1 the ,parsees and the ,christians who have made ,india their country are fellow countrymen1 and they will have to live in unity if only for their own interest4 ,in no part of the world are one nationality and one religion synonymous terms3 nor has it ever been so in ,india4 ,,reader3 ,but what about the inborn enmity between ,hindus and ,mahomedans8 ,,editor3 ,that phrase has been invented by our mutual enemy4 ,when the ,hindus and ,mahomedans fought against one another1 they certainly spoke in that strain4 ,they have long since ceased to fight4 ,how1 then1 can there be any inborn enmity8 ,pray remember this1 too1 that we did not cease to fight only after ,british occupation4 ,the ,hindus flourished under ,moslem sovereigns1 and ,moslems under the ,hindu4 ,each party recognised that mutual fighting was suicidal1 and that neither party would abandon its religion by force of arms4 ,both parties1 therefore1 decided to live in peace4 ,with the ,english advent the quarrels recommenced4 ,the proverbs you have quoted were coined when both were fighting2 to quote them now is obviously harmful4 ,should we not remember that many ,hindus and ,mahomedans own the same ancestors1 and the same blood runs through their veins8 ,do people become enemies because they change their religion8 ,is the ,god of the ,mahomedan different from the ,god of the ,hindu8 ,religions are different roads converging to the same point4 ,what does it matter that we take different roads1 so long as we reach the same goal8 ,wherein is the cause for quarrelling8 ,moreover1 there are deadly proverbs as between the followers of ,shiva and those of ,vishnu1 yet nobody suggests that these two do not belong to the same nation4 ,it is said that the ,vedic religion is different from ,jainism1 but the followers of the respective faiths are not different nations4 ,the fact is that we have become enslaved1 and1 therefore1 quarrel and like to have our quarrels decided by a third party4 ,there are ,hindu iconoclasts as there are ,mahomedan4 ,the more we advance in true knowledge1 the better we shall understand that we need not be at war with those whose religion we may not follow4 ,,reader3 ,now ,i would like to know your views about cow protection4 ,,editor3 ,i myself respect the cow1 that is1 ,i look upon her with affectionate reverence4 ,the cow is the protector of ,india1 because1 it being an agricultural country1 is dependent on the cow's progeny4 ,she is a most useful animal in hundreds of ways4 ,our ,mahomedan brethren will admit this4 ,but1 just as ,i respect the cow so do ,i respect my fellow-men4 ,a man is just as useful as a cow1 no matter whether he be a ,mahomedan or a ,hindu4 ,am ,i1 then to fight with or kill a ,mahomedan in order to save a cow8 ,in doing so1 ,i would become an enemy as well of the cow as of the ,mahomedan4 ,therefore1 the only method ,i know of protecting the cow is that ,i should approach my ,mahomedan brother and urge him for the sake of the country to join me in protecting her4 ,if he would not listen to me1 ,i should let the cow go for the simple reason that the matter is beyond my ability4 ,if ,i were over full of pity for the cow1 ,i should sacrifice my life to save her1 but not take my brother's4 ,this1 ,i hold1 is the law of our religion4 ,when men become obstinate1 it is a difficult thing4 ,if ,i pull one way1 my ,moslem brother will pull another4 ,if ,i put on a superior air1 he will return the compliment4 ,if ,i bow to him gently1 he will do it much1 more so1 and if he does not1 ,i shall not be considered to have done wrong in having bowed4 ,when the ,hindus became insistent1 the killing of cows increased4 ,in my opinion1 cow protection societies may be considered cow killing societies4 ,it is a disgrace to us that we should need such societies4 ,when we forgot how to protect cows1 ,i suppose we needed such societies4 ,what am ,i to do when a blood-brother is on the point of killing a cow8 ,am ,i to kill him1 or to fall down at his feet and implore him8 ,if you admit that ,i should adopt the latter course ,i must do the same to my ,moslem brother4 ,who protects the cow from destruction by ,hindus when they cruelly ill-treat her8 ,whoever reasons with the ,hindus when they mercilessly belabour the progeny of the cow with their sticks8 ,but this has not prevented us from remaining one nation4 ,lastly1 if it be true that the ,hindus believe in the doctrine of non-killing1 and the ,mahomedans do not1 what1 ,i pray1 is the duty of the former8 ,it is not written that a follower of the religion of ,ahimsa 7non-killing7 may kill a fellow-man4 ,for him the way is straight4 ,in order to save one being1 he may not kill another4 ,he can only plead--therein lies his sole duty4 ,but does every ,hindu believe in ,ahimsa8 ,going to the root of the matter1 not one man really practises such a religion1 because we do destroy life4 ,we are said to follow that religion because we want to obtain freedom from liability to kill any kind of life4 ,generally speaking1 we may observe that many ,hindus partake of meat and are not1 therefore1 followers of ,ahimsa4 ,it is1 therefore1 preposterous to suggest that the two cannot live together amicably because the ,hindus believe in ,ahimsa and the ,mahomedans do not4 ,these thoughts are put into our minds by selfish and false religious teachers4 ,the ,english put the finishing touch4 ,they have a habit of writing history2 they pretend to study the manners and customs of all peoples1 ,god has given us a limited mental capacity1 but they usurp the function of the ,godhead and indulge in novel experiments4 ,they write about their own researches in most laudatory terms and hypnotise us into believing them4 ,we in our ignorance1 then fall at their feet4 ,those who do not wish to misunderstand things may read up the ,koran1 and will find therein hundreds of passages acceptable to the ,hindus2 and the ,bhagavad ,gita contains passages to which not a ,mahomedan can take exception4 ,am ,i to dislike a ,mahomedan because there are passages in the ,koran ,i do not understand or like8 ,it takes two to make a quarrel4 ,if ,i do not want to quarrel with a ,mahomedan1 the latter will be powerless to foist a quarrel on me1 and1 similarly1 ,i should be powerless if a ,mahomedan refuses his assistance to quarrel with me4 ,an arm striking the air will become disjointed4 ,if everyone will try to understand the core of his own religion and adhere to it1 and will not allow false teachers to dictate to him1 there will be no room left for quarrelling4 ,,reader3 ,but1 will the ,english ever allow the two bodies to join hands8 ,,editor3 ,this question arises out of your timidity4 ,it betrays our shallowness4 ,if two brothers want to live in peace1 is it possible for a third party to separate them8 ,if they were to listen to evil counsels1 we would consider them to be foolish4 ,similarly1 we ,hindus and ,mahomedans would have to blame our folly rather than the ,english1 if we allowed them to put asunder4 ,a clay pot would break through impact2 if not with one stone1 thou with another4 ,the way to save the pot is not to keep it away from the danger point1 but to bake it so that no stone would break it4 ,we have then to make our hearts of perfectly baked clay4 ,then we shall be steeled against all danger4 ,this can be easily done by the ,hindus4 ,they are superior in numbers1 they pretend that they are more educated1 they are1 therefore1 better able to shield themselves from attack on their amicable relations with the ,mahomedans4 ,there is a mutual distrust between the two communities4 ,the ,mahomedans1 therefore1 ask for certain concessions from ,lord ,morley4 ,why should the ,hindus oppose this8 ,if the ,hindus desisted1 the ,english would notice it1 the ,mahomedans would gradually begin to trust the ,hindus1 and brotherliness would be the outcome4 ,we should be ashamed to take our quarrels to the ,english4 ,everyone can find out for himself that the ,hindus can lose nothing be desisting4 ,the man who has inspired confidence in another has never lost anything in this world4 ,i do not suggest that the ,hindus and the ,mahomedans will never fight4 ,two brothers living together often do so4 ,we shall sometimes have our heads broken4 ,such a thing ought not to be necessary1 but all men are not equi-minded4 ,when people are in a rage1 they do many foolish things4 ,these we have to put up with4 ,but1 when we do quarrel1 we certainly do not want to engage counsel and to resort to ,english or any law-courts4 ,two men fight2 both have their heads broken1 or one only4 ,how shall a third party distribute justice amongst them8 ,those who fight may expect to be injured4 ,,hindu-,,mahomedan ,,unity ,mr4 ,candler some time ago asked me in an imaginary interview whether if ,i was sincere in my professions of ,hindu-,mahomedan ,unity4 ,i would eat and drink with a ,mahomedean and give my daughter in marriage to a ,mahomedan4 ,this question has been asked again by some friends in another form4 ,is it necessary for ,hindu ,mahomedan ,unity that there should he interdining and intermarrying8 ,the questioners say that if the two are necessary1 real unity can never take place because crores of ,sanatanis would never reconcile themselves to interdining1 much less to intermarriage4 ,i am one of those who do not consider caste to be a harmful institution4 ,in its origin caste was a wholesome custom and promoted national well-being4 ,in my opinion the idea that interdining or intermarrying is necessary for national growth1 is a superstition borrowed from the ,west4 ,eating is a process just as vital as the other sanitary necessities of life4 ,and if mankind had not1 much to its harm1 made of eating a fetish and indulgence we would have performed the operation of eating in private even as one performs the other necessary functions of life in private4 ,indeed the highest culture in ,hinduism regards eating in that light and there are thousands of ,hindus still living who will not eat their food in the presence of anybody4 ,i can recall the names of several cultured men and women who ate their food in entire privacy but who never had any illwill against anybody and who lived on the friendliest terms with all4 ,intermarriage is a still more difficult question4 ,if brothers and sisters can live on the friendliest footing without ever thinking of marrying each other1 ,i can see no difficulty in my daughter regarding every ,mahomedan brother and vice versa4 ,i hold strong views on religion and on marriage4 ,the greater the restraint we exercise with regard to our appetites whether about eating or marrying1 the better we become from a religious standpoint4 ,i should despair of ever cultivating amicable relations with the world1 if ,i had to recognise the right or the propriety of any young man offering his hand in marriage to my daughter or to regard it as necessary for me to dine with anybody and everybody4 ,i claim that ,i am living on terms of friendliness with the whole world4 ,i have never quarrelled with a single ,mahomedan or ,christian but for years ,i have taken nothing but fruit in ,mahomedan or ,christian households4 ,i would most certainly decline to eat food cooked from the same plate with my son or to drink water out of a cup which his lips have touched and which has not been washed4 ,but the restraint or the exclusiveness exercised in these matters by me has never affected the closest companionship with the ,mahomedan or the ,christian friends or my sons4 ,but interdining and intermarriage have never been a bar to disunion1 quarrels and worse4 ,the ,pandavas and the ,kauravas flew at one another's throats without compunction although they interdined and intermarried4 ,the bitterness between the ,english and the ,germans has not yet died out4 ,the fact is that intermarriage and interdining are not necessary factors in friendship and unity though they are often emblems thereof4 ,but insistence on either the one or the other can easily become and is to-day a bar to ,hindu-,mahomedan ,unity4 ,if we make ourselves believe that ,hindus and ,mahomedans cannot be one unless they interdine or intermarry1 we would be creating an artificial barrier between us which it might be almost impossible to remove4 ,and it would seriously interfere with the flowing unity between ,hindus and ,mahomedans if1 for example1 ,mahomedan youths consider it lawful to court ,hindu girls4 ,the ,hindu parents will not1 even if they suspected any such thing1 freely admit ,mahomedans to their homes as they have begun to do now4 ,in my opinion it is necessary for ,hindu and ,mahomedan young men to recognise this limitation4 ,i hold it to be utterly impossible for ,hindus and ,mahomedans to intermarry and yet retain intact each other's religion4 ,and the true beauty of ,hindu-,mahomedan ,unity lies in each remaining true to his own religion and yet being true to each other4 ,for1 we are thinking of ,hindus and ,mahomedans even of the most orthodox type being able to regard one another as natural friends instead of regarding one another as natural enemies as they have done hitherto4 ,what then does the ,hindu-,mahomedan ,unity consist in and how can it be best promoted8 ,the answer is simple4 ,it consists in our having a common purpose1 a common goal and common sorrows4 ,it is best promoted by co-operating to reach the common goal1 by sharing one another's sorrow and by mutual toleration4 ,a common goal we have4 ,we wish this great country of ours to be greater and self-governing4#d ,we have enough sorrows to share and to-day seeing that the ,mahomedans are deeply touched on the question of ,khilafat and their case is just1 nothing can be so powerful for winning ,mahomedans friendship for the ,hindu as to give his whole-hearted support to the ,mahomedan claim4 ,no amount of drinking out of the same cup or dining out of the same bowl can bind the two as this help in the ,khilafat question4 ,and mutual toleration is a necessity for all time and for all races4 ,we cannot live in peace if the ,hindu will not tolerate the ,mahomedan form of worship of ,god and his manners and customs or if the mahomedans will be impatient of ,hindu idolatory1 cow-worship4 ,it is not necessary for toleration that ,i must approve of what ,i tolerate4 ,i heartily dislike drinking1 meat eating and smoking1 but ,i tolerate all these in ,hindus1 ,mahomedans and ,christians even as ,i expect them to tolerate my abstinence from all these1 although they may dislike it4 ,all the quarrels between the ,hindus and the ,mahomedans have arisen from each wanting to force the other his view4 ,,hindu-,,muslim ,,unity ,there can be no doubt that successful non-co-operation depends as much on ,hindu-,muslim ,unity as on non-violence4 ,greatest strain will be put upon both in the course of the struggle and if it survives that strain1 victory is a certainty4 ,a severe strain was put upon it in ,agra and it has been stated that when either party went to the authorities they were referred to ,maulana ,shaukat ,ali and me4 ,fortunately there was a far better man at hand4 ,hakimji ,ajmal khan is a devout ,muslim who commands the confidence and the respect of both the parties4 ,he with his band of workers hastened to ,agra1 settled the dispute and the parties became friends as they were never before4 ,an incident occurred nearer ,delhi and the same influence worked successfully to avoid what might have become an explosion4 ,but ,hakimji ,ajmal khan cannot be everywhere appearing at the exact hour as an angel of peace4 ,nor can ,maulana ,shankat ,ali or ,i go everywhere4 ,and yet perfect peace must be observed between the two communities in spite of attempts to divide them4 ,why was there any appeal made to the authorities at all at ,agra8 ,if we are to work out non-co-operation with any degree of success we must be able to dispense with the protection of the ,government when we quarrel among ourselves4 ,the whole scheme of non-co-operation must break to pieces1 if our final reliance is to be upon ,british intervention for the adjustment of our quarrels or the punishment of the guilty ones4 ,in every village and hamlet there must be at least one ,hindu and one ,muslim1 whose primary business must be to prevent quarrels between the two4 ,some times however1 even blood-brothers come to blows4 ,in the initial stages we are bound to do so here and there4 ,unfortunately we who are public workers have made little attempt to understand and influence the masses and least of all the most turbulent among them4 ,during the process of insinuating ourselves in the estimation of the masses and until we have gained control over the unruly1 there are bound to be exhibitions of hasty temper now and then4 ,we must learn at such times to do without an appeal to the ,government4 ,hakimji ,ajmal ,khan has shown us how to do it4 ,the union that we want is not a patched up thing but a union of hearts based upon a definite recognition of the indubitable proposition that ,swaraj for ,india must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the ,hindus and the ,muslims of ,india4 ,it must not be a mere truce4 ,it cannot be based upon mutual fear4 ,it must be a partnership between equals each respecting the religion of the other4 ,i would frankly despair of reaching such union if there was anything in the holy ,quran enjoining upon the followers of ,islam to treat ,hindus as their natural enemies or if there was anything in ,hinduism to warrant a belief in the eternal enmity between the two4 ,we would ill learn our history if we conclude that because we have quarrelled in the past1 we are destined so to continue unless some such strong power like the ,british keep us by force of arms from flying at each other's throats4 ,but ,i am convinced that there is no warrant in ,islam or ,hinduism for any such belief4 ,true it is that interested fanatical priests in both religions have set the one against the other4 ,it is equally true that ,muslim rulers like ,christian rulers have used the sword for the propagation of their respective faiths4 ,but in spite of many dark things of the modern times1 the world's opinion to-day will as little tolerate forcible conversions as it will tolerate forcible slavery4 ,that probably is the most effective contribution of the scientific spirit of the age4 ,that spirit has revolutionised many a false notion about ,christianity as it has about ,islam4 ,i do not know a single writer on ,islam who defends the use of force in the proselytising process4 ,the influences exerted in our times are far more subtle than that of the sword4 ,i believe that in the midst of all the bloodshed1 chicane and fraud being resorted to on a colossal scale in the west1 the whole humanity is silently but surely making progress towards a better age4 ,and ,india by finding true independence and self-expression through an imperishable ,hindu-,muslim unity and through non-violent means1 i4e41 unadulterated self sacrifice can point a way out of the prevailing darkness4 ,,vi4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,the ,,depressed ,,classes ,,depressed ,,classes ,vivekanand used to call the ,panchamas 'suppressed classes4' ,there is no doubt that ,vivekanand's is a more accurate adjective4 ,we have suppressed them and have consequently become ourselves depressed4 ,that we have become the ',pariahs of the ,empire' is1 in ,gokhale's language1 the retributive justice meted out to us by a just ,god4 ,a correspondent indignantly asks me in a pathetic letter reproduced elsewhere1 what ,i am doing for them4 ,i have given the letter with the correspondent's own heading4 ,should not we the ,hindus wash our bloodstained hands before we ask the ,english to wash theirs8 ,this is a proper question reasonably put4 ,and if a member of a slave nation could deliver the suppressed classes from their slavery without freeing myself from my own1 ,i would do so to day4 ,but it is an impossible task4 ,a slave has not the freedom even to do the right thing4 ,it is a right for me to prohibit the importation of foreign goods1 but ,i have no power to bring it about4 ,it was right for ,maulana ,mahomed ,ali to go to ,turkey and to tell the ,turks personally that ,india was with them in their righteous struggle4 ,he was not free to do so4 ,if ,i had a truly national legislative ,i would answer ,hindu insolence by creating special and better wells for the exclusive use of suppressed classes and by erecting better and more numerous schools for them1 so that there would be not a single member of the suppressed classes left without a school to teach their children4 ,but ,i must wait for that better day4 ,meanwhile are the depressed classes to be loft to their own resources8 ,nothing of the sort4 ,in my own humble manner ,i have done and am doing all ,i can for my ,panchama brother4 ,there are three courses open to those downtrodden members of the nation4 ,for their impatience they may call in the assistance of the slave owning ,government4 ,they will get it but they will fall from the frying pan into the fire4 ,to-day they are slaves of slaves4 ,by seeking ,government aid1 they will be used for suppressing their kith and kin4 ,instead of being sinned against1 they will themselves be the sinners4 ,the ,mussalmans tried it and failed4 ,they found that they were worse off than before4 ,the ,sikhs did it unwittingly and failed4 ,to-day there is no more discontented community in ,india than the ,sikhs4 ,government aid is therefore no solution4 ,the second is rejection of ,hinduism and wholesale conversion to ,islam or ,christianity4 ,and if a change of religion could be justified for worldly betterment1 ,i would advise it without hesitation4 ,but religion is a matter of the heart4 ,no physical inconvenience can warrant abandonment of one's own religion4 ,if the inhuman treatment of the ,panchamas were a part of ,hinduism1 its rejection would be a paramount duty both for them and for those like me who would not make a fetish even of religion and condone every evil in its sacred name4 ,but1 ,i believe that untouchability is no part of ,hinduism4 ,it is rather its excrescence to be removed by every effort4 ,and there is quite an army of ,hindu reformers who have set their heart upon ridding ,hinduism of this blot4 ,conversion1 therefore1 ,i hold1 is no remedy whatsoever4 ,then there remains1 finally1 self-help and self-dependence1 with such aid as the non-,panchama ,hindus will render of their own motion1 not as a matter of patronage but as a matter of duty4 ,and herein comes the use of non-co-operation4 ,my correspondent was correctly informed by ,mr4 ,rajagopaluchari and ,mr4 ,hanumantarao that ,i would favour well-regulated non-co-operation for this acknowledged evil4 ,but non-co-operation means independence of outside help1 it means effort from within4 ,it would not be non-co-operation to insist on visiting prohibited areas4 ,that may be civil disobedience if it is peacefully carried out4 ,but ,i have found to my cost that civil disobedience requires far greater preliminary training and self-control4 ,all can non-co-operate1 but few only can offer civil disobedience4 ,therefore1 by way of protest against ,hinduism1 the ,panchamas can certainly stop all contact and connection with the other ,hindus so long as special grievances are maintained4 ,but this means organised intelligent effort4 ,and so far as ,i can see1 there is no leader among the ,panchamas who can lead them to victory through non-co-operation4 ,the better way1 therefore1 perhaps1 is for the ,panchamas heartily to join the great national movement that is now going on for throwing off the slavery of the present ,government4 ,it is easy enough for the ,panchama friends to see that non-co-operation against this evil government presupposes co-operation between the different sections forming the ,indian nation4 ,the ,hindus must realise that if they wish to offer successful non-co-operation against the ,government1 they must make common cause with the ,panchamas1 even as they have made common cause with the ,mussalmans4 ,non-co-operation with it is free from violence1 is essentially a movement of intensive self-purification4 ,that process has commenced and whether the ,panchamas deliberately take part in it or not1 the rest of the ,hindus dare not neglect them without hampering their own progress4 ,hence though the ,panchama problem is as dear to me as life itself1 ,i rest satisfied with the exclusive attention to national non-co-operation4 ,i feel sure that the greater includes the less4 ,closely allied to this question is the non-,brahmin question4 ,i wish ,i had studied it more closely than ,i have been able to4 ,a quotation from my speech delivered at a private meeting in ,madras has been torn from its context and misused to further the antagonism between the so-called ,brahmins and the so-called non-,brahmins4 ,i do not wish to retract a word of what ,i said at that meeting1 ,i was appealing to those who are accepted as ,brahmins4 ,i told them that in my opinion the treatment of non-,brahmins by the ,brahmins was as satanic as the treatment of us by the ,british4 ,i added that the non-,brahmins should be placated without any ado or bargaining4 ,but my remarks were never intended to encourage the powerful non-,brahmins of ,maharashira or ,madras1 or the mischievous element among them1 to overawe the so-called ,brahmins4 ,i use the word 'so-called' advisedly4 ,for the ,brahmins who have freed themselves from the thraldom of superstitious orthodoxy have not only no quarrel with non-,brahmins as such1 but are in every way eager to advance non-,brahmins wherever they are weak4 ,no lover of his country can possibly achieve its general advance if he dared to neglect the least of his countrymen4 ,those non-,brahmins therefore who are coqueting with the ,government are selling themselves and the nation to which they belong4 ,by all means let those who have faith in the ,government help to sustain it1 but let no ,indian worthy of his birth cut off his nose to spite the face4 ,,amelioration ,,of ,,the ,,depressed ,,classes ,the resolution of the ,senate of the ,gujarat ,national ,university in regard to ,mr4 ,andrews' question about the admission of children of the 'depressed' classes to the schools affiliated to that ,university is reported to have raised a flutter in ,ahmedabad4 ,not only has the flutter given satisfaction to a ',times of ,india' correspondent1 but the occasion has led to the discovery by him of another defect in the constitution of the ,senate in that it does not contain a single ,muslim member4 ,the discovery1 however1 ,i may inform the reader1 is no proof of the want of national character of the ,university4 ,the ,hindu-,muslim unity is no mere lip expression4 ,it requires no artificial proofs4 ,the simple reason why there is no ,mussalman representative on the ,senate is that no higher educated ,mussalman1 able to give his time1 has been found to take sufficient interest in the national education movement4 ,i merely refer to this matter to show that we must reckon with attempts to discredit the movement even misinterpretation of motives4 ,that is a difficulty from without and easier to deal with4 ,the 'depressed' classes difficulty is internal and therefore far more serious because it may give rise to a split and weaken the cause--no cause can survive internal difficulties if they are indefinitely multiplied4 ,yet there can be no surrender in the matter of principles for the avoidance of splits4 ,you cannot promote a cause when you are undermining it by surrendering its vital parts4 ,the depressed classes problem is a vital part of the cause4 ,swaraj is as inconceivable without full reparation to the 'depressed' classes as it is impossible without real ,hindu-,muslim unity4 ,in my opinion we have become 'pariahs of the ,empire' because we have created 'pariahs' in our midst4 ,the slave owner is always more hurt than the slave4 ,we shall be unfit to gain ,swaraj so long as we would keep in bondage a fifth of the population of ,hindustan4 ,have we not made the 'pariah' crawl on his belly8 ,have we not segregated him8 ,and if it is religion so to treat the 'pariah4' ,it is the religion of the white race to segregate us4 ,and if it is no argument for the white races to say that we are satisfied with the badge of our inferiority1 it is less for us to say that the 'pariah' is satisfied with his4 ,our slavery is complete when we begin to hug it4 ,the ,gujarat ,senate therefore counted the cost when it refused to bend before the storm4 ,this non-co-operation is a process of self-purification4 ,we may not cling to putrid customs and claim the pure boon of ,swaraj4 ,untouchability ,i hold is a custom1 not an integral part of ,hinduism4 ,the world advanced in thought1 though it is still barbarous in action4 ,and no religion can stand that which is not based on fundamental truths4 ,any glorification of error will destroy a religion as surely as disregard of a disease is bound to destroy a body4 ,this government of ours is an unscrupulous corporation4 ,it has ruled by dividing ,mussalmans from ,hindus4 ,it is quite capable of taking advantage of the internal weaknesses of ,hinduism4 ,it will set the 'depressed' classes against the rest of the ,hindus1 non-,brahmins against ,brahmins4 ,the ,gujarat ,senate resolution does not end the trouble4 ,it merely points out the difficulty4 ,the trouble will end only when the masses and classes of ,hindus have rid themselves of the sin of untouchability4 ,a ,hindu lover of ,swaraj will as assiduously work for the amelioration of the lot of the 'depressed' classes as he works for ,hindu-,muslim unity4 ,we must treat them as our brothers and give them the same rights that we claim for ourselves4 ,,the ,,sin ,,of ,,untouchability ,it is worthy of note that the subjects ,committee accepted without any opposition the clause regarding the sin of untouchability4 ,it is well that the ,national assembly passed the resolution stating that the removal of this blot on ,hinduism was necessary for the attainment of ,swaraj4 ,the ,devil succeeds only by receiving help from his fellows4 ,he always takes advantage of the weakest spots in our natures in order to gain mastery over us4 ,even so does the ,government retain its control over us through our weaknesses or vices4 ,and if we would render ourselves proof against its machination1 we must remove our weaknesses4 ,it is for that reason that ,i have called non-co-operation a process of purification4 ,as soon as that process is completed1 this government must fall to pieces for want of the necessary environment1 just as mosquitos cease to haunt a place whose cess-pools are filled up and dried4 ,has not a just ,nemesis overtaken us for the crime of untouchability8 ,have we not reaped as we have sown8 ,have we not practised ,dwyerism and ,o',dwyerism on our own kith and kin8 ,we have segregated the 'pariah' and we are in turn segregated in the ,british ,colonies4 ,we deny him the use of public wells2 we throw the leavings of our plates at him4 ,his very shadow pollutes us4 ,indeed there is no charge that the 'pariah' cannot fling in our faces and which we do not fling in the faces of ,englishmen4 ,how is this blot on ,hinduism to be removed8 ',do unto others as you would that others should do unto you4' ,i have often told ,english officials that1 if they are friends and servants of ,india1 they should come down from their pedestal1 cease to be patrons1 demonstrate by their loving deeds that they are in every respect our friends1 and believe us to be equals in the same sense they believe fellow ,englishmen to be their equals4 ,after the experiences of the ,punjab and the ,khilafat1 ,i have gone a step further and asked them to repent and to change their hearts4 ,even so is it necessary for us ,hindus to repent of the wrong we have done1 to alter our behaviour towards those whom we have 'suppressed' by a system as devilish as we believe the ,english system of the ,government of ,india to be4 ,we must not throw a few miserable schools at them2 we must not adopt the air of superiority towards them4 ,we must treat them as our blood brothers as they are in fact4 ,we must return to them the inheritance of which we have robbed them4 ,and this must not be the act of a few ,english-knowing reformers merely1 but it must be a conscious voluntary effort on the part of the masses4 ,we may not wait till eternity for this much belated reformation4 ,we must aim at bringing it about within this year of grace1 probation1 preparation and tapasya4 ,it is a reform not to follow ,swaraj but to precede it4 ,untouchability is not a sanction of religion1 it is a devise of ,satan4 ,the devil has always quoted scriptures4 ,but scriptures cannot transcend reason and truth4 ,they are intended to purify reason and illuminate truth4 ,i am not going to burn a spotless horse because the ,vedas are reported to have advised1 tolerated1 or sanctioned the sacrifice4 ,for me the ,vedas are divine and unwritten4 ',the letter killeth4' ,it is the spirit that giveth the light4 ,and the spirit of the ,vedas is purity1 truth1 innocence1 chastity1 humility1 simplicity1 forgiveness1 godliness1 and all that makes a man or woman noble and brave4 ,there is neither nobility nor bravery in treating the great and uncomplaining scavengers of the nation as worse than dogs to be despised and spat upon4 ,would that ,god gave us the strength and the wisdom to become voluntary scavengers of the nation as the 'suppressed' classes are forced to be4 ,there are ,augean stables enough and to spare for us to clean4 ,,vii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,indians ,,abroad ,,indians ,,abroad ,the prejudice against ,indian settlers outside ,india is showing itself in a variety of ways3 ,under the impudent suggestion of sedition the ,fiji ,government has deported ,mr4 ,manilal ,doctor who with his brave and cultured wife has been rendering assistance to the poor indentured ,indians of ,fiji in a variety of ways4 ,the whole trouble has arisen over the strike of the labourers in ,fiji4 ,indentures have been canceled1 but the spirit of slavery is by no means dead4 ,we do not know the genesis of the strike2 we do not know that the strikers have done no wrong4 ,but we do know what is behind when a charge of sedition is brought against the strikers and their friends4 ,the readers must remember that the ,government that has scented sedition in the recent upheaval in ,fiji is the ,government that had the hardihood to libel ,mr4 ,andrew's character4 ,what can be the meaning of sedition in connection with the ,fiji strikers and ,mr4 ,manilal ,doctor8 ,did they and he want to seize the reins of ,government8 ,did they want any power in that country8 ,they struck for elementary freedom4 ,and it is a prostitution of terms to use the word sedition in such connection4 ,the strikers may have been overhasty4 ,mr4 ,manilal ,doctor may have misled them4 ,if his advice bordered on the criminal he should have been tried4 ,the information in our possession goes to show that he has been strictly constitutional4 ,our point1 however1 is that it is an abuse of power for the ,fiji ,government to have deported ,mr4 ,manilal ,doctor without a trial4 ,it is wrong in principle to deprive a person of his liberty on mere suspicion and without giving him an opportunity of clearing his character4 ,mr4 ,manilal ,doctor1 be it remembered1 has for years past made ,fiji his home4 ,he has1 we believe1 bought property there4 ,he has children born in ,fiji4 ,have the children no rights8 ,has the wife none8 ,may a promising career be ruined at the bidding of a lawless ,government8 ,has ,mr4 ,manilal ,doctor been compensated for the losses he must sustain8 ,we trust that the ,government of ,india which has endeavoured to protect the rights of ,indian settlers abroad will take up the question of ,mr4 ,doctor's deportation4 ,nor is ,fiji the only place where the spirit of lawlessness among the powerful has come to the surface4 ,indians of 7the late7 ,german ,east ,africa find themselves in a worse position than heretofore4 ,they state that even their property is not safe4 ,they have to pay all kinds of dues on passports4 ,they are hampered in their trade4 ,they are not able even to send money orders4 ,in ,british ,east ,africa the cloud is perhaps the thickest4 ,the ,european settlers there are doing their utmost to deprive the ,indian settlers of practically every right they have hitherto possessed4 ,an attempt is being made to compass their ruin both by legislative enactment and administrative action4 ,in ,south ,africa every ,indian who has anything to do with that part of the ,british ,dominions is watching with bated breath the progress of commission that is now sitting4 ,the ,government of ,india have no easy job in protecting the interests of ,indian settlers in these various parts of ,his ,majesty's dominions4 ,they will be able to do so only by following the firmest and the most consistent policy4 ,justice is admittedly on the side of the ,indian settlers4 ,but they are the weak party4 ,a strong agitation in ,india followed by strong action by the ,government of ,india can alone save the situation4 ,,indians ,,overseas ,the meeting held at the ,excelsior ,theatre in ,bombay to pass resolutions regarding ,east ,africa and ,fiji1 and presided over by ,sir ,narayan ,chandavarkar1 was an impressive gathering4 ,the ,theatre was filled to overflowing4 ,mr4 ,andrews' speech made clear what is needed4 ,both the political and the civil rights of ,indians of ,east ,africa are at stake4 ,mr4 ,anantani1 himself an ,east ,african settler1 showed in a forceful speech that the ,indians were the pioneer settlers4 ,an ,indian sailor named ,kano directed the celebrated ,vasco ,de ,gama to ,india4 ,he added amid applause that ,stanley's expedition for the search and relief of ,dr4 ,livingstone was also fitted out by ,indians4 ,indian workmen had built the ,uganda ,railway at much peril to their lives4 ,an ,indian contractor had taken the contract4 ,indian artisans had supplied the skill4 ,and now their countrymen were in danger of being debarred from its use4 ,the uplands of ,east ,africa have been declared a ,colony and the lowlands a ,protectorate4 ,there is a sinister significance attached to the declaration4 ,the ,colonial system gives the ,europeans larger powers4 ,it will tax all the resources of the ,government of ,india to prevent the healthy uplands from becoming a whiteman's preserve and the ,indians from being relegated to the swampy lowlands4 ,the question of franchise will soon become a burning one4 ,it will be suicidal to divide the electorate or to appoint ,indians by nomination4 ,there must be one general electoral roll applying the same qualifications to all the voters4 ,this principle1 as ,mr4 ,andrews reminded the meeting1 had worked well at the ,cape4 ,the second part of the ,east ,african resolution shows the condition of our countrymen in the late ,german ,east ,africa4 ,indian soldiers fought there and now the position of ,indians is worse than under ,german rule4 ,h4,h4 the ,agakhan suggested that ,german ,east ,africa should be administered from ,india4 ,sir ,theodore ,morison would have couped up all ,indians in ,german ,east ,africa4 ,the result was that both the proposals went by the board and the expected has happened4 ,the greed of the ,english speculator has prevailed and he is trying to squeeze out the ,indian4 ,what will the ,government of ,india protect8 ,has it the will to do so8 ,is not ,india itself being exploited8 ,mr4 ,jehangir ,petit recalled the late ,mr4 ,gokhale's views that we were not to expect a full satisfaction regarding the status of our countrymen across the seas until we had put our own house in order4 ,helots in our own country1 how could we do better outside8 ,mr4 ,petit wants systematic and severe retaliation4 ,in my opinion1 retaliation is a double-edged weapon4 ,it does not fail to hurt the user if it also hurts the party against whom it is used4 ,and who is to give effect to retaliation8 ,it is too much to expect an ,english ,government to adopt effective retaliation against their own people4 ,they will expostulate1 they will remonstrate1 but they will not go to war with their own ,colonies4 ,for the logical outcome of retaliation must mean war1 if retaliation will not answer4 ,let us face the facts frankly4 ,the problem is difficult alike for ,englishmen and for us4 ,the ,englishmen and ,indians do not agree in the ,colonies4 ,the ,englishmen do not want us where they can live4 ,their civilisation is different from ours4 ,the two cannot coalesce until there is mutual respect4 ,the ,englishman considers himself to belong to the ruling race4 ,the ,indian struggles to think that he does not belong to the subject race and in the very act of thinking admits his subjection4 ,we must then attain equality at home before we can make any real impression abroad4 ,this is not to say that we must not strive to do better abroad whilst we are ill at ease in our own home4 ,we must preserve1 we must help our countrymen who have settled outside ,india4 ,only if we recognise the true situation1 we and our countrymen abroad will learn to be patient and know that our chief energy must be concentrated on a betterment of our position at home4 ,if we can raise our status here to that of equal partners not in name but in reality so that every ,indian might feel it1 all else must follow as a matter of course4 ,,pariahs ,,of ,,the ,,empire ,the memorable ,conference at ,gujrat in its resolution on the status of ,indians abroad has given it as its opinion that even this question may become one more reason for non-co-operation4 ,and so it may4 ,nowhere has there been such open defiance of every canon of justice and propriety as in the shameless decision of confiscation of ,indian rights in the ,kenia ,colony announced by its ,governor4 ,this decision has been supported by ,lord ,milnor and ,mr4 ,montagu4 ,and his ,indian colleagues are satisfied with the decision4 ,indians1 who have made ,east ,africa1 who out-number the ,english1 are deprived practically of the right of representation on the ,council4 ,they are to be segregated in parts not habitable by the ,english4 ,they are to have neither the political nor the material comfort4 ,they are to become ',pariahs' in a country made by their own labour1 wealth and intelligence4 ,the ,viceroy is pleased to say that he does not like the outlook and is considering the steps to be taken to vindicate the justice4 ,he is not met with a new situation4 ,the ,indians of ,east ,africa had warned him of the impending doom4 ,and if ,his ,excellency has not yet found the means of ensuring redress1 he is not likely to do it in future4 ,i would respectfully ask his ,indian colleagues whether they can stand this robbery of their countrymen rights4 ,in ,south ,africa the situation is not less disquieting4 ,my misgivings seem to be proving true1 and repatriation is more likely to prove compulsory than voluntary4 ,it is a response to the anti-,asiatic agitation1 not a measure of relief for indigent ,indians4 ,it looks very like a trap laid for the unwary ,indian4 ,the ,union ,government appears to be taking an unlawful advantage of a section of a relieving law designed for a purpose totally different from the one now intended4 ,as for ,fiji1 the crime against humanity is evidently to be hushed up4 ,i do hope that unless an inquiry is to be made into the ,fiji ,martial ,law doings1 no ,indian member will undertake to go to ,fiji4 ,the ,government of ,india appear to have given an undertaking to send ,indian labour to ,fiji provided the commission that was to proceed there in order to investigate the condition on the spot returns with a favourable report4 ,for ,british ,guiana ,i observe from the papers received from that quarter1 that the mission that came here is already declaring that ,indian labour will be forthcoming from ,india4 ,there seems to me to be no real prospect for ,indian enterprise in that part of the world4 ,we are not wanted in any part of the ,british ,dominion except as ,pariahs to do the scavenging for the ,european settlers4 ,the situation is clear4 ,we are ,pariahs in our own home4 ,we get only what ,government intend to give1 not what we demand and have a right to4 ,we may get the crumbs1 never the loaf4 ,i have seen large and tempting crumbs from a lavish table4 ,and ,i have seen the eyes of our ,pariahs--the shame of ,hinduism--brightening to see those heavy crumbs filling their baskets4 ,but the superior ,hindu1 who is filling the basket from a safe distance1 knows that they are unfit for his own consumption4 ,and so we in our turn may receive even ,governorships which the real rulers no longer require or which they cannot retain with safety for their material interest--the political and material hold on ,india4 ,it is time we realised our true status4 ,,viii4 ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,a writer in the ,times of ,india1 the ,editor of that wonderful daily and ,mrs4 ,besant have all in their own manner condemned non-co-operation conceived in connection with the ,khilafat movement4 ,all the three writings naturally discuss many side issues which ,i shall omit for the time being4 ,i propose to answer two serious objections raised by the writers4 ,the sobriety with which they are stated entitles them to a greater consideration than if they had been given in violent language4 ,in non-co-operation1 the writers think1 it would be difficult if not impossible to avoid violence4 ,indeed violence1 the ,times of ,india editorial says1 has already commenced in that ostracism has been resorted to in ,calcutta and ,delhi4 ,now ,i fear that ostracism to a certain extent is impossible to avoid4 ,i remember in ,south ,africa in the initial stages of the passive resistance campaign those who had fallen away were ostracised4 ,ostracism is violent or peaceful in according to the manner in which it is practised4 ,a congregation may well refuse to recite prayers after a priest who prizes his title above his honour4 ,but the ostracism will become violent if the individual life of a person is made unbearable by insults innuendoes or abuse4 ,the real danger of violence lies in the people resorting to non-co-operation becoming impatient and revengeful4 ,this may happen1 if1 for instance1 payment of taxes is suddenly withdrawn or if pressure is put upon soldiers to lay down their arms4 ,i however do not fear any evil consequences1 for the simple reason that every responsible ,mahomedan understands that non-co-operation to be successful must be totally unattended with violence4 ,the other objection raised is that those who may give up their service may have to starve4 ,that is just a possibility but a remote one1 for the committee will certainly make due provision for those who may suddenly find themselves out of employment4 ,i propose however to examine the whole of the difficult question much more fully in a future issue and hope to show that if ,indian-,mahomedan feeling is to be respected1 there is nothing left but non-co-operation if the decision arrived at is adverse4 ,,mr4 ,,montagu ,,on ,,the ,,khilafat ,,agitation ,mr4 ,montagu does not like the ,khilafat agitation that is daily gathering force4 ,in answer to questions put in the ,house of ,commons1 he is reported to have said that whilst he acknowledged that ,i had rendered distinguished services to the country in the past1 he could not look upon my present attitude with equanimity and that it was not to be expected that ,i could now be treated as leniently as ,i was during the ,rowlatt ,act agitation4 ,he added that he had every confidence in the central and the local ,governments1 that they were carefully watching the movement and that they had full power to deal with the situation4 ,this statement of ,mr4 ,montagu has been regarded in some quarters as a threat4 ,it has even been considered to be a blank cheque for the ,government of ,india to re-establish the reign of terror if they chose4 ,it is certainly inconsistent with his desire to base the ,government on the goodwill of the people4 ,at the same time if the ,hunter ,committee's finding be true and if ,i was the cause of the disturbances last year1 ,i was undoubtedly treated with exceptional leniency1 ,i admit too that my activity this year is fraught with greater peril to the ,empire as it is being conducted to-day than was last year's activity4 ,non-co-operation in itself is more harmless than civil disobedience1 but in its effect it is far more dangerous for the ,government than civil disobedience4 ,non-co-operation is intended so far to paralyse the ,government1 as to compel justice from it4 ,if it is carried to the extreme point1 it can bring the ,government to a standstill4 ,a friend who has been listening to my speeches once asked me whether ,i did not come under the sedition section of the ,indian ,penal ,code4 ,though ,i had not fully considered it1 ,i told him that very probably ,i did and that ,i could not plead 'not guilty' if ,i was charged under it4 ,for ,i must admit that ,i can pretend to no 'affection' for the present ,government4 ,and my speeches are intended to create 'disaffection' such that the people might consider it a shame to assist or co-operate with a ,government that had forfeited all title to confidence1 respect or support4 ,i draw no distinction between the ,imperial and the ,indian ,government4 ,the latter has accepted1 on the ,khilafat1 the policy imposed upon it by the former4 ,and in the ,punjab case the former has endorsed the policy of terrorism and emasculation of a brave people initiated by the latter4 ,british ministers have broken their pledged word and wantonly wounded the feelings of the seventy million ,mussulmans of ,india4 ,innocent men and women were insulted by the insolent officers of the ,punjab ,government4 ,their wrongs not only unrighted but the very officers who so cruelly subjected them to barbarous humiliation retain office under the ,government4 ,when at ,amritsar last year ,i pleaded with all the earnestness ,i could command for co-operation with the ,government and for response to the wishes expressed in the ,royal ,proclamation2 ,i did so because ,i honestly believed that a new era was about to begin1 and that the old spirit of fear1 distrust and consequent terrorism was about to give place to the new spirit of respect1 trust and good-will4 ,i sincerely believed that the ,mussalman sentiment would be placated and that the officers that had misbehaved during the ,martial ,law regime in the ,punjab would be at least dismissed and the people would be otherwise made to feel that a ,government that had always been found quick 7and rightly7 to punish popular excesses would not fail to punish its agents' misdeeds4 ,but to my amazement and dismay ,i have discovered that the present representatives of the ,empire have become dishonest and unscrupulous4 ,they have no real regard for the wishes of the people of ,india and they count ,indian honour as of little consequence4 ,i can no longer retain affection for a ,government so evilly manned as it is now-a-days4 ,and for me1 it is humiliating to retain my freedom and be a witness to the continuing wrong4 ,mr4 ,montagu however is certainly right in threatening me with deprivation of my liberty if ,i persist in endangering the existence of the ,government4 ,for that must be the result if my activity bears fruit4 ,my only regret is that inasmuch as ,mr4 ,montagu admits my past services1 he might have perceived that there must be something exceptionally bad in the ,government if a well-wisher like me could no longer give his affection to it4 ,it was simpler to insist on justice being done to the ,mussulmans and to the ,punjab than to threaten me with punishment so that the injustice might be perpetuated4 ,indeed ,i fully expect it will be found that even in promoting disaffection towards an unjust ,government ,i have rendered greater services to the ,empire than ,i am already credited with4 ,at the present moment1 however1 the duty of those who approve of my activity is clear4 ,they ought on no account to resent the deprivation of my liberty1 should the ,government of ,india deem it to be their duty to take it away4 ,a citizen has no right to resist such restriction imposed in accordance with the laws of the ,state to which he belongs4 ,much less have those who sympathize with him4 ,in my case there can be no question of sympathy4 ,for ,i deliberately oppose the ,government to the extent of trying to put its very existence in jeopardy4 ,for my supporters1 therefore1 it must be a moment of joy when ,i am imprisoned4 ,it means the beginning of success if only the supporters continue the policy for which ,i stand4 ,if the ,government arrest me1 they would do so in order to stop the progress of non-co-operation which ,i preach4 ,it follows that if non-co-operation continues with unabated vigour1 even after my arrest1 the ,government must imprison others or grant the people's wish in order to gain their co-operation4 ,any eruption of violence on the part of the people even under provocation would end in disaster4 ,whether therefore it is ,i or any one else who is arrested during the campaign1 the first condition of success is that there must be no resentment shown against it4 ,we cannot imperil the very existence of a ,government and quarrel with its attempt to save itself by punishing those who place it in danger4 ,,at ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,the ,,country ,dr4 ,sapru delivered before the ,khilafat ,conference at ,allahabad an impassioned address sympathising with the ,mussulmans in their trouble but dissuaded them from embarking on non-co-operation4 ,he was frankly unable to suggest a substitute but was emphatically of opinion that whether there was a substitute or not non-co-operation was a remedy worse than the disease4 ,he said further that ,mussulmans will be taking upon their shoulders1 a serious responsibility1 if whilst they appealed to the ignorant masses to join them1 they could not appeal to the ,indian judges to resign and if they did they would not succeed4 ,i acknowledge the force of ,dr4 ,sapru's last argument4 ,at the back of ,dr4 ,sapru's mind is the fear that non-co-operation by the ignorant people would lead to distress and chaos and would do no good4 ,in my opinion any non-co-operation is bound to do some good4 ,even the ,viceragal door-keeper saying1 ',please ,sir1 ,i can serve the ,government no longer because it has hurt my national honour' and resigning is a step mightier and more effective than the mightiest speech declaiming against the ,government for its injustice4 ,nevertheless it would be wrong to appeal to the door-keeper until one has appealed to the highest in the land4 ,and as ,i propose1 if the necessity arose1 to ask the door-keepers of the ,government to dissociate themselves from an unjust ,government ,i propose now to address1 an appeal to the ,judges and the ,executive ,councillors to join the protest that is rising from all over ,india against the double wrong done to ,india1 on the ,khilafat and the ,punjab question4 ,in both1 national honour is involved4 ,i take it that these gentlemen have entered upon their high offices not for the sake of emolument1 nor ,i hope for the sake of fame1 but for the sake of serving their country4 ,it was not for money1 for they were earning more than they do now4 ,it must not be for fame1 for they cannot buy fame at the cost of national honour4 ,the only consideration1 that can at the present moment keep them in office must be service of the country4 ,when the people have faith in the government1 when it represents the popular will1 the judges and the executive officials possibly serve the country4 ,but when that government does not represent the will of the people1 when it supports dishonesty and terrorism1 the judges and the executive officials by retaining office become instrument of dishonesty and terrorism4 ,and the least therefore that these holders of high offices can do is to cease to become agents of a dishonest and terrorising government4 ,for the judges1 the objection will be raised that they are above politics1 and so they are and should be4 ,but the doctrine is true only in so far as the government is on the whole for the benefit of the people and at least represents the will of the majority4 ,not to take part in politics means not to take sides4 ,but when a whole country has one mind1 one will1 when a whole country has been denied justice1 it is no longer a question of party politics1 it is a matter of life and death4 ,it then becomes the duty of every citizen to refuse to serve a government which misbehaves and flouts national wish4 ,the judges are at that moment bound to follow the nation if they are ultimately its servants4 ,there remains another argument to be examined4 ,it applies to both the judges and the members of the executive4 ,it will be urged that my appeal could only be meant for the ,indians and what good can it do by ,indians renouncing offices which have been won for the nation by hard struggle4 ,i wish that ,i could make an effective appeal to the ,english as well as the ,indians4 ,but ,i confess that ,i have written with the mental reservation that the appeal is addressed only to the ,indians4 ,i must therefore examine the argument just stated4 ,whilst it is true that these offices have been secured after a prolonged struggle1 they are of use not because of the struggle1 but because they are intended to serve the nation4 ,the moment they cease to possess that quality1 they become useless and as in the present case harmful1 no matter how hard-earned and therefore valuable they may have been at the outset4 ,i would submit too to our distinguished countrymen who occupy high offices that their giving up will bring the struggle to a speedy end and would probably obviate the danger attendant upon the masses being called upon to signify their disapproval by withdrawing co-operation4 ,if the titleholders gave up their titles1 if the holders of honorary offices gave up their appointment and if the high officials gave up their posts1 and the would-be councillors boycotted the councils1 the ,government would quickly come to its senses and give effect to the people's will4 ,for the alternative before the ,government then would be nothing but despotic rule pure and simple4 ,that would probably mean military dictatorship4 ,the world's opinion has advanced so far that ,britain dare not contemplate such dictatorship with equanimity4 ,the taking of the steps suggested by me will constitute the peacefullest revolution the world has ever seen4 ,once the infallibility of non-co-operation is realised1 there is an end to all bloodshed and violence in any shape or form4 ,undoubtedly a cause must be grave to warrant the drastic method of national non-co-operation4 ,i do say that the affront such as has been put upon ,islam cannot be repeated for a century4 ,islam must rise now or 'be fallen' if not for ever1 certainly for a century4 ,and ,i cannot imagine a graver wrong than the massacre of ,jallianwalla and the barbarity that followed it1 the whitewash by the ,hunter ,committee1 the dispatch of the ,government of ,india1 ,mr4 ,montagu's letter upholding the ,viceroy and the then ,lieutenant ,governor of the ,punjab1 the refusal to remove officials who made of the lives of the ,punjabis 'a hell' during the ,martial ,law period4 ,these act constitute a complete series of continuing wrongs against ,india which if ,india has any sense of honour1 she must right at the sacrifice of all the material wealth she possesses4 ,if she does not1 she will have bartered her soul for a 'mess of pottage4' ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,,explained ,a representative of ,madras ,mail called on ,mr4 ,m4,k4 ,gandhi at his temporary residence in the ,pursewalkam ,high road for an interview on the subject of non-co-operation4 ,mr4 ,gandhi1 who has come to ,madras on a tour to some of the principal ,muslim centres in ,southern ,india1 was busy with a number of workers discussing his programme2 but he expressed his readiness to answer questions on the chief topic which is agitating ,muslims and ,hindus4 ,after your experience of the ,satyagraha agitation last year1 ,mr4 ,gandhi1 are you still hopeful and convinced of the wisdom of advising non-co-operation8--,certainly4 ,how do you consider conditions have altered since the ,satyagraha movement of last year8--,i consider that people are better disciplined now than they were before4 ,in this ,i include even the masses who ,i have had opportunities of seeing in large numbers in various parts of the country4 ,and you are satisfied that the masses understand the spirit of ,satyagraha8--,yes4 ,and that is why you are pressing on with the programme of non-co-operation8--,yes4 ,moreover1 the danger that attended the civil disobedience part of ,satyagraha does not apply to non-co-operation1 because in non-co-operation we are not taking up civil disobedience of laws as a mass movement4 ,the result hitherto has been most encouraging4 ,for instance1 people in ,sindh and ,delhi in spite of the irritating restrictions upon their liberty by the authorities have carried out the ,committee's instructions in regard to the ,seditious ,meetings ,proclamation and to the prohibition of posting placards on the walls which we hold to be inoffensive but which the authorities consider to be offensive4 ,what is the pressure which you expect to bring to bear on the authorities if co-operation is withdrawn8--,i believe1 and everybody must grant1 that no ,government can exist for a single moment without the co-operation of the people1 willing or forced1 and if people suddenly withdraw their co-operation in every detail1 the ,government will come to a stand-still4 ,but is there not a big ',if' in it8--,certainly there is4 ,and how do you propose to succeed against the big ',if'8--,in my plan of campaign expediency has no room4 ,if the ,khilafat movement has really permeated the masses and the classes1 there must be adequate response from the people4 ,but are you not begging the question8--,i am not begging the question1 because so far as the data before me go1 ,i believe that the ,muslims keenly feel the ,khilafat grievance4 ,it remains to be seen whether their feeling is intense enough to evoke in them the measure of sacrifice adequate for successful non-co-operation4 ,that is1 your survey of the conditions1 you think1 justifies your advising non-co-operation in the full conviction that you have behind you the support of the vast masses of the ,mussalman population8--,yes4 ,this non-co-operation1 you are satisfied1 will extend to complete severance of co-operation with the ,government8--,no2 nor is it at the present moment my desire that it should4 ,i am simply practising non-co-operation to the extent that is necessary to make the ,government realise the depth of popular feeling in the matter and the dissatisfaction with the ,government that all that could be done has not been done either by the ,government of ,india or by the ,imperial ,government1 whether on the ,khilafat question or on the ,punjab question4 ,do you ,mr4 ,gandhi1 realise that even amongst ,mahomedans there are sections of people who are not enthusiastic over non-co-operation however much they may feel the wrong that has been done to their community8--,yes4 ,but their number is smaller than those who are prepared to adopt non-co-operation4 ,and yet does not the fact that there has not been an adequate response to your appeal for resignation of titles and offices and for boycott of elections of the ,councils indicate that you may be placing more faith in their strength of conviction than is warranted8--,i think not2 for the reason that the stage has only just come into operation and our people are always most cautious and slow to move4 ,moreover1 the first stage largely affects the uppermost strata of society1 who represent a microscopic minority though they are undoubtedly an influential body of people4 ,this upper class1 you think1 has sufficiently responded to your appeal8--,i am unable to say either one way or the other at present4 ,i shall be able to give a definite answer at the end of this month4444 ,do you think that without one's loyalty to the ,king and the ,royal ,family being questioned1 one can advocate non-co-operation in connection with the ,royal visit8 ,most decidedly2 for the simple reason that if there is any disloyalty about the proposed boycott of the ,prince's visit1 it is disloyalty to the ,government of the day and not to the person of ,his ,royal highness4 ,what do you think is to be gained by promoting this boycott in connection with the ,royal visit8--,because ,i want to show that the people of ,india are not in sympathy with the ,government of the day and that they strongly disapprove of the policy of the ,government in regard to the ,punjab and ,khilafat1 and even in respect of other important administrative measures4 ,i consider that the visit of the ,prince of ,wales is a singularly good opportunity to the people to show their disapproval of the present ,government4 ,after all1 the visit is calculated to have tremendous political results4 ,it is not to be a non-political event1 and seeing that the ,government of ,india and the ,imperial ,government want to make the visit a political event of first class importance1 namely1 for the purpose of strengthening their hold upon ,india1 ,i for one1 consider that it is the bounden duty of the people to boycott the visit which is being engineered by the two ,governments in their own interest which at the present moment is totally antagonistic to the people4 ,do you mean that you want this boycott promoted because you feel that the strengthening of the hold upon ,india is not desirable in the best interests of the country8--,yes4 ,the strengthening of the hold of a ,government so wicked as the present one is not desirable for the best interests of the people4 ,not that ,i want the bond between ,england and ,india to become loosened for the sake of loosening it but ,i want that bond to become strengthened only in so far as it adds to the welfare of ,india4 ,do you think that non-co-operation and the non-boycott of the ,legislative ,councils consistent8--,no2 because a person who takes up the programme of non-co-operation cannot consistently stand for ,councils4 ,is non-co-operation1 in your opinion1 an end in itself or a means to an end1 and if so1 what is the end8 ,it is a means to an end1 the end being to make the present ,government just1 whereas it has become mostly unjust4 ,co-operation with a just ,government is a duty2 non-co-operation with an unjust ,government is equally a duty4 ,will you look with favour upon the proposal to enter the ,councils and to carry on either obstructive tactics or to decline to take the oath of allegiance consistent with your non-co-operation8--,no2 as an accurate student of non-co-operation1 ,i consider that such a proposal is inconsistent with the true spirit of non-co-operation4 ,i have often said that a ,government really thrives on obstruction and so far as the proposal not to take the oath of allegiance is concerned1 ,i can really see no meaning in it2 it amounts to a useless waste of valuable time and money4 ,in other words1 obstruction is no stage in non-co-operation8 --,no14444 ,are you satisfied that all efforts at constitutional agitation have been exhausted and that non-co-operation is the only course left us8 ,i do not consider non-co-operation to be unconstitutional remedies now left open to us1 non-co-operation is the only one left for us4 ,do you consider it constitutional to adopt it with a view merely to paralyse ,government8--,certainly1 it is not unconstitutional1 but a prudent man will not take all the steps that are constitutional if they are otherwise undesirable1 nor do ,i advise that course4 ,i am resorting to non-co-operation in progressive stages because ,i want to evolve true order out of untrue order4 ,i am not going to take a single step in non-co-operation unless ,i am satisfied that the country is ready for that step1 namely1 non-co-operation will not be followed by anarchy or disorder4 ,how will you satisfy yourself anarchy will not follow8 ,for instance1 if ,i advise the police to lay down their arms1 ,i shall have satisfied myself that we are able by voluntary assistance to protect ourselves against thieves and robbers4 ,that was precisely what was done in ,lahore and ,amritsar last year by the citizens by means of volunteers when the ,military and the police had withdrawn4 ,even where ,government had not taken such measures in a place1 for want of adequate force1 ,i know people have successfully protected themselves4 ,you have advised lawyers to non-co-operate by suspending their practice4 ,what is your experience8 ,has the lawyers' response to your appeal encouraged you to hope that you will be able to carry through all stages of non-co-operation with the help of such people8 ,i cannot say that a large number has yet responded to my appeal4 ,it is too early to say how many will respond4 ,but ,i may say that ,i do not rely merely upon the lawyer class or highly educated men to enable the ,committee to carry out all the stages of non-co-operation4 ,my hope lies more with the masses so far as the later stages of non-co-operation are concerned4 ,august #aibj4 ,,religious ,,authority ,,for ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,it is not without the greatest reluctance that ,i engage in a controversy with so learned a leader like ,sir ,narayan ,chandavarkar4 ,but in view of the fact that ,i am the author of the movement of non-co-operation1 it becomes my painful duty to state my views even though they are opposed to those of the leaders whom ,i look upon with respect4 ,i have just read during my travels in ,malabar ,sir ,narayan's rejoinder to my answer to the ,bombay manifesto against non-co-operation4 ,i regret to have to say that the rejoinder leaves me unconvinced4 ,he and ,i seem to read the teachings of the ,bible1 the ,gita and the ,koran from different standpoints or we put different interpretations on them4 ,we seem to understand the words ,ahimsa1 politics and religion differently4 ,i shall try my best to make clear my meaning of the common terms and my reading of the different religious4 ,at the outset let me assure ,sir ,narayan that ,i have not changed my views on ,ahimsa4 ,i still believe that man not having been given the power of creation does not possess the right of destroying the meanest creature that lives4 ,the prerogative of destruction belongs solely to the creator of all that lives4 ,i accept the interpretation of ,ahimsa1 namely1 that it is not merely a negative ,state of harmlessness1 but it is a positive state of love1 of doing good even to the evil-doer4 ,but it does not mean helping the evil-doer to continue the wrong or tolerating it by passive acquiescence4 ,on the contrary love1 the active state of ,ahimsa1 requires you to resist the wrong-doer by dissociating yourself from him even though it may offend him or injure him physically4 ,thus if my son lives a life of shame1 ,i may not help him to do so by continuing to support him2 on the contrary1 my love for him requires me to withdraw all support from him although it may mean even his death4 ,and the same love imposes on me the obligation of welcoming him to my bosom when he repents4 ,but ,i may not by physical force compel my son to become good4 ,that in my opinion is the moral of the story of the ,prodigal ,son4 ,non-co-operation is not a passive state1 it is an intensely active state--more active than physical resistance or violence4 ,passive resistance is a misnomer4 ,non-co-operation in the sense used by me must be non-violent and therefore neither punitive nor vindictive nor based on malice ill-will or hatred4 ,it follows therefore that it would be sin for me to serve ,general ,dyer and co-operate with him to shoot innocent men4 ,but it will be an exercise of forgiveness or love for me to nurse him back to life1 if he was suffering from a physical malady4 ,i cannot use in this context the word co-operation as ,sir ,narayan would perhaps use it4 ,i would co-operate a thousand times with this ,government to wean it from its career of crime but ,i will not for a single moment co-operate with it to continue that career4 ,and ,i would be guilty of wrong doing if ,i retained a title from it or a service under it or supported its law-courts or schools4 ,better for me a beggar's bowl than the richest possession from hands stained with the blood of the innocents of ,jallianwala4 ,better by far a warrant of imprisonment than honeyed words from those who have wantonly wounded the religious sentiment of my seventy million brothers4 ,my reading of the ,gita is diametrically opposed to ,sir ,narayan's4 ,i do not believe that the ,gita teaches violence for doing good4 ,it is pre-eminently a description of the duel that goes on in our own hearts4 ,the divine author has used a historical incident for inculcating the lesson of doing one's duty even at the peril of one's life4 ,it inculcates performance of duty irrespective of the consequences1 for1 we mortals1 limited by our physical frames1 are incapable of controlling actions save our own4 ,the ,gita distinguishes between the powers of light and darkness and demonstrates their incompatibility4 ,jesus1 in my humble opinion1 was a prince among politicians4 ,he did render unto ,caesar that which was ,caesar's4 ,he gave the devil his due4 ,he ever shunned him and is reported never once to have yielded to his incantations4 ,the politics of his time consisted in securing the welfare of the people by teaching them not to be seduced by the trinkets of the priests and the pharisees4 ,the latter then controlled and moulded the life of the people4 ,to-day the system of government is so devised as to affect every department of our life4 ,it threatens our very existence4 ,if therefore we want to conserve the welfare of the nation1 we must religiously interest ourselves in the doing of the governors and exert a moral influence on them by insisting on their obeying the laws of morality4 ,general ,dyer did produce a 'moral effect' by an act of butchery4 ,those who are engaged in forwarding the movement of non-co-operation1 hope to produce a moral effect by a process of self-denial1 self-sacrifice and self-purification4 ,it surprises me that ,sir ,narayan should speak of ,general ,dyer's massacre in the same breath as acts of non-co-operation4 ,i have done my best to understand his meaning1 but ,i am sorry to confess that ,i have failed4 ,,the ,,inwardness ,,of ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,i commend to the attention of the readers the thoughtful letter received from ,miss ,anne ,marie ,peterson4 ,miss ,peterson is a lady who has been in ,india for some years and has closely followed ,indian affairs4 ,she is about the sever her connection with her mission for the purpose of giving herself to education that is truly national4 ,i have not given the letter in full4 ,i have omitted all personal references4 ,but her argument has been left entirely untouched4 ,the letter was not meant to be printed4 ,it was written just after my ,vellore speech4 ,but it being intrinsically important1 ,i asked the writer for her permission1 which she gladly gave1 for printing it4 ,i publish it all the more gladly in that it enables me to show that the movement of non-co-operation is neither anti-,christian nor anti-,english nor anti-,european4 ,it is a struggle between religion and irreligion1 powers of light and powers of darkness4 ,it is my firm opinion that ,europe to-day represents not the spirit of ,god or ,christianity but the spirit of ,satan4 ,and ,satan's successes are the greatest when he appears with the name of ,god on his lips4 ,europe is to-day only nominally ,christian4 ,in reality it is worshipping ,mammon4 ',it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom4' ,thus really spoke ,jesus ,christ4 ,his so-called followers measure their moral progress by their material possessions4 ,the very national anthem of ,england is anti-,christian4 ,jesus who asked his followers to love their enemies even as themselves1 could not have sung of his enemies1 'confound his enemies frustrate their knavish tricks4' ,the last book that ,dr4 ,wallace wrote set forth his deliberate conviction that the much vaunted advance of science had added not an inch to the moral stature of ,europe4 ,the last war however has shown1 as nothing else has1 the ,satanic nature of the civilization that dominates ,europe to day4 ,every canon of public morality has been broken by the victors in the name of virtue4 ,no lie has been considered too foul to be uttered4 ,the motive behind every crime is not religious or spiritual but grossly material4 ,but the ,mussalmans and the ,hindus who are struggling against the ,government have religion and honour as their motive4 ,even the cruel assassination which has just shocked the country is reported to have a religious motive behind it4 ,it is certainly necessary to purge religion of its excrescences1 but it is equally necessary to expose the hollowness of moral pretensions on the part of those who prefer material wealth to moral gain4 ,it is easier to wean an ignorant fanatic from his error than a confirmed scoundrel from his scoundrelism4 ,this however is no indictment against individuals or even nations4 ,thousands of individual ,europeans are rising above their environment4 ,i write of the tendency in ,europe as reflected in her present leaders4 ,england through her leaders is insolently crushing ,indian religious and national sentiment under her heels4 ,england under the false plea of self-determination is trying to exploit the oil fields of ,mesopotamia which she is almost to leave because she has probably no choice4 ,france through her leaders is lending her name to training ,cannibals as soldiers and is shamelessly betraying her trust as a mandatory power by trying to kill the spirit of the ,syrians4 ,president ,wilson has thrown on the scrap heap his precious fourteen points4 ,it is this combination of evil forces which ,india is really fighting through non-violent non-cooperation4 ,and those like ,miss ,peterson whether ,christian or ,european1 who feel that this error must be dethroned can exercise the privilege of doing so by joining the non-co-operation movement4 ,with the honour of ,islam is bound up the safety of religion itself and with the honour of ,india is bound up the honour of every nation known to be weak4 ,a ,,missionary ,,on ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,the following letter has been received by ,mr4 ,gandhi from ,miss ,anne ,marie ,peterson of the ,danish ,mission in ,madras3-- ,dear ,mr4 ,gandhi1 ,i cannot thank you enough for your kindness and the way in which you received me and ,i feel that meeting more or less decided my future4 ,i have thrown myself at the feet of ,india4 ,at the same time ,i know that in ,christ alone is my abode and ,i have no longing and no desire but to live ,him1 my crucified ,saviour1 and reveal ,him for those with whom ,i come in contact4 ,i just cling to his feet and pray with tears that ,i may not disgrace him as we ,christians have been doing by our behaviour in ,india4 ,we go on crucifying ,christ while we long to proclaim the ,power of ,his resurrection by which ,he has conquered untruth and unrighteousness4 ,if we who bear ,his name were true to ,him1 we would never bow ourselves before the ,powers of this world1 but we would always be on the side of the poor1 the suffering and the oppressed4 ,but we are not and therefore ,i feel myself under obligation and only to ,christ but to ,india for ,his sake at this time of momentous importance for her future4 ,truly it matters little what ,i1 a lonely and insignificant person1 may say or do4 ,what is my protest against the common current1 the race to which ,i belong is taking and 7what grieves me more71 which the missionary societies seem to follow8 ,even if a respectable number protested it would not be of any use4 ,yet were ,i alone against the whole world1 ,i must follow my conscience and my ,god4 ,i therefore cannot but smile when ,i see people saying1 you should have awaited the decision of the ,national ,congress before starting the non-co-operation movement4 ,you have a message for the country1 and the ,congress is the voice of the nation--its servant and not its master4 ,a majority has no right simply because it is a majority4 ,but we must try to win the majority4 ,and it is easy to see that now that ,congress is going to be with you4 ,would it have done so if you had kept quiet and not lent your voice to the feelings of the people8 ,would the ,congress have known its mind8 ,i think not4 ,i myself was in much doubt before ,i heard you4 ,but you convinced me4 ,not that ,i can feel much on the question of the ,khilafat4 ,i cannot4 ,i can see what service you are doing to ,india1 if you can prevent the ,mahomedans from using the sword in order to take revenge and get their rights4 ,i can see that if you unite the ,hindus and the ,mahomedans1 it will be a master stroke4 ,how ,i wish the ,christian would also come forward and unite with you for the sake of their country and the honour not only of their ,motherland but of ,christ4 ,i may not feel much for ,turkey1 but ,i feel for ,india1 and ,i can see she 7,india7 has no other way to protest against being trampled down and crushed than non-co-operation4 ,i also want you to know that many in ,denmark and all over the world1 yes1 ,i am sure every true ,christian1 will feel with and be in sympathy with ,india in the struggle which is now going on4 ,god forbid that in the struggle between might and right1 truth and untruth1 the spirit and the flesh1 there should be a division of races4 ,there is not4 ,the same struggle is going on all over the world4 ,what does it matter then that we are a few8 ,god is on our side4 ,brute force often seems to get the upper hand but righteousness always has and always shall conquer1 be it even through much suffering1 and what may even appear to be a defeat4 ,christ conquered1 when the world crucified ,him4 ,blessed are the meek2 they shall inherit the earth4 ,when ,i read your speech given at ,madras it struck me that it should be printed as a pamphlet in ,english1 ,tamil1 ,hindustani and all the most used languages and then spread to every nook and corner of ,india4 ,the non-co-operation movement once started must be worked so as to become successful4 ,if it is not1 ,i dread to think of the consequences4 ,but you cannot expect it to win in a day or two4 ,it must take time and you will not despair if you do not reach your goal in a hurry4 ,for those who have faith there is no haste4 ,now for the withdrawal of the children and students from ,government schools1 ,i think1 it a most important step4 ,taking the ,government help 7even if it be your money they pay you back71 we must submit to its scheme1 its rules and regulation4 ,india and we who love her have come to the conclusion that the education the foreign ,government has given you is not healthy for ,india and can certainly never make for her real growth4 ,this movement would lead to a spontaneous rise of national schools4 ,let them be a few but let them spring up through self-sacrifice4 ,only by indigenous education can ,india be truly uplifted4 ,why this appeals so much to me is perhaps because ,i belong to the part of the ,danish people who started their own independent1 indigenous national schools4 ,the ,danish ,free ,schools and ,folk-,high-,schools1 of which you may have heard1 were started against the opposition and persecution of the ,state4 ,the organisers won and thus have regenerated the nation4 ,with my truly heartfelt thanks and prayers for you4 ,i am1 ,your sincerely1 ,anne ,marie4 ,,how ,,to ,,work ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,perhaps the best way of answering the fears and criticism as to non-co-operation is to elaborate more fully the scheme of non-co-operation4 ,the critics seem to imagine that the organisers propose to give effect to the whole scheme at once4 ,the fact however is that the organisers have fixed definite1 progressive four stages4 ,the first is the giving up of titles and resignation of honorary posts4 ,if there is no response or if the response received is not effective1 recourse will be had to the second stage4 ,the second stage involves much previous arrangement4 ,certainly not a single servant will be called out unless he is either capable of supporting himself and his dependents or the ,khilafat ,committee is able to bear the burden4 ,all the classes of servants will not be called out at once and never will any pressure be put upon a single servant to withdraw himself from the ,government service4 ,nor will a single private employee be touched for the simple reason that the movement is not anti-,english4 ,it is not even anti-,government4 ,co-operation is to be withdrawn because the people must not be party to a wrong--a broken pledge--a violation of deep religious sentiment4 ,naturally1 the movement will receive a check1 if there is any undue influence brought to bear upon any ,government servant or if any violence is used or countenanced by any member of the ,khilafat ,committee4 ,the second stage must be entirely successful1 if the response is at all on an adequate scale4 ,for no ,government--much less the ,indian ,government--can subsist if the people cease to serve it4 ,the withdrawal therefore of the police and the military--the third stage--is a distant goal4 ,the organisers however wanted to be fair1 open and above suspicion4 ,they did not want to keep back from the ,government or the public a single step they had in contemplation even as a remote contingency4 ,the fourth1 i4e41 suspension of taxes is still more remote4 ,the organisers recognise that suspension of general taxation is fraught with the greatest danger4 ,it is likely to bring a sensitive class in conflict with the police4 ,they are therefore not likely to embark upon it1 unless they can do so with the assurance that there will be no violence offered by the people4 ,i admit as ,i have already done that non-co-operation is not unattended with risk1 but the risk of supineness in the face of a grave issue is infinitely greater than the danger of violence ensuing form organizing non-co-operation4 ,to do nothing is to invite violence for a certainty4 ,it is easy enough to pass resolutions or write articles condemning non-co-operation4 ,but it is no easy task to restrain the fury of a people incensed by a deep sense of wrong4 ,i urge those who talk or work against non-co-operation to descend from their chairs and go down to the people1 learn their feelings and write1 if they have the heart against non-co-operation4 ,they will find1 as ,i have found that the only way to avoid violence is to enable them to give such expression to their feelings as to compel redress4 ,i have found nothing save non-co-operation4 ,it is logical and harmless4 ,it is the inherent right of a subject to refuse to assist a ,government that will not listen to him4 ,non-co-operation as a voluntary movement can only succeed1 if the feeling is genuine and strong enough to make people suffer to the utmost4 ,if the religious sentiment of the ,mahomedans is deeply hurt and if the ,hindus entertain neighbourly regard towards their ,muslim brethren1 they will both count no cost too great for achieving the end4 ,non-co-operation will not only be an effective remedy but will also be an effective test of the sincerity of the ,muslim claim and the ,hindu profession of friendship4 ,there is however one formidable argument urged by friends against my joining the ,khilafat movement4 ,they say that it ill-becomes me1 a friend of the ,english and an admirer of the ,british constitution1 to join hands with those who are to-day filled with nothing but ill-will against the ,english4 ,i am sorry to have to confess that the ordinary ,mahomedan entertains to-day no affection for ,englishmen4 ,he considers1 not without some cause1 that they have not played the game4 ,but if ,i am friendly towards ,englishmen1 ,i am no less so towards my countrymen1 the ,mahomedans4 ,and as such they have a greater claim upon my attention than ,englishmen4 ,my personal religion however enables me to serve my countrymen without hurting ,englishmen or for that matter anybody else4 ,what ,i am not prepared to do to my blood-brother ,i would not do to an ,englishman1 ,i would not injure him to gain a kingdom4 ,but ,i would withdraw co-operation from him if it becomes necessary as ,i had withdrawn from my own brother 7now deceased7 when it became necessary4 ,i serve the ,empire by refusing to partake in its wrong4 ,william ,stead offered public prayers for ,british reverses at the time of the ,boer war because he considered that the nation to which he belonged was engaged in an unrighteous war4 ,the present ,prime ,minister risked his life in opposing that war and did everything he could to obstruct his own ,government in its prosecution4 ,and to-day if ,i have thrown in my lot with the ,mahomedans1 a large number of whom1 bear no friendly feelings towards the ,british1 ,i have done so frankly as a friend of the ,british and with the object of gaining justice and of thereby showing the capacity of the ,british constitution to respond to every honest determination when it is coupled with suffering1 ,i hope by my 'alliance' with the ,mahomedans to achieve a threefold end--to obtain justice in the face of odds with the method of ,satyagrah and to show its efficacy over all other methods1 to secure ,mahomedan friendship for the ,hindus and thereby internal peace also1 and last but not least to transform ill-will into affection for the ,british and their constitution which in spite of the imperfections weathered many a storm4 ,i may fail in achieving any of the ends4 ,i can but attempt4 ,god alone can grant success4 ,it will not be denied that the ends are all worthy4 ,i invite ,hindus and ,englishman to join me in a full-hearted manner in shouldering the burden the ,mahomedans of ,india are carrying4 ,theirs is admittedly a just fight4 ,the ,viceroy1 the ,secretary of ,state1 the ,maharaja of ,bikuner and ,lord ,sinha have testified to it4 ,time has arrived to make good the testimony4 ,people with a just cause are never satisfied with a mere protest4 ,they have been known to die for it4 ,are a high-spirited people like the ,mahomedans expected to do less8 ,,speech ,,at ,,madras ,addressing a huge concourse of people of the city of ,madras ,hindus and ,mahomedans numbering over #ej1jjj1 assembled on the ,south ,beach opposite to the ,presidency ,college1 ,madras1 on the #abth ,august #aibj1 ,mahatma ,gandhi spoke as follows3-- ,mr4 ,chairman and ,friends1--,like last year1 ,i have to ask your forgiveness that ,i should have to speak being seated4 ,whilst my voice has become stronger than it was last year1 my body is still weak2 and if ,i were to attempt to speak to you standing1 ,i could not hold on for very many minutes before the whole frame would shake4 ,i hope1 therefore1 that you will grant me permission to speak seated4 ,i have sat here to address you on a most important question1 probably a question whose importance we have not measured up to now4 ,,lokamanya ,,tilak ,but before ,i approach that question on this dear old beach of ,madras1 you will expect me--you will want me--to offer my tribute to the great departed1 ,lokamanya ,tilak ,maharaj 7loud and prolonged cheers74 ,i would ask this great assembly to listen to me in silence4 ,i have come to make an appeal to your hearts and to your reason and ,i could not do so unless you were prepared to listen to whatever ,i have to say in absolute silence4 ,i wish to offer my tribute to the departed patriot and ,i think that ,i cannot do better than say that his death1 as his life1 has poured new vigour into the country4 ,if you were present as ,i was present at that great funeral procession1 you would realise with me the meaning of my words4 ,mr4 ,tilak lived for his country4 ,the inspiration of his life was freedom for his country which he called ,swaraj the inspiration of his death-bed was also freedom for his country4 ,and it was that which gave him such marvellous hold upon his countrymen2 it was that which commanded the adoration not of a few chosen ,indians belonging to the upper strata of society but of millions of his countrymen4 ,his life was one long sustained piece of self-sacrifice4 ,he began that life of discipline and self-sacrifice in #ahgi and he continued that life up to the end of his day1 and that was the secret of his hold upon his country4 ,he not only knew what he wanted for his country but also how to live for his country and how to die for his country4 ,i hope then that whatever ,i say this evening to this vast mass of people1 will bear fruit in that same sacrifice for which the life of ,lokamanya ,tilak ,maharaj stands4 ,his life1 if it teaches us anything whatsoever1 teaches one supreme lesson3 that if we want to do anything whatsoever for our country we can do so not by speeches1 however grand1 eloquent and convincing they may be1 but only by sacrifice at the back of every act of our life4 ,i have come to ask everyone of you whether you are ready and willing to give sufficiently for your country's sake for country's honour and for religion4 ,i have boundless faith in you1 the citizens of ,madras1 and the people of this great presidency1 a faith which ,i began to cultivate in the year #aijc when ,i first made acquaintance with the ,tamil labourers in ,south ,africa2 and ,i hope that in these hours of our trial1 this province will not be second to any other in ,india1 and that it will lead in this spirit of self-sacrifice and will translate every word into action4 ,,need ,,for ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,what is this non-co-operation1 about which you have heard so much1 and why do we want to offer this non-co-operation8 ,i wish to go for the time being into the why4 ,here are two things before this country3 the first and the foremost is the ,khilafat question4 ,on this the heart of the ,mussalmans of ,india has become lascerated4 ,british pledges given after the greatest deliberation by the ,prime ,minister of ,england in the name of the ,english nation1 have been dragged into the mire4 ,the promises given to ,moslem ,india on the strength of which1 the consideration that was expected by the ,british nation was exacted1 have been broken1 and the great religion of ,islam has been placed in danger4 ,the ,mussalmans hold--and ,i venture to think they rightly hold--that so long as ,british promises remain unfulfilled1 so long is it impossible for them to tender whole-hearted fealty and loyalty to the ,british connection2 and if it is to be a choice for a devout ,mussalman between loyalty to the ,british connection and loyalty to his ,code and ,prophet1 he will not require a second to make his choice1--and he has declared his choice4 ,the ,mussalmans say frankly openly and honourably to the whole world that if the ,british ,ministers and the ,british nation do not fulfil the pledges given to them and do not wish to regard with respect the sentiments of #gj millions of the inhabitants of ,india who profess the faith of ,islam1 it will be impossible for them to retain ,islamic loyalty4 ,it is a question1 then for the rest of the ,indian population to consider whether they want to perform a neighbourly duty by their ,mussalman countrymen1 and if they do1 they have an opportunity of a lifetime which will not occur for another hundred years1 to show their good-will1 fellowship and friendship and to prove what they have been saying for all these long years that the ,mussalman is the brother of the ,hindu4 ,if the ,hindu regards that before the connection with the ,british nation comes his natural connection with his ,moslem brother1 then ,i say to you that if you find that the ,moslem claim is just1 that it is based upon real sentiment1 and that at its back ground is this great religious feeling1 you cannot do otherwise than help the ,mussalman through and through1 so long as their cause remains just1 and the means for attaining the end remains equally just1 honourable and free from harm to ,india4 ,these are the plain conditions which the ,indian ,mussalmans have accepted2 and it was when they saw that they could accept the proferred aid of the ,hindus1 that they could always justify the cause and the means before the whole world1 that they decided to accept the proferred hand of fellowship4 ,it is then for the ,hindus and ,mahomedans to offer a united front to the whole of the ,christian powers of ,europe and tell them that weak as ,india is1 ,india has still got the capacity of preserving her self-respect1 she still knows how to die for her religion and for her self-respect4 ,that is the ,khilafat in a nut-shell2 but you have also got the ,punjab4 ,the ,punjab has wounded the heart of ,india as no other question has for the past century4 ,i do not exclude from my calculation the ,mutiny of #aheg4 ,whatever hardships ,india had to suffer during the ,mutiny1 the insult that was attempted to be offered to her during the passage of the ,rowlatt legislation and that which was offered after its passage were unparalleled in ,indian history4 ,it is because you want justice from the ,british nation in connection with the ,punjab atrocities3 you have to devise1 ways and means as to how you can get this justice4 ,the ,house of ,commons1 the ,house of ,lords1 ,mr4 ,montagu1 the ,viceroy of ,india1 everyone of them know what the feeling of ,india is on this ,khilafat question and on that of the ,punjab2 the debates in both the ,houses of ,parliament1 the action of ,mr4 ,montagu and that of the ,viceroy have demonstrated to you completely that they are not willing to give the justice which is ,india's due and which she demands4 ,i suggest that our leaders have got to find a way out of this great difficulty and unless we have made ourselves even with the ,british rulers in ,india and unless we have gained a measure of self-respect at the hands of the ,british rulers in ,india1 no connection1 and no friendly intercourse is possible between them and ourselves4 ,i1 therefore1 venture to suggest this beautiful and unanswerable method of non-co-operation4 ,,is ,,it ,,unconstitutional8 ,i have been told that non-co-operation is unconstitutional4 ,i venture to deny that it is unconstitutional4 ,on the contrary1 ,i hold that non-co-operation is a just and religious doctrine2 it is the inherent right of every human being and it is perfectly constitutional4 ,a great lover of the ,british ,empire has said that under the ,british constitution even a successful rebellion is perfectly constitutional and he quotes historical instances1 which ,i cannot deny1 in support of his claim4 ,i do not claim any constitutionality for a rebellion successful or otherwise1 so long as that rebellion means in the ordinary sense of the term1 what it does mean namely wresting justice by violent means4 ,on the contrary1 ,i have said it repeatedly to my countrymen that violence whatever end it may serve in ,europe1 will never serve us in ,india4 ,my brother and friend ,shaukat ,ali believes in methods of violence2 and if it was in his power to draw the sword against the ,british ,empire1 ,i know that he has got the courage of a man and he has got also the wisdom to see that he should offer that battle to the ,british ,empire4 ,but because he recognises as a true soldier that means of violence are not open to ,india1 he sides with me accepting my humble assistance and pledges his word that so long as ,i am with him and so long as he believes in the doctrine1 so long will he not harbour even the idea of violence against any single ,englishman or any single man on earth4 ,i am here to tell you that he has been as true as his word and has kept it religiously4 ,i am here to bear witness that he has been following out this plan of non-violent ,non-co-operation to the very letter and ,i am asking ,india to follow this non-violent non-co-operation4 ,i tell you that there is not a better soldier living in our ranks in ,british ,india than ,shaukat ,ali4 ,when the time for the drawing of the sword comes1 if it ever comes1 you will find him drawing that sword and you will find me retiring to the jungles of ,hindustan4 ,as soon as ,india accepts the doctrine of the sword1 my life as an ,indian is finished4 ,it is because ,i believe in a mission special to ,india and it is because ,i believe that the ancients of ,india after centuries of experience have found out that the true thing for any human being on earth is not justice based on violence but justice based on sacrifice of self1 justice based on ,yagna and ,kurbani1--,i cling to that doctrine and ,i shall cling to it for ever1--it is for that reason ,i tell you that whilst my friend believes also in the doctrine of violence and has adopted the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of the weak1 ,i believe in the doctrine of non-violence as a weapon of the strongest4 ,i believe that a man is the strongest soldier for daring to die unarmed with his breast bare before the enemy4 ,so much for the non-violent part of non-co-operation4 ,i therefore1 venture to suggest to my learned countrymen that so long as the doctrine of non-co-operation remains non-violent1 so long there is nothing unconstitutional in that doctrine4 ,i ask further1 is it unconstitutional for me to say to the ,british ,government ',i refuse to serve you8' ,is it unconstitutional for our worthy ,chairman to return with every respect all the titles that he has ever held from the ,government8 ,is it unconstitutional for any parent to withdraw his children from a ,government or aided school8 ,is it unconstitutional for a lawyer to say ',i shall no longer support the arm of the law so long as that arm of law is used not to raise me but to debase me'8 ,is it unconstitutional for a civil servant or for a judge to say1 ',i refuse to serve a ,government which does not wish to respect the wishes of the whole people8' ,i ask1 is it unconstitutional for a policeman or for a soldier to tender his resignation when he knows that he is called to serve a ,government which traduces his own countrymen8 ,is it unconstitutional for me to go to the 'krishan1' to the agriculturist1 and say to him 'it is not wise for you to pay any taxes if these taxes are used by the ,government not to raise you but to weaken you8' ,i hold and ,i venture to submit1 that there is nothing unconstitutional in it4 ,what is more1 ,i have done every one of these things in my life and nobody has questioned the constitutional character of it4 ,i was in ,kaira working in the midst of #g lakhs of agriculturists4 ,they had all suspended the payment of taxes and the whole of ,india was at one with me4 ,nobody considered that it was unconstitutional4 ,i submit that in the whole plan of non-co-operation1 there is nothing unconstitutional4 ,but ,i do venture to suggest that it will be highly unconstitutional in the midst of this unconstitutional ,government1--in the midst of a nation which has built up its magnificent constitution1--for the people of ,india to become weak and to crawl on their belly--it will be highly unconstitutional for the people of ,india to pocket every insult that is offered to them2 it is highly unconstitutional for the #gj millions of ,mohamedans of ,india to submit to a violent wrong done to their religion2 it is highly unconstitutional for the whole of ,india to sit still and co-operate with an unjust ,government which has trodden under its feet the honour of the ,punjab4 ,i say to my countrymen so long as you have a sense of honour and so long as you wish to remain the descendants and defenders of the noble traditions that have been handed to you for generations after generations1 it is unconstitutional for you not to non-co-operate and unconstitutional for you to co-operate with a ,government which has become so unjust as our ,government has become4 ,i am not anti-,english2 ,i am not anti-,british2 ,i am not anti any ,government2 but ,i am anti-untruth--anti-humbug and anti-injustice4 ,so long as the ,government spells injustice1 it may regard me as its enemy1 implacable enemy4 ,i had hoped at the ,congress at ,amritsar--,i am speaking ,god's truth before you--when ,i pleaded on bended knees before some of you for co-operation with the ,government4 ,i had full hope that the ,british ministers who are wise1 as a rule1 would placate the ,mussalman sentiment that they would do full justice in the matter of the ,punjab atrocities2 and therefore1 ,i said3--let us return good-will to the hand of fellowship that has been extended to us1 which ,i then believed was extended to us through the ,royal ,proclamation4 ,it was on that account that ,i pleaded for co-operation4 ,but to-day that faith having gone and obliterated by the acts of the ,british ministers1 ,i am here to plead not for futile obstruction in the ,legislative council but for real substantial non-co-operation which would paralyse the mightiest ,government on earth4 ,that is what ,i stand for to-day4 ,until we have wrung justice1 and until we have wrung our self-respect from unwilling hands and from unwilling pens there can be no co-operation4 ,our ,shastras say and ,i say so with the greatest deference to all the greatest religious preceptors of ,india but without fear of contradiction1 that our ,shastras teach us that there shall be no co-operation between injustice and justice1 between an unjust man and a justice-loving man1 between truth and untruth4 ,co-operation is a duty only so long as ,government protects your honour1 and non-co-operation is an equal duty when the ,government instead of protecting robs you of your honour4 ,that is the doctrine of non-co-operation4 ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,,and ,,the ,,special ,,congress ,i have been told that ,i should have waited for the declaration of the special ,congress which is the mouth piece of the whole nation4 ,i know that it is the mouthpiece of the whole nation4 ,if it was for me1 individual ,gandhi1 to wait1 ,i would have waited for eternity4 ,but ,i had in my hands a sacred trust4 ,i was advising my ,mussalman countrymen and for the time being ,i hold their honour in my hands4 ,i dare not ask them to wait for any verdict but the verdict of their own ,conscience4 ,do you suppose that ,mussalmans can eat their own words1 can withdraw from the honourable position they have taken up8 ,if perchance--and ,god forbid that it should happen--the ,special ,congress decides against them1 ,i would still advise my countrymen the ,mussalmans to stand single handed and fight rather than yield to the attempted dishonour to their religion4 ,it is therefore given to the ,mussalmans to go to the ,congress on bended knees and plead for support4 ,but support or no support1 it was not possible for them to wait for the ,congress to give them the lead4 ,they had to choose between futile violence1 drawing of the naked sword and peaceful non-violent but effective non-co-operation1 and they have made their choice4 ,i venture further to say to you that if there is any body of men who feel as ,i do1 the sacred character of non-co-operation1 it is for you and me not to wait for the ,congress but to act and to make it impossible for the ,congress to give any other verdict4 ,after all what is the ,congress8 ,the ,congress is the collected voice of individuals who form it1 and if the individuals go to the ,congress with a united voice1 that will be the verdict you will gain from the ,congress4 ,but if we go to the ,congress with no opinion because we have none or because we are afraid to express it1 then naturally we wait the verdict of the ,congress4 ,to those who are unable to make up their mind ,i say by all means wait4 ,but for those who have seen the clear light as they see the lights in front of them1 for them to wait is a sin4 ,the ,congress does not expect you to wait but it expects you to act so that the ,congress can gauge properly the national feeling4 ,so much for the ,congress4 ,,boycott ,,of ,,the ,,councils ,among the details of non-co-operation ,i have placed in the foremost rank the boycott of the councils4 ,friends have quarrelled with me for the use of the word boycott1 because ,i have disapproved--as ,i disapprove even now--boycott of ,british goods or any goods for that matter4 ,but there1 boycott has its own meaning and here boycott has its own meaning4 ,i not only do not disapprove but approve of the boycott of the councils that are going to be formed next year4 ,and why do ,i do it8 ,the people--the masses1--require from us1 the leaders1 a clear lead4 ,they do not want any equivocation from us4 ,the suggestion that we should seek election and then refuse to take the oath of allegiance1 would only make the nation distrust the leaders4 ,it is not a clear lead to the nation4 ,so ,i say to you1 my countrymen1 not to fall into this trap4 ,we shall sell our country by adopting the method of seeking election and then not taking the oath of allegiance4 ,we may find it difficult1 and ,i frankly confess to you that ,i have not that trust in so many ,indians making that declaration and standing by it4 ,to-day ,i suggest to those who honestly hold the view--viz4 that we should seek election and then refuse to take the oath of allegiance--,i suggest to them that they will fall into a trap which they are preparing for themselves and for the nation4 ,that is my view4 ,i hold that if we want to give the nation the clearest possible lead1 and if we want not to play with this great nation we must make it clear to this nation that we cannot take any favours1 no matter how great they may be so long as those favours are accompanied by an injustice a double wrong1 done to ,india not yet redressed4 ,the first indispensable thing before we can receive any favours from them is that they should redress this double wrong4 ,there is a ,greek proverb which used to say ,beware of the ,greek but especially beware of them when they bring gifts to you4 ,to-day from those ministers who are bent upon perpetuating the wrong to ,islam and to the ,punjab1 ,i say we cannot accept gifts but we should be doubly careful lest we may not fall into the trap that they may have devised4 ,i therefore suggest that we must not coquet with the council and must not have anything whatsoever to do with them4 ,i am told that if we1 who represent the national sentiment do not seek election1 the ,moderates who do not represent that sentiment will4 ,i do not agree4 ,i do not know what the ,moderates represent and ,i do not know what the ,nationalists represent4 ,i know that there are good sheep and black sheep amongst the ,moderates4 ,i know that there are good sheep and black sheep amongst the ,nationalists4 ,i know that many ,moderates hold honestly the view that it is a sin to resort to non-co-operation4 ,i respectfully agree to differ from them4 ,i do say to them also that they will fall into a trap which they will have devised if they seek election4 ,but that does not affect my situation4 ,if ,i feel in my heart of hearts that ,i ought not to go to the councils ,i ought at least to abide by this decision and it does not matter if ninety-nine other countrymen seek election4 ,that is the only way in which public work can be done1 and public opinion can be built4 ,that is the only way in which reforms can be achieved and religion can be conserved4 ,if it is a question of religious honour1 whether ,i am one or among many ,i must stand upon my doctrine4 ,even if ,i should die in the attempt1 it is worth dying for1 than that ,i should live and deny my own doctrine4 ,i suggest that it will be wrong on the part of any one to seek election to these ,councils4 ,if once we feel that we cannot co-operate with this ,government1 we have to commence from the top4 ,we are the natural leaders of the people and we have acquired the right and the power to go to the nation and speak to it with the voice of non-co-operation4 ,i therefore do suggest that it is inconsistent with non-co-operation to seek election to the ,councils on any terms whatsoever4 ,,lawyers ,,and ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,i have suggested another difficult matter1 viz41 that the lawyers should suspend their practice4 ,how should ,i do otherwise knowing so well how the ,government had always been able to retain this power through the instrumentality of lawyers4 ,it is perfectly true that it is the lawyers of to-day who are leading us1 who are fighting the country's battles1 but when it comes to a matter of action against the ,government1 when it comes to a matter of paralysing the activity of the ,government ,i know that the ,government always look to the lawyers1 however fine fighters they may have been to preserve their dignity and their self-respect4 ,i therefore suggest to my lawyer friends that it is their duty to suspend their practice and to show to the ,government that they will no longer retain their offices1 because lawyers are considered to be honorary officers of the courts and therefore subject to their disciplinary jurisdiction4 ,they must no longer retain these honorary offices if they want to withdraw on operation from ,government4 ,but what will happen to law and order8 ,we shall evolve law and order through the instrumentality of these very lawyers4 ,we shall promote arbitration courts and dispense justice1 pure1 simple home-made justice1 swadeshi justice to our countrymen4 ,that is what suspension of practice means4 ,,parents ,,and ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,i have suggested yet another difficulty--to withdraw our children from the ,government schools and to ask collegiate students to withdraw from the ,college and to empty ,government aided schools4 ,how could ,i do otherwise8 ,i want to gauge the national sentiment4 ,i want to know whether the ,mahomodans feel deeply4 ,if they feel deeply they will understand in the twinkling of an eye1 that it is not right for them to receive schooling from a ,government in which they have lost all faith2 and which they do not trust at all4 ,how can ,i1 if ,i do not want to help this ,government1 receive any help from that ,government4 ,i think that the schools and colleges are factories for making clerks and ,government servants4 ,i would not help this great factory for manufacturing clerks and servants if ,i want to withdraw co-operation from that ,government4 ,look at it from any point of view you like4 ,it is not possible for you to send your children to the schools and still believe in the doctrine of non-co-operation4 ,,the ,,duty ,,of ,,title ,,holders ,i have gone further4 ,i have suggested that our title holders should give up their titles4 ,how can they hold on to the titles and honour bestowed by the ,government8 ,they were at one time badges of honours when we believed that national honour was safe in their hands4 ,but now they are no longer badges of honour but badges of dishonour and disgrace when we really believe that we cannot get justice from this ,government4 ,every title holder holds his titles and honours as trustee for the nation and in this first step in the withdrawal of co-operation from the ,government they should surrender their titles without a moment's consideration4 ,i suggest to my ,mahomedan countrymen that if they fail in this primary duty they will certainly fail in non-co-operation unless the masses themselves reject the classes and take up non-co-operation in their own hands and are able to fight that battle even as the men of the ,french ,revolution were able to take the reins of ,government in their own hands leaving aside the leaders and marched to the banner of victory4 ,i want no revolution4 ,i want ordered progress4 ,i want no disordered order4 ,i want no chaos4 ,i want real order to be evolved out of this chaos which is misrepresented to me as order4 ,if it is order established by a tyrant in order to get hold of the tyrannical reins of ,government ,i say that it is no order for me but it is disorder4 ,i want to evolve justice out of this injustice4 ,therefore1 ,i suggest to you the passive non-co-operation4 ,if we would only realise the secret of this peaceful and infallible doctrine you will know and you will find that you will not want to use even an angry word when they lift the sword at you and you will not want even to lift your little finger1 let alone a stick or a sword4 ,,non-,,co-,,operation--,,service ,,to ,,the ,,empire ,you may consider that ,i have spoken these words in anger because ,i have considered the ways of this ,government immoral1 unjust1 debasing and untruthful4 ,i use these adjectives with the greatest deliberation4 ,i have used them for my own true brother with whom ,i was engaged in battle of non-co-operation for full #ac years and although the ashes cover the remains of my brother ,i tell you that ,i used to tell him that he was unjust when his plans were based upon immoral foundation4 ,i used to tell him that he did not stand for truth4 ,there was no anger in me1 ,i told him this home truth because ,i loved him4 ,in the same manner1 ,i tell the ,british people that ,i love them1 and that ,i want their association but ,i want that association on conditions well defined4 ,i want my self-respect and ,i want my absolute equality with them4 ,if ,i cannot gain that equality from the ,british people1 ,i do not want that ,british connection4 ,if ,i have to let the ,british people go and import temporary disorder and dislocation of national business1 ,i will favour that disorder and dislocation than that ,i should have injustice from the hands of a great nation such as the ,british nation4 ,you will find that by the time the whole chapter is closed that the successors of ,mr4 ,montagu will give me the credit for having rendered the most distinguished service that ,i have yet rendered to the ,empire1 in having offered this non-co-operation and in having suggest the boycott1 not of ,his ,royal ,highness the principle of ,wales1 but of boycott of a visit engineered by ,government in order to tighten its hold on the national neck4 ,i will not allow it even if ,i stand alone1 if ,i cannot persuade this nation not to welcome that visit but will boycott that visit with all the power at my command4 ,it is for that reason ,i stand before you and implore you to offer this religious battle1 but it is not a battle offered to you by a visionary or a saint4 ,i deny being a visionary4 ,i do not accept the claim of saintliness4 ,i am of the earth1 earthy1 a common gardener man as much as any one of you1 probably much more than you are4 ,i am prone to as many weaknesses as you are4 ,but ,i have seen the world4 ,i have lived in the world with my eyes open4 ,i have gone through the most fiery ordeals that have fallen to the lot of man4 ,i have gone through this discipline4 ,i have understood the secret of my own sacred ,hinduism4 ,i have learnt the lesson that non-co-operation is the duty not merely of the saint but it is the duty of every ordinary citizen1 who not know much1 not caring to know much but wants to perform his ordinary household functions4 ,the people of ,europe touch even their masses1 the poor people the doctrine of the sword4 ,but the ,rishis of ,india1 those who have held the tradition of ,india have preached to the masses of ,india this doctrine1 not of the sword1 not of violence but of suffering1 of self-suffering4 ,and unless you and ,i am prepared to go through this primary lesson we are not ready even to offer the sword and that is the lesson my brother ,shaukal ,ali has imbibed to teach and that is why he to-day accepts my advice tendered to him in all prayerfulness and in all humility and says 'long live non-co-operation4' ,please remember that even in ,england the little children were withdrawn from the schools2 and colleges in ,cambridge and ,oxford were closed4 ,lawyers had left their desks and were fighting in the trenches4 ,i do not present to you the trenches but ,i do ask you to go through the sacrifice that the men1 women and the brave lads of ,england went through4 ,remember that you are offering battle to a nation which is saturated with their spirit of sacrifice whenever the occasion arises4 ,remember that the little band of ,boers offered stubborn resistance to a mighty nation4 ,but their lawyers had left their desks4 ,their mothers had withdrawn their children from the schools and colleges and the children had become the volunteers of the nation1 ,i have seen them with these naked eyes of mine4 ,i am asking my countrymen in ,india to follow no other gospel than the gospel of self-sacrifice which precedes every battle4 ,whether you belong to the school of violence or non-violence you will still have to go through the fire of sacrifice1 and of discipline4 ,may ,god grant you1 may ,god grant our leaders the wisdom1 the courage and the true knowledge to lead the nation to its cherished goal4 ,may ,god grant the people of ,india the right path1 the true vision and the ability and the courage to follow this path1 difficult and yet easy1 of sacrifice4 ,,speech ,,at ,,trichinopoly ,mahatma ,gandhi made the following speech at ,trichinopoly on the #ahth ,august #aibj3-- ,i think you on behalf of my brother ,shaukat ,ali and myself for the magnificent reception that the citizens of ,trichinopoly have given to us4 ,i thank you also for the many addresses that you have been good enough to present to us1 but ,i must come to business4 ,it is a great pleasure to me to renew your acquaintance for reasons that ,i need not give you4 ,i expect great things from ,trichinopoly1 ,madura and a few places ,i could name4 ,i take it that you have read my address on the ,madras ,beach on non-co-operation4 ,without taking up your time in this great assembly1 ,i wish to deal with one or two matters that arise out of ,mr4 ,s4 ,kasturiranga ,iyongar's speech4 ,he says in effect that ,i should have waited for the ,congress mandate on ,non-co-operation4 ,that was impossible1 because the ,mussulmans had and still have a duty1 irrespective of the ,hindus1 to perform in reference to their own religion4 ,it was impossible for them to wait for any mandate save the mandate of their own religion in a matter that vitally concerned the honour of ,islam4 ,it is therefore possible for them only to go to the ,congress on bended knees with a clear cut programme of their own and ask the ,congress to pronounce its blessings upon that programme and if they are not so fortunate as to secure the blessings of the ,national ,assembly without meaning any disrespect to that assembly1 it is their bounden duty to go on with their programme1 and so it is the duty of every ,hindu who considers his ,mussalman brother as a brother who has a just cause which he wishes to vindicate1 to throw in his lot with his ,mussalman brother4 ,our leader does not quarrel with the principle of non-co-operation by itself1 but he objects to the three principal details of non-co-operation4 ,,council ,,elections ,he considers that it is our duty to seek election to the ,councils and fight our battle on the floor of the ,council hall4 ,i do not deny the possibility of a fight and a royal fight on the ,council floor4 ,we have done it for the last #ce years1 but ,i venture to suggest to you and to him1 with all due respect1 that it is not non-co-operation and it is not half as successful as non-co-operation can be4 ,you cannot go to a class of people with a view to convince them by any fight--call it even obstruction--who have got a settled conviction and a settled policy to follow4 ,it is in medical language an incompatible mixture out of which you can gain nothing1 but if you totally boycott the ,council1 you create a public opinion in the country with reference to the ,khilafat wrong and the ,punjab wrong which will become totally irresistible4 ,the first advantage of going to the ,councils must be good-will on the part of the rulers4 ,it is absolutely lacking4 ,in the place of good-will you have got nothing but injustice but ,i must move on4 ,,lawyers' ,,practice ,i come now to the second objection of ,mr4 ,kasturiranga ,iyengar with reference to the suspension by lawyers of their practice4 ,milk is good in itself but it comes absolutely poisonous immediately a little bit of arsenic is added to it4 ,law courts are similarly good when justice is distilled through them on behalf of a ,sovereign power which wants to do justice to its people4 ,law courts are one of the greatest symbols of power and in the battle of non-co-operation1 you may not leave law courts untouched and claim to offer non-co-operation1 but if you will read that objection carefully1 you will find in that objection the great fear that the lawyers will not respond to the call that the country makes upon them1 and it is just there that the beauty of non-co-operation comes in4 ,if one lawyer alone suspends practice1 it is so much to the good of the country and so if we are sure to deprive the ,government of the power that it possess through its law courts1 whether one lawyer takes it up or many1 we must adopt that step4 ,,government ,,schools ,he objects also to the plan of boycotting ,government schools4 ,i can only say what ,i have said with reference to lawyers that if we mean non-co-operation1 we may not receive any favours from the ,government1 no matter how advantageous by themselves they may be4 ,in a great struggle like this1 it is not open to us to count how many schools will respond and how many parents will respond and just as a geometrical problem is difficult1 because it does not admit of easy proof1 so also because a certain stage in national evolution is difficult1 you may not avoid that step without making the whole of the evolution a farce4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we have had a great lesson in non-co-operation and co-operation4 ,we had a lesson in non-co-operation when some young men began to fight there and it is a dangerous weapon4 ,i have not the slightest doubt about it4 ,one man with a determined will to non-co-operate can disturb a whole meeting and we had a physical demonstration of it to night but ours is non-violent1 non-co-operation in which there can be no mistake whatsoever in the fundamental conditions are observed4 ,if non-co-operation fails1 it will not be for want of any inherent strength in it1 but it will fall because there is no response to it1 or because people have not sufficiently grasped its simple principles4 ,you had also a practical demonstration of co-operation just now2 that heavy chair went over the heads of so many people1 because all wanted to lift their little hand to move that chair away from them and so was that heavier dome also removed from our sight by co-operation of man1 woman and child4 ,everybody believes and knows that this ,government of our exists only by the co-operation of the people and not by the force of arms it can wield and everyman with a sense of logic will tell you that the converse of that also is equally true that ,government cannot stand if this co-operation on which it exists is withdrawn4 ,difficulties undoubtedly there are1 we have hitherto learned how to sacrifice our voice and make speeches4 ,we must also learn to sacrifice ease1 money1 comfort and that1 we may learn form the ,englishmen themselves4 ,every one who has studied ,english history knows that we are now engaged in a battle with a nation which is capable of great sacrifice and the three hundred millions of ,india cannot make their mark upon the world1 or gain their self-respect without an adequate measure of sacrifice4 ,,boycott ,,of ,,british ,,goods ,our friend has suggested the boycott of ,british or foreign goods4 ,boycott of all foreign goods is another name for ,swadeshi4 ,he thinks that there will be a greater response in the boycott of all foreign goods4 ,with the experience of years behind me and with an intimate knowledge of the mercantile classes1 ,i venture to tell you that boycott of foreign goods1 or boycott of merely ,british goods is more impracticable than any of the stops ,i have suggested4 ,whereas in all the steps that ,i have ventured to suggest there is practically no sacrifice of money involved1 in the boycott of ,british or foreign goods you are inviting your merchant princes to sacrifice their millions4 ,it has got to be done1 but it is an exceedingly low process4 ,the same may be said of the steps that ,i have ventured to suggest1 ,i know1 but boycott of goods in conceived as a punishment and the punishment is only effective when it is inflicted4 ,what ,i have ventured to suggest is not a punishment1 but the performance of a sacred duty1 a measure of self-denial from ourselves1 and therefore it is effective from its very inception when it is undertaken even by one man and a substantial duty performed even by one single man lays the foundation of nations liberty4 ,,conclusion ,i am most anxious for my nation1 for my ,mussalman brethren also1 to understand that if they want to vindicate national honour or the honour of ,islam1 it will be vindicated without a shadow of doubt1 not be conceiving a punishment or a series of punishments1 but by an adequate measure of self-sacrifice4 ,i wish to speak of all our leaders in terms of the greatest respect1 but whatever respect we wish to pay them may not stop or arrest the progress of the country1 and ,i am most anxious that the country at this very critical period of its history should make its choice4 ,the choice clearly does not lie before you and me in wresting by force of arms the sceptre form the ,british nation1 but the choice lies in suffering this double wrong of the ,khilafat and the ,punjab1 in pocketing humiliation and in accepting national emasculation or vindication of ,india's honour by sacrifice to-day by every man1 woman and child and those who feel convinced of the rightness of things1 we should make that choice to-night4 ,so1 citizens of ,trichinopoly1 you may not wait for the whole of ,india but you can enforce the first step of non-co-operation and begin your operations even from to-morrow1 if you have not done so already4 ,you can surrender all your titles to-morrow all the lawyers may surrender their practice to-morrow2 those who cannot sustain body and soul by any other means can be easily supported by the ,khilafat ,committee1 if they will give their whole time and attention to the work of that ,committee and if the layers will kindly do that1 you will find that there is no difficulty in settling your disputes by private arbitration4 ,you can nationalise your schools from to-morrow if you have got the will and the determination4 ,it is difficult1 ,i know1 when only a few of you think these things4 ,it is as easy as we are sitting here when the whole of this vast audience is of one mind and as it was easy for you to carry that chair so is it easy for you to enforce this programme from to-morrow if you have one will1 one determination and love for your country1 love for the honour of your country and religion4 7,loud and prolonged cheers47 ,,speech ,,at ,,calicut ,mr4 ,chairman and friends4--,on behalf of my brother ,shaukut ,ali and myself ,i wish to thank you most sincerely for the warm welcome you have extended to us4 ,before ,i begin to explain the purpose of our mission ,i have to give you the information that ,pir ,mahboob ,shah who was being tried in ,sindh for sedition has been sentenced to two years' simple imprisonment4 ,i do not know exactly what the offence was with which the ,pir was charged4 ,i do not know whether the words attributed to him were ever spoken by him4 ,but ,i do know that the ,pirsaheb declined to offer any defence and with perfect resignation he has accepted his penalty4 ,for me it is a matter of sincere pleasure that the ,pirsaheb who exercises great influence over his followers has understood the spirit of the struggle upon which we have embarked4 ,it is not by resisting the authority of ,government that we expect to succeed in the great task before us4 ,but ,i do expect that we shall succeed if we understand the spirit of non-co-operation4 ,the ,lieutenant-,governor of ,burma himself has told us that the ,british retain their hold on ,india not by the force of arms but by the force of co-operation of the people4 ,thus he has given us the remedy for any wrong that the ,government may do to the people1 whether knowingly or unknowingly4 ,and so long as we co-operate with the ,government1 so long as we support that ,government1 we become to that extent sharers in the wrong4 ,i admit that in ordinary circumstances a wise subject will tolerate the wrongs of a ,government1 but a wise subject never tolerates a wrong that a ,government imposes on the declared will of a people4 ,and ,i venture to submit to this great meeting that the ,government of ,india and the ,imperial ,government have done a double wrong to ,india1 and if we are a nation of self-respecting people conscious of its dignity1 conscious of its right1 it is not just and proper that we should stand the double humiliation that the ,government has heaped upon us4 ,by shaping and by becoming a predominant partner in the peace terms imposed on the helpless ,sultan of ,turkey1 the ,imperial ,government have intentionally flouted the cherished sentiment of the ,mussalman subjects of the ,empire4 ,the present ,prime ,minister gave a deliberate pledge after consultation with his colleagues when it was necessary for him to conciliate the ,mussalmans of ,india4 ,i claim to have studied this ,khilafat question in a special manner4 ,i claim to understand the ,mussalman feeling on the ,khilafat question and ,i am here to declare for the tenth time that on the ,khilafat matter the ,government has wounded the ,mussalman sentiment as they had never done before4 ,and ,i say without fear of contradiction that if the ,mussalmans of ,india had not exercised great self-restraint and if there was not the gospel of non-co-operation preached to them and if they had not accepted it1 there would have been bloodshed in ,india by this time4 ,i am free to confess that spilling of blood would not have availed their cause4 ,but a man who is in a state of rage whose heart has become lacerated does not count the cost of his action4 ,so much for the ,khilafat wrong4 ,i propose to take you for a minute to the ,punjab1 the northern end of ,india4 ,and what have both ,governments done for the ,punjab8 ,i am free to confess again that the crowds in ,amritsar went mad for a moment4 ,they were goaded to madness by a wicked administration4 ,but no madness on the part of a people can justify the shedding of innocent blood1 and what have they paid for it8 ,i venture to submit that no civilised ,government could ever have made the people pay the penalty and retribution that they have paid4 ,innocent men were tried through mock-tribunals and imprisoned for life4 ,amnesty granted to them after2 ,i count of no consequence4 ,innocent1 unarmed men1 who knew nothing of what was to happen1 were butchered in cold blood without the slightest notice4 ,modesty of women in ,manianwalla1 women who had done no wrong to any individual1 was outraged by insolent officers4 ,i want you to understand what ,i mean by outrage of their modesty4 ,their veils were opened with his stick by an officer4 ,men who were declared to be utterly innocent by the ,hunter ,committee were made to crawl on their bellies4 ,and all these wrongs totally undeserved remain unavenged4 ,if it was the duty of the ,government of ,india to punish those who were guilty of incendiarism and murder1 as ,i hold it was their duty1 it was doubly their duty to punish officers who insulted and oppressed innocent people4 ,but in the face of these official wrongs we have the debate in the house of lords supporting official terrorism1 it is this double wrong1 the affront to ,islam and the injury to the manhood of the ,punjab1 that we feel bound to wipe out by non-co-operation4 ,we have prayed1 petitioned1 agitated1 we have passed resolutions4 ,mr4 ,mahomed ,ali supported by his friends is now waiting on the ,british public4 ,he has pleaded the cause of ,islam in a most manful manner1 but his pleading has fallen on deaf ears and we have his word for it that whilst ,france and ,italy have shown great sympathy for the cause of ,islam1 it is the ,british ,ministers who have shown no sympathy4 ,this shows which way the ,british ,ministers and the present holders of office in ,india mean to deal by the people4 ,there is no goodwill1 there is no desire to placate the people of ,india4 ,the people of ,india must therefore have a remedy to redress the double wrong4 ,the method of the west is violence4 ,wherever the people of the west have felt a wrong either justly or unjustly1 they have rebelled and shed blood4 ,as ,i have said in my letter to the ,viceroy of ,india1 half of ,india does not believe in the remedy of violence4 ,the other half is too weak to offer it4 ,but the whole of ,india is deeply hurt and stirred by this wrong1 and it is for that reason that ,i have suggested to the people of ,india the remedy of non-co-operation4 ,i consider it perfectly harmless1 absolutely constitutional and yet perfectly efficacious4 ,it is a remedy in which1 if it is properly adopted1 victory is certain1 and it is the age-old remedy of self-sacrifice4 ,are the ,mussalmans of ,india who feel the great wrong done to ,islam ready to make an adequate self-sacrifice8 ,all the scriptures of the world teach us that there can be no compromise between justice and injustice4 ,co-operation on the part of a justice-loving man with an unjust man is a crime4 ,and if we desire to compel this great ,government to the will of the people1 as we must1 we must adopt this great remedy of non-co-operation4 ,and if the ,mussalmans of ,india offer non-co-operation to ,government in order to secure justice in the ,khilafat matter1 ,i believe it is duty of the ,hindus to help them so long as their moans are just4 ,i consider the eternal friendship between the ,hindus and ,mussalmans is more important than the ,british connection4 ,i would prefer any day anarchy and chaos in ,india to an armed peace brought about by the bayonet between the ,hindus and ,mussalmans4 ,i have therefore ventured to suggest to my ,hindu brethren that if they wanted to live at peace with ,mussalmans1 there is an opportunity which is not going to recur for the next hundred years4 ,and ,i venture to assure you that if the ,government of ,india and the ,imperial ,government come to know that there is a determination on the part of the people to redress this double wrong they would not hesitate to do what is needed4 ,but in the ,mussalmans of ,india will have to take the lead in the matter4 ,you will have to commence the first stage of non-co-operation in right earnest4 ,and if you may not help this ,government1 you may not receive help from it4 ,titles which were the other day titles of honour are to-day in my opinion badges of our disgrace4 ,we must therefore surrender all titles of honour1 all honorary offices4 ,it will constitute an emphatic demonstration of the disapproval by the leaders of the people of the acts of the ,government4 ,lawyers must suspend their practice and must resist the power of the ,government which has chosen to flout public opinion4 ,nor may we receive instruction from schools controlled by ,government and aided by it4 ,emptying of the schools will constitute a demonstration of the will of the middle class of ,india4 ,it is far better for the nation even to neglect the literary instruction of the children than to co-operate with a ,government that has striven to maintain an injustice and untruth on the ,khilafat and ,punjab matters4 ,similarly have ,i ventured to suggest a complete boycott of reformed councils4 ,that will be an emphatic declaration of the part of the representatives of the people that they do not desire to associate with the ,government so long as the two wrongs continue4 ,we must equally decline to offer ourselves as recruits for the police or the military4 ,it is impossible for us to go to ,mesopotamia or to offer to police that country or to offer military assistance and to help the ,government in that blood guiltiness4 ,the last plank in the first stage is ,swadeshi4 ,swadeshi is intended not so much to bring pressure upon the ,government as to demonstrate the capacity for sacrifice on the part of the men and women of ,india4 ,when one-fourth of ,india has its religion at stake and when the whole of ,india has its honour at stake1 we can be in no mood to bedeck ourselves with ,french calico or silks from ,japan4 ,we must resolve to be satisfied with cloth woven by the humble weavers of ,india in their own cottages out of yarn spun by their sisters in their own homes4 ,when a hundred years ago our tastes were not debased and we were not lured by all the fineries from the foreign countries1 we were satisfied with the cloth produced by the men and women in ,india1 and if ,i could but in a moment revolutionize the tastes of ,india and make it return to its original simplicity1 ,i assure you that the ,gods would descent to rejoice at the great act of renunciation4 ,that is the first stage in non-co-operation4 ,i hope it is as easy for you as it is easy for me to see that if ,india is capable of taking the first step in anything like a full measure that step will bring the redress we want4 ,i therefore do not intend to take you to the other stages of non-co-operation4 ,i would like you to rivet your attention upon the plans in the first stage4 ,you will have noticed that but two things are necessary in going through the first stage3 7#a7 ,prefect spirit of non-violence is indispensable for non-co-operation1 7#b7 only a little self-sacrifice1 ,i pray to ,god that ,he will give the people of ,india sufficient courage and wisdom and patience to go through this experiment of non-co-operation4 ,i think you for the great reception that you have given us4 ,and ,i also thank you for the great patience and exemplary silence with which you have listened to my remarks4 ,august #aibj4 ,,speech ,,at ,,mangalore ,mr4 ,chairman and friends1--,to my brother ,shaukat ,ali and me it was a pleasure to go through this beautiful garden of ,india4 ,the great reception that you gave us this afternoon1 and this great assembly are most welcome to us1 if they are a demonstration of your sympathy with the cause which you have the honour to represent4 ,i assure you that we have not undertaken this incessant travelling in order to have receptions and addresses1 no matter how cordial they may be4 ,but we have undertaken this travelling throughout the length and breadth of this dear ,motherland to place before you the position that faces us to-day4 ,it is our privilege1 as it is our duty1 to place that position before the country and let her make the choice4 ,throughout our tour we have received many addresses1 but in my humble opinion no address was more truly worded than the address that was presented to us at ,kasargod4 ,it addressed both of us as 'dear revered brothers4' ,i am unable to accept the second adjective 'revered4' ,the word 'dear' is dear to me ,i must confess4 ,but dearer than that is the expression 'brothers4' ,the signatories to that address recognized the true significance of this travel4 ,no blood brothers can possibly be more intimately related1 can possibly be more united in one purpose1 one aim than my brother ,shaukat ,ali and ,i4 ,and ,i considered it a proud privilege and honour to be addressed as blood brother to ,shaukat ,ali4 ,the contents of that address were as equally significant4 ,it stated that in our united work was represented the essence of the unity between the ,mussalmans and ,hindus in ,india4 ,if we two cannot represent that very desirable unity1 if we two cannot cement the relation between the two communities1 ,i do not know who can4 ,then without any rhetoric and without any flowery language the address went on to describe the inwardness of the ,punjab and the ,khilafat struggle2 and then in simple and beautiful language it described the spiritual significance of ,satyagrah and ,non-co-operation4 ,this was followed by a frank and simple promise4 ,although the signatories to the address realised the momentous nature of the struggle on which we have embarked1 and although they sympathise with the struggle with their whole heart1 they wound up by saying that even if they could not follow non-co-operation in all its details1 they would do as much as they could to help the struggle4 ,and lastly1 in eloquent1 and true language1 they said 'if we cannot rise equal to the occasion it will not be due to want of effort but to want of ability4' ,i can desire no better address1 no better promise1 and if you1 the citizens of ,mangalore1 can come up to the level of the signatories1 and give us just the assurance that you consider the struggle to be right and that it commands your entire approval1 ,i am certain you will make all sacrifice that lies in your power4 ,for we are face to face with a peril greater than plagues1 greater than influenza1 greater than earthquakes and mighty floods1 which sometimes overwhelm this land4 ,these physical calamities can rob us of so many ,indian bodies4 ,but the calamity that has at the present moment overtaken ,india touches the religious honour of a fourth of her children and the self-respect of the whole nation4 ,the ,khilafat wrong affects the ,mussalmans of ,india1 and the ,punjab calamity very nearly overwhelms the manhood of ,india4 ,shall we in the face of this danger be weak or rise to our full height4 ,the remedy for both the wrongs is the spiritual solvent of non-co-operation4 ,i call it a spiritual weapon1 because it demands discipline and sacrifice from us4 ,it demands sacrifice from every individual irrespective of the rest4 ,and the promise that is behind this performance of duty1 the promise given by every religion that ,i have studied is sure and certain4 ,it is that there is no spotless sacrifice that has been yet offered on earth1 which has not carried with it its absolute adequate reward4 ,it is a spiritual weapon1 because it waits for no mandate from anybody except one's own conscience4 ,it is a spiritual weapon1 because it brings out the best in the nation and it absolutely satisfies individual honour if a single individual takes it1 and it will satisfy national honour if the whole nation takes it up4 ,and therefore it is that ,i have called non-co-operation in opposition to the opinion of many of my distinguished countrymen and leaders--a weapon that is infallible and absolutely practicable4 ,it is infallible and practicable1 because it satisfies the demands of individual conscience4 ,god above cannot1 will not expect ,maulana ,shaukat ,ali to do more than he has been doing1 for he has surrendered and placed at the disposal of ,god whom he believes to be the ,almighty ruler of everyone1 he has delivered all in the service of ,god4 ,and we stand before the citizens of ,mangalore and ask them to make their choice either to accept this precious gift that we lay at their feet or to reject it4 ,and after having listened to my message if you come to the come to the conclusion that you have no other remedy than non-co-operation for the conservation of ,islam and the honour of ,india1 you will accept that remedy4 ,i ask you not to be confused by so many bewildering issues that are placed before you1 nor to be shaken from your purpose because you see divided counsels amongst your leaders4 ,this is one of the necessary limitations of any spiritual or any other struggle that has ever been fought on this earth4 ,it is because it comes so suddenly that it confuses the mind if the heart is not tuned properly4 ,and we would be perfect human beings on this earth if in all of us was found absolutely perfect correspondence between the mind and the heart4 ,but those of you who have been following the newspaper controversy1 will find that no matter what division of opinion exists amongst our journals and leaders there is unanimity that the remedy is efficacious if it can be kept free from violence1 and if it is adopted on a large scale4 ,i admit the difficulty the virtue however lies in surmounting it4 ,we cannot possibly combine violence with a spiritual weapon like non-co-operation4 ,we do not offer spotless sacrifice if we take the lives of others in offering our own4 ,absolute freedom from violence is therefore it condition precedent to non-co-operation4 ,but ,i have faith in my country to know that when it has assimilated the principle of the doctrine ,in the fullest extent1 it will respond to it4 ,and in no case will ,india make any headway whatsoever until she has learnt the lesson of self-sacrifice4 ,even if this country were to take up the doctrine of the sword1 which ,god forbid1 it will have to learn the lesson of self-sacrifice4 ,the second difficulty suggested is the want of solidarity of the nation4 ,i accept it too4 ,but that difficulty ,i have already answered by saying that it is a remedy that can be taken up by individuals for individual and by the nation for national satisfaction2 and therefore even if the whole nation does not take up non-co-operation1 the individual successes1 which may be obtained by individuals taking up non-co-operation will stand to their own credit as of the nation to which they belong4 ,the first stage in my humble opinion is incredibly easy inasmuch as it does not involve any very great sacrifice4 ,if your ,khan bahadurs and other title-holders were to renounce their titles ,i venture to submit that whilst the renunciation will stand to the credit and honour of the nation it will involve a little or no sacrifice4 ,on the contrary1 they will not only have surrendered no earthly riches but they will have gained the applause of the nation4 ,let us see what it means1 this first step4 ,the able editor of ,hindu1 ,mr4 ,kastariranga ,iyengar1 and almost every journalist in the country are agreed that the renunciation of titles is a necessary and a desirable step4 ,and if these chosen people of the ,government were without exception to surrender their titles to ,government giving notice that the heart of ,india is doubly wounded in that the honour of ,india and of muslim religion is at stake and that therefore they can no longer retain their titles1 ,i venture to suggest1 that this their step which costs not a single penny either to them or to the nation will be an effective demonstration of the national will4 ,take the second step or the second item of non-co-operation4 ,i know there is strong opposition to the boycott of councils4 ,the opposition when you begin to analyse it means not that the step is faulty or that it is not likely to succeed1 but it is due to the belief that the whole country will not respond to it and that the ,moderates will steal into the councils4 ,i ask the citizens of ,mangalore to dispel that fear from your hearts4 ,united the voters of ,mangalore can make it impossible for either a moderate or an extremist or any other form of leader to enter the councils as your representative4 ,this step involves no sacrifice of money1 no sacrifice of honour but the gaining of prestige for the whole nation4 ,and ,i venture to suggest to you that this one step alone if it is taken with any degree of unanimity even by the extremists can bring about the desired relief1 but if all do not respond the individual need not be afraid4 ,he at least will have laid the foundation for true self progress1 let him have the comfort that he at least has washed his hands clean of the guilt of the ,government4 ,then ,i come to the members of the profession which one time ,i used to carry on4 ,i have ventured to ask the lawyers of ,india to suspend their practice and withdraw their support from a ,government which no longer stands for justice1 pure and unadulterated1 for the nation4 ,and the step is good for the individual lawyer who takes it and is good for the nation if all the lawyers take it4 ,and so for the ,government and the ,government aided schools1 ,i must confess that ,i cannot reconcile my conscience to my children going to ,government schools and to the programme of non-co-operation is intended to withdraw all support from ,government1 and to decline all help from it4 ,i will not tax your patience by taking you through the other items of non-co-operation important as they are4 ,but ,i have ventured to place before you four very important and forcible steps any one of which if fully taken up contains in it possibilities of success4 ,swadeshi is preached as an item of non-co-operation1 as a demonstration of the spirit of sacrifice1 and it is an item which every man1 woman and child can take up4 ,august #aibj4 ,,speech ,,at ,,bezwada ,as ,i said this morning one essential condition for the progress of ,india is ,hindu-,muslim ,unity4 ,i understand that there was a little bit of bickering between ,hindus and ,mussalmans to-day in ,bezwada4 ,my brother ,maulana ,shaukat ,ali adjusted the dispute between the two communities and he illustrated in his own person the entire efficacy of one item in the first stage of ,non-co-operation4 ,he sat without any vakils appearing before him for either parties to arbitrate on the dispute between them4 ,he required no postponement for the consideration of the question from time to time4 ,his fees consisted in a broken lead pencil4 ,that is what we should do1 if all the lawyers suspended practice and set up arbitration for the settlement of private disputes4 ,but why was there any quarrel at all8 ,it is laughable in the extreme when you come to think of it4 ,because the ,hindus seem to have played music whilst passing the mosque4 ,i think it was improper for them to do so4 ,hindu ,moslem ,unity does not mean that ,hindus should cease to respect the prejudices and sentiments cherished by ,mussalmans4 ,and as this question of music has given rise to many a quarrel between the two communities it behoves the ,hindus1 if they want to cultivate true ,hindu-,moslem ,unity1 to refrain from acts which they know injure the sentiments of their ,mussalman brethren4 ,we may not take undue advantage of the great spirit of toleration that is developing in ,mussalmans and do things likely to irritate them4 ,it is never a matter of principle for a ,hindu procession to continue playing music before mosques4 ,and now that we desire voluntarily to respect ,mussalman sentiment1 we should be doubly careful at a time when ,hindus are offering assistance to ,mussalmans in their troubles4 ,that assistance should be given in all humility and without any arrogation of rights4 ,to my ,mussalman brethren ,i would say that it would become their dignity to restrain themselves and not feel irritated when any ,hindu had done anything to irritate their religious sentiment4 ,but in any event1 you have today presented to you a remedy for the settlement of any such issue4 ,we must settle our disputes by arbitration as was done this after-noon4 ,you cannot always get a ,moulana ,shankat ,ali1 exercising unrivalled influence on the community4 ,but we can always get people enough in our own villages1 towns and districts who exercise influence over such villages and towns and command the confidence of both the communities4 ,the offended party should consider it its duty to approach them and not to take the law in its own hands4 ,it gives me much pleasure to announce to you that1 ,mr4 ,kaleswar ,rao has consented to refrain from standing for election to the new ,legislative ,councils4 ,you will be also pleased to know that ,mr4 ,gulam ,nohiuddin has resigned his ,honorary ,magistrateship1 ,i hope that both these patriots will not consider that they have done their last duty by their acts of renunciation1 but ,i hope they will regard their acts as a prelude to acts of greater purpose and greater energy and ,i hope they will take in hand the work of educating the electorate in their districts regarding boycott of councils4 ,i have said elsewhere that never for another century will ,india be faced with a conjunction of events that faces it to-day4 ,the cloud that has descended upon ,islam has solidified the ,moslem world as nothing else could have4 ,it has awakened the men and women of ,mussulman ,india from their deep sleep4 ,inasmuch as a single ,panjabi was made to crawl on his belly in the famous street of ,amitsar1 ,i hold that the whole of was made to crawl on its belly4 ,and if we want to straighten up ourselves from that crawling position and stand erect before the whole world1 it requires1 a tremendous effort4 ,h4,e4 the ,viceroy in his ,viceregal pronouncement at the opening of the ,council was pleased to say that he did not desire to make any remarks on the ,punjab events4 ,he treated them as a closed chapter and referred us to the future verdict of history4 ,i venture to tell you the citizens of ,bezwada that ,india will have deserved to crawl in that lane if she accepts this pronouncement as the final answer1 and if we want to stand erect before the whole world1 it is impossible for a single child1 man or woman in ,india to rest until fullest reparation has been done for the ,punjab wrong4 ,similarly with reference to the ,khilafat grievance the ,mussalmans of ,india in my humble opinion will forfeit all title to consider themselves the followers of the great ,prophet in whose name they recite the ,kalama1 day in and day out1 they will forfeit their title if they do not put their shoulders to the wheel and lift this cloud that is hanging on them4 ,but we shall make a serious blunder4 ,india will commit suicide1 if we do not understand and appreciate the forces that are arrayed against us4 ,we have got to face a mighty ,government with all its power ranged against us4 ,this composed of men who are able1 courageous1 capable of making sacrifices4 ,it is a ,government which does not scruple to use means1 fair or foul1 in order to gain its end4 ,no craft is above that ,government4 ,it resorts to frightfulness1 terrorism4 ,it resorts to bribery1 in the shape of titles1 honour and high offices4 ,it administers opiates in the shape of ,reforms4 ,in essence then it is an autocracy double distilled in the guise of democracy4 ,the greatest gift of a crafty cunning man are worthless so long as cunning resides in his heart4 ,it is a ,government representing a civilisation which is purely material and godless4 ,i have given to you these qualities of this government in order not to excite your angry passions1 but in order that you may appreciate the forces that are matched against you4 ,anger will serve no purpose4 ,we shall have to meet ungodliness by godliness4 ,we shall have to meet their untruth by truth2 we shall have to meet their cunning and their craft by openness and simplicity2 we shall have to meet their terrorism and frightfulness by bravery4 ,and it is an unbending bravery which is demanded of every man1 woman and child4 ,we must meet their organisation by greater organising ability4 ,we must meet their discipline by grater discipline1 and we must meet their sacrifices by infinitely greater sacrifices1 and if we are in a position to show these qualities in a full measure ,i have not the slightest doubt that we shall win this battle4 ,if really we have fear of ,god in us1 our prayers will give us the strength to secure victory4 ,god has always come to the help of the helpless and we need not go before any earthly power for help4 ,you heard this morning of the bravery of the sword1 and the bravery of suffering4 ,for me personally ,i have forever rejected the bravery of the sword4 ,but1 to-day it is not my purpose to demonstrate to you the final ineffectiveness of the sword4 ,but he who runs may see that before ,india possesses itself a sword which will be more than a match for the forces of ,europe1 it will he generations4 ,india may resort to the destruction of life and property here and there but such destructive cases serve no purpose4 ,i have therefore presented to you a weapon called the bravery of suffering1 otherwise called ,non-co-operation4 ,it is a bravery which is open to the weakest among the weak4 ,it is open to women and children4 ,the power of suffering is the prerogative of nobody1 and if only #cjj millions of ,indians could show the power of suffering in order to redress a grievous wrong done to the nation or to its religion1 ,i make bold to say that1 ,india will never require to draw the sword4 ,and unless we are able to show an adequate measure of sacrifice we shall lose this battle4 ,no one need tell me that ,india has not got this power of suffering4 ,every father and mother is witness to what ,i am about to say1 viz41 that every father and mother have shown in the domestic affairs matchless power of suffering4 ,and if we have only developed national consciousness1 if we have developed sufficient regard for our religion1 we shall have developed power of suffering in the national and religious field4 ,considered in these terms the first stage in ,non-co-operation is the simplest and the easiest state4 ,if the title-holders of ,india consider that ,india is suffering from a grievous wrong both as regards the ,punjab and the ,khilafat is it any suffering on their part to renounce their titles to-day8 ,what is the measure of the suffering awaiting the lawyers who are called upon to suspend practice when compared to the great benefit which is in store for the nation8 ,and if thy parents of ,india will summon up courage to sacrifice secular education1 they will have given their children the real education of a life-time4 ,for they will have learnt the value of religion and national honour4 ,and ,i ask you1 the citizens of ,bezwada1 to think well before you accept the loaves and fishes in the form of ,government offices set them on one side and set national honour on the other and make your service4 ,what sacrifice is there involved in the individual renouncing his candidature for legislative councils4 ,the councils are a tempting bait4 ,all kinds of arguments are being advanced in favour of joining the councils4 ,india will sacrifice the opportunity of gaining her liberty if she touches them4 ,it passes comprehension how we1 who have known this ,government1 who have read the ,viceregal pronouncement1 how we who have known their determination not to give justice in the ,punjab and the ,khilafat matters1 can gain any benefit by co-operation1 constructive or obstructive1 with this ,government8 ,but the ,nationalists1 belonging to a great popular party1 tell us that if they do not contest these scats1 the moderates will get in4 ,surely1 it is nothing but an exhibition of want of courage and faith in our own cause to feel that we must enter the councils lest moderates should get in4 ,moderates believe in the possibility of obtaining justice at the hands of the ,government4 ,nationalists have on the other hand filled the platforms with denunciations of the ,government and its measures4 ,how can the ,nationalists ever hope to gain anything by entering the councils1 holding the belief that they do8 ,they will better represent the popular will if they wring justice from the ,government by means of ,non-co-operation4 ,a calculating spirit at the present moment in the history of ,india will prove its ruin4 ,i1 therefore1 tender my hearty congratulation to those who have announced their resignations of candidature or honorary offices1 and ,i hope that their example will prove infectious4 ,i have been told1 and ,i believe it myself from what ,i have seen1 that the ,andhrus are a brave1 courageous and spiritually-inclined people4 ,i venture therefore to ask my ,andhra brethren whether they have understood the spirituality of this beautiful doctrine of ,non-co-operation4 ,if they have1 ,i hope they will not wait for a single moment for a mandate from the ,congress or the ,moslem ,league4 ,they will understand that a spiritual weapon is god whether it is wielded by one or many4 ,i1 therefore1 invite you to go to ,calcutta with a united will and a united purpose1 sanctified by a spirit of sacrifice1 with a will of your own to convert those who are still undecided about the spirituality or the practicability of the weapon4 ,i thank you for the attention and patience with which you have listened to me4 ,i pray to the ,almighty that ,he may give you wisdom and courage that are so necessary at the present moment4-- ,august #aibj4 ,,the ,,congress ,the largest and the most important ,congress ever held has come and gone1 ,it was the biggest demonstration ever held against the present system of ,government4 ,the ,president uttered the whole truth when he said that it was a ,congress in which1 instead of the ,president and the leaders driving the people1 the people drove him and the latter4 ,it was clear to every one on the platform that the people had taken the reins in their own hands4 ,the platform would gladly have moved at a slower pace4 ,the ,congress gave one day to a full discussion of the creed and voted solidly for it with but two dissentients after two nights' sleep over the discussion4 ,it gave one day to a discussion of non-co-operation resolution and voted for it with unparalleled enthusiasm4 ,it gave the last day to listening to the whole of the remaining thirty-two ,articles of the ,constitution which were read and translated word for word by ,maulana ,mahomed ,ali in a loud and clear voice4 ,it showed that it was intelligently following the reading of it1 for there was dissent when ,article ,eight was reached4 ,it referred to non-interference by the ,congress in the internal affairs of the ,native ,states4 ,the ,congress would not have passed the proviso if it had meant that it could even voice the feelings of the people residing in the territories ruled by the princes4 ,happily it resolution suggesting the advisability of establishing ,responsible ,government in their territories enabled me to illustrate to the audience that the proviso did not preclude the ,congress from ventilating the grievances and aspirations of the subjects of these states1 whilst it clearly prevented the ,congress from taking any executive action in connection with them2 as for instance holding a hostile demonstration in the ,native ,states against any action of theirs4 ,the ,congress claims to dictate to the ,government but it cannot do so by the very nature of its constitution in respect of the ,native ,states4 ,thus the ,congress has taken three important steps after the greatest deliberation4 ,it has expressed its determination in the clearest possible terms to attain complete null-government1 if possible still in association with the ,british people1 but even without1 if necessary4 ,it proposes to do so only by means that are honourable and non-violent4 ,it has introduced fundamental changes in the constitution regulating its activities and has performed an act of self-denial in voluntarily restricting the number of delegates to one for every fifty thousand of the population of ,india and has insisted upon the delegates being the real representatives of those who want to take any part in the political life of the country4 ,and with a view to ensuring the representation of all political parties it has accepted the principle of single transferable vote4 ,it has reaffirmed the non-co-operation resolution of the ,special ,session and amplified it in every respect4 ,it has emphasised the necessity of non-violence and laid down that the attainment of ,swaraj is conditional upon the complete harmony between the component parts of ,india1 and has therefore inculcated ,hindu-,muslim unity4 ,the ,hindu delegates have called upon their leaders to settle disputes between ,brahmins and non-,brahmins and have urged upon the religious heads the necessity of getting rid of the poison of untouchability4 ,the ,congress has told the parents of school-going children1 and the lawyers that they have not responded sufficiently to the call of the nation and and that they must make greater effort in doing so4 ,it therefore follows that the lawyers who do not respond quickly to the call for suspension and the parents who persist in keeping their children in ,government and aided institutions must find themselves dropping out from the public life of the country4 ,the country calls upon every man and woman in ,india to do their full share4 ,but of the details of the non-co-operation resolution ,i must write later4 ,,who ,,is ,,disloyal8 ,mr4 ,montagu has discovered a new definition of disloyalty4 ,he considers my suggestion to boycott the visit of the ,prince of ,wales to be disloyal and some newspapers taking the cue from him have called persons who have made the suggestion 'unmannerly'4 ,they have even attributed to these 'unmannerly' persons the suggestion of boycotting the ,prince4 ,i draw a sharp and fundamental distinction between boycotting the ,prince and boycotting any welcome arranged for him4 ,personally ,i would extend the heartiest welcome to ,his ,royal ,highness if he came or could come without official patronage and the protecting wings of the ,government of the day4 ,being the heir to a constitutional monarch1 the ,prince's movements are regulated and dictated by the ministers1 no matter how much the dictation may be concealed beneath diplomatically polite language4 ,in suggesting the boycott therefore the promoters have suggested boycott of an insolent bureaucracy and dishonest ministers of his ,majesty4 ,you cannot have it both ways4 ,it is true that under a constitutional monarchy1 the royalty is above politics4 ,but you cannot send the ,prince on a political visit for the purpose of making political capital out of him1 and then complain that those who will not play your game and in order to checkmate you1 proclaim boycott of the ,royal visit do not know constitutional usage4 ,for the ,prince's visit is not for pleasure4 ,his ,royal ,highness is to come in ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's words1 as the ambassador of the ,british nation1 in other words1 his own ambassador in order to issue a certificate of merit to him and possibly to give the ministers a new lease of life4 ,the wish is designed to consolidate and strengthen a power that spells mischief for ,india4 ,even us it is1 ,mr4 ,montagu has foreseen1 that the welcome will probably be excelled by any hitherto extended to ,royalty1 meaning that the people are not really and deeply affected and stirred by the official atrocities in the ,punjab and the manifestly dishonest breach of official declarations on the ,khilafat4 ,with the knowledge that ,india was bleeding at heart1 the ,government of ,india should have told ,his ,majesty's ministers that the moment was inopportune for sending the ,prince4 ,i venture to submit that it is adding insult to injury to bring the ,prince and through his visit to steal honours and further prestige for a ,government that deserves to be dismissed with disgrace4 ,i claim that ,i prove my loyalty by saying that ,india is in no mood1 is too deeply in mourning1 to take part in and to welcome ,his ,royal ,highness1 and that the ministers and the ,indian ,government show their disloyalty by making the ,prince a catspaw of their deep political game4 ,if they persist1 it is the clear duty of ,india to have nothing to do with the visit4 ,,crusade ,,against ,,non-,,co-,,operation ,i have most carefully read the manifesto addressed by ,sir ,narayan ,chandavarkar and others dissuading the people from joining the non co-operation movement4 ,i had expected to find some solid argument against non-co-operation1 but to my great regret ,i have found in it nothing but distortion 7no doubt unconscious7 of the great religions and history4 ,the manifesto says that 'non-co-operation is deprecated by the religious tenets and traditions of our motherland1 nay1 of all the religions that have saved and elevated the human race4' ,i venture to submit that the ,bhagwad ,gita is a gospel of non-co-operation between forces of darkness and those of light4 ,if it is to be literally interpreted ,arjun representing a just cause was enjoined to engage in bloody warfare with the unjust ,kauravas4 ,tulsidas advises the ,sant 7the good7 to shun the ,asant 7the evil-doers74 ,the ,zendavesta represents a perpetual dual between ,ormuzd and ,ahriman1 between whom there is no compromise4 ,to say of the ,bible that it taboos non-co-operation is not to know ,jesus1 a ,prince among passive resisters1 who uncompromisingly challenged the might of the ,sadducees and the ,pharisees and for the sake of truth did not hesitate to divide sons from their parents4 ,and what did the ,prophet of ,islam do8 ,he non-co-operated in ,mecca in a most active manner so long as his life was not in danger and wiped the dust of ,mecca off his feet when he found that he and his followers might have uselessly to perish1 and fled to ,medina and returned when he was strong enough to give battle to his opponents4 ,the duty of non-co-operation with unjust men and kings is as strictly enjoined by all the religions as is the duty of co-operation with just men and kings4 ,indeed most of the scriptures of the world seem even to go beyond non-co-operation and prefer a violence to effeminate submission to a wrong4 ,the ,hindu religious tradition of which the manifesto speaks1 clearly proves the duty of non-co-operation4 ,prahlad dissociated himself from his father1 ,meerabai from her husband1 ,bibhishan from his brutal brother4 ,the manifesto speaking of the secular aspect says1 ',the history of nations affords no instance to show that it 7meaning non-co-operation7 has1 when employed1 succeeded and done good1' ,one most recent instance of brilliant success of non-co-operation is that of ,general ,botha who boycotted ,lord ,milner's reformed councils and thereby procured a perfect constitution for his country4 ,the ,dukhobours of ,russia offered non-co-operation1 and a handful though they were1 their grievances so deeply moved the civilized world that ,canada offered them a home where they form a prosperous community4 ,in ,india instances can be given by the dozen1 in which in little principalities the raiyats when deeply grieved by their chiefs have cut off all connection with them and bent them to their will4 ,i know of no instance in history where well-managed non-co-operation has failed4 ,hitherto ,i have given historical instances of bloodless non-co-operation1 ,i will not insult the intelligence of the reader by citing historical instances of non-co-operation combined with1 violence1 but ,i am free to confess that there are on record as many successes as failures in violent non-co-operation4 ,and it is because ,i know this fact that ,i have placed before the country a non-violent scheme in which1 if at all worked satisfactorily1 success is a certainty and in which non-response means no harm4 ,for if even one man non-co-operates1 say1 by resigning some office1 he has gained1 not lost4 ,that is its ethical or religious aspect4 ,for its political result naturally it requires polymerous support4 ,i fear therefore no disastrous result from non-co-operation save for an outbreak of violence on the part of the people whether under provocation or otherwise4 ,i would risk violence a thousand times than risk the emasculation of a whole race4 ,,speech ,,at ,,muzaffarabad ,before a crowded meeting of ,mussalmans in the ,muzaffarabad1 ,bombay1 held on the #bith ,july #aibj1 speaking on the impending non-co-operation which commenced on the #ast of ,august1 ,mr4 ,gandhi said3 ,the time for speeches on non-co-operation was past and the time for practice had arrived4 ,but two things were needful for complete success4 ,an environment free from any violence on the part of the people and a spirit of self-sacrifice4 ,non-co-operation1 as the speaker had conceived it1 was an impossibility in an atmosphere surcharged with the spirit of violence4 ,violence was an exhibition of anger and any such exhibition was dissipation of valuable energy4 ,subduing of one's anger was a storing up of national energy1 which1 when set free in an ordered manner1 would produce astounding results4 ,his conception of non-co-operation did not involve rapine1 plunder1 incendiarism and all the concomitants of mass madness4 ,his scheme presupposed ability on their part to control all the forces of evil4 ,if1 therefore1 any disorderliness was found on the part of the people which they could not control1 he for one would certainly help the ,government to control them4 ,in the presence of disorder it would be for him a choice of evil1 and evil through he considered the present ,government to be1 he would not hesitate for the time being to help the ,government to control disorder4 ,but he had faith in the people4 ,he believed that they knew that the cause could only be won by non-violent methods4 ,to put it at the lowest1 the people had not the power1 even if they had the will1 to resist with brute strength the unjust ,governments of ,europe who had1 in the intoxication of their success disregarding every canon of justice dealt so cruelly by the only ,islamic ,power in ,europe4 ,in non-co-operation they had a matchless and powerful weapon4 ,it was a sign of religious atrophy to sustain an unjust ,government that supported an injustice by resorting to untruth and camouflage4 ,so long therefore as the ,government did not purge itself of the canker of injustice and untruth1 it was their duty to withdraw all help from it consistently with their ability to preserve order in the social structure4 ,the first stage of non-co-operation was therefore arranged so as to involve minimum of danger to public peace and minimum of sacrifice on the part of those who participated in the movement4 ,and if they might not help an evil ,government nor receive any favours from it1 it followed that they must give up all titles of honour which were no longer a proud possession4 ,lawyers1 who were in reality honorary officers of the ,court1 should cease to support ,courts that uphold the prestige of an unjust ,government and the people must be able to settle their disputes and quarrels by private arbitration4 ,similarly parents should withdraw their children from the public schools and they must evolve a system of national education or private education totally independent of the ,government4 ,an insolent ,government conscious of its brute strength1 might laugh at such withdrawals by the people especially as the ,law courts and schools were supposed to help the people1 but he had not a shadow of doubt that the moral effect of such a step could not possibly be lost even upon a ,government whose conscience had become stifled by the intoxication of power4 ,he had hesitation in accepting ,swadeshi as a plank in non-co-operation4 ,to him ,swadeshi was as dear as life itself4 ,but he had no desire to smuggle in ,swadeshi through the ,khilafat movement1 if it could not legitimately help that movement1 but conceived as non-co-operation was1 in a spirit of self-sacrifice1 ,swadeshi had a legitimate place in the movement4 ,pure ,swadeshi meant sacrifice of the liking for fineries4 ,he asked the nation to sacrifice its liking for the fineries of ,europe and ,japan and be satisfied with the coarse but beautiful fabrics woven on their handlooms out of yarns spun by millions of their sisters4 ,if the nation had become really awakened to a sense of the danger to its religions and its self-respect1 it could not but perceive the absolute and immediate necessity of the adoption of ,swadeshi in its intense form and if the people of ,india adopted ,swadeshi with the religious zeal he begged to assure them that its adoption would arm them with a new power and would produce an unmistakable impression throughout the whole world4 ,he1 therefore1 expected the ,mussalmans to give the lead by giving up all the fineries they were so fond of and adopt the simple cloth that could be produced by the manual labour of their sisters and brethren in their own cottages4 ,and he hoped that the ,hindus would follow suit4 ,it was a sacrifice in which the whole nation1 every man1 woman and child could take part4 ,,ridicule ,,replacing ,,repression ,had ,his ,excellency the ,viceroy not made it impossible by his defiant attitude on the ,punjab and the ,khilafat1 ,i would have tendered him hearty congratulations for substituting ridicule for repression in order to kill a movement distasteful to him4 ,for1 torn from its context and read by itself ,his ,excellency's discourse on non-co-operation is unexceptionable4 ,it is a symptom of translation from savagery to civilization4 ,pouring ridicule on one's opponent is an approved method in civilised politics4 ,and if the method is consistently continued1 it will mark an important improvement upon the official barbarity of the ,punjab4 ,his interpretation of ,mr4 ,montagu's statement about the movement is also not open to any objection whatsoever4 ,without doubt a government has the right to use sufficient force to put down an actual outbreak of violence4 ,but ,i regret to have to confess that this attempt to pour ridicule on the movement1 read in conjunction with the sentiments on the ,punjab and the ,khilafat1 preceding the ridicule1 seems to show that ,his ,excellency has made it a virtue of necessity4 ,he has not finally abandoned the method of terrorism and frightfulness1 but he finds the movement being conducted in such an open and truthful manner that any attempt to kill it by violent repression would not expose him not only to ridicule but contempt of all right-thinking men4 ,let us however examine the adjectives used by ,his ,excellency to kill the movement by laughing at it4 ,it is 'futile1' 'ill-advised1' 'intrinsically insane1' 'unpractical1' 'visionary4' ,he has rounded off the adjectives by describing the movement as 'most foolish of all foolish schemes4' ,his ,excellency has become so impatient of it that he has used all his vocabulary for showing the magnitude of the ridiculous nature of non-co-operation4 ,unfortunately for ,his ,excellency the movement is likely to grow with ridicule as it is certain to flourish on repression4 ,no vital movement can be killed except by the impatience1 ignorance or laziness of its authors4 ,a movement cannot be 'insane' that is conducted by men of action as ,i claim the members of the ,non-co-operation ,committee are4 ,it is hardly 'unpractical1' seeing that if the people respond1 every one admits that it will achieve the end4 ,at the same time it is perfectly true that if there is no response from the people1 the movement will be popularly described as 'visionary4' ,it is for the nation to return an effective answer by organised non-co-operation and change ridicule into respect4 ,ridicule is like repression4 ,both give place to respect when they fail to produce the intended effect4 ,,the ,,viceregal ,,pronouncement ,it may be that having lost faith in ,his ,excellency's probity and capacity to hold the high office of ,viceroy of ,india1 ,i now read his speeches with a biased mind1 but the speech ,his ,excellency delivered at the time of opening of the council shows to me a mental attitude which makes association with him or his ,government impossible for self-respecting men4 ,the remarks on the ,punjab mean a flat refusal to grant redress4 ,he would have us to 'concentrate on the problems of the immediate future6' ,the immediate future is to compel repentance on the part of the ,government on the ,punjab matter4 ,of this there is no sign4 ,on the contrary1 ,his ,excellency resists the temptation to reply to his critics1 meaning thereby that he has not changed his opinion on the many vital matters affecting the honour of ,india4 ,he is 'content to leave the issues to the verdict of history4' ,now this kind of language1 in my opinion1 is calculated further to inflame the ,indian mind4 ,of what use can a favourable verdict of history be to men who have been wronged and who are still under the heels of officers who have shown themselves utterly unfit to hold offices of trust and responsibility8 ,the plea for co-operation is1 to say the least1 hypocritical in the face of the determination to refuse justice to the ,punjab4 ,can a patient who is suffering from an intolerable ache be soothed by the most tempting dishes placed before him8 ,will he not consider it mockery on the part of the physician who so tempted him without curing him of his pain8 ,his ,excellency is1 if possible1 even less happy on the ,khilafat4 ,so far as any ,government could1 says this trustee for the nation1 we pressed upon the ,peace ,conference the views of ,indian ,moslems4 ,but notwithstanding our efforts on their behalf we are threatened with a campaign of non-co-operation because1 forsooth1 the allied ,powers found themselves unable to accept the contentions advanced by ,indian ,moslems4 ,this is most misleading if not untruthful4 ,his ,excellency knows that the peace terms are not the work of the allied ,powers4 ,he knows that ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george is the prime author of terms and that the latter has never repudiated his responsibility for them4 ,he has with amazing audacity justified them in spite of his considered pledge to the ,moslems of ,india regarding ,constantinople1 ,thrace and the rich and renowned lands of ,asia minor4 ,it is not truthful to saddle responsibility for the terms on the allied ,powers when ,great ,britain alone has promoted them4 ,the offence of the ,viceroy becomes greater when we remember that he admits the justness of the ,muslim claim4 ,he could not have 'pressed' it if he did not admit its justice4 ,i venture to think that ,his ,excellency by his pronouncement on the ,punjab has strengthened the nation in its efforts to seek a remedy to compel redress of the two wrongs before it can make anything of the so-called ,reforms4 ,,from ,,ridicule1 ,,to--8 ,it will be admitted that non-co-operation has passed the stage ridicule4 ,whether it will now be met by repression or respect remains to be seen4 ,opinion has already been expressed in these columns that ridicule is an approved and civilized method of opposition4 ,the viceregal ridicule though expressed in unnecessarily impolite terms was not open to exception4 ,but the testing time has now arrived4 ,in a civilized country when ridicule fails to kill a movement it begins to command respect4 ,opponents meet it by respectful and cogent argument and the mutual behaviour of rival parties never becomes violent4 ,each party seeks to convert the other or draw the uncertain element towards its side by pure argument and reasoning4 ,there is little doubt now that the boycott of the councils will be extensive if it is not complete4 ,the students have become disturbed4 ,important institutions may any day become truly national4 ,pandit ,motilal ,nehru's great renunciation of a legal practice which was probably second to nobody's is by itself an event calculated to change ridicule into respect4 ,it ought to set people thinking seriously about their own attitude4 ,there must be something very wrong about our ,government--to warrant the step ,pundit ,motilal ,nehru has taken4 ,post graduate students have given up their fellowships4 ,medical students have refused to appear for their final examination4 ,non-co-operation in these circumstances cannot be called an inane movement4 ,either the ,government must bend to the will of the people which is being expressed in no unmistakable terms through non-co-operation1 or it must attempt to crush the movement by repression4 ,any force used by a government under any circumstance is not repression4 ,an open trial of a person accused of having advocated methods of violence is not repression4 ,every ,state has the right to put down or prevent violence by force4 ,but the trial of ,mr4 ,zafar ,ali ,khan and two ,moulvis of ,panipat shows that the ,government is seeking not to put down or prevent violence but to suppress expression of opinion1 to prevent the spread of disaffection4 ,this is repression4 ,the trials are the beginning of it4 ,it has not still assumed a virulent form but if these trials do not result in stilling the propaganda1 it is highly likely that severe repression will be resorted to by the ,government4 ,the only other way to prevent the spread of disaffection is to remove the causes thereof4 ,and that would be to respect the growing response of the country to the programme of non-co-operation4 ,it is too much to expect repentance and humility from a government intoxicated with success and power4 ,we must therefore assume that the second stage in the ,government programme will be repression growing in violence in the same ratio as the progress of non-co-operation4 ,and if the movement survives repression1 the day of victory of truth is near4 ,we must then be prepared for prosecutions1 punishments even up to deportations4 ,we must evolve the capacity for going on with our programme without the leaders4 ,that means capacity for self-government4 ,and as no government in the world can possibly put a whole nation in prison1 it must yield to its demand or abdication in favour of a government suited to that nation4 ,it is clear that abstention from violence and persistence in the programme are our only and surest chance of attaining our end4 ,the government has its choice1 either to respect the movement or to try to repress it by barbarous methods4 ,our choice is either to succumb to repression or to continue in spite of repression4 ,,to ,,every ,,englishman ,,in ,,india ,dear ,friend1 ,i wish that every ,englishman will see this appeal and give thoughtful attention to it4 ,let me introduce myself to you4 ,in my humble opinion no ,indian has co-operated with the ,british ,government more than ,i have for an unbroken period of twenty-nine years of public life in the face of circumstances that might well have turned any other man into a rebel4 ,i ask you to believe me when ,i tell you that my co-operation was not based on the fear of the punishments provided by your laws or any other selfish motives4 ,it was free and voluntary co-operation based on the belief that the sum total of the activity of the ,british ,government was for the benefit of ,india4 ,i put my life in peril four times for the sake of the ,empire1--at the time of the ,boer war when ,i was in charge of the ,ambulance corps whose work was mentioned in ,general ,buller's dispatches1 at the time of the ,zulu revolt in ,natal when ,i was in charge of a similar corps at the time of the commencement of the late war when ,i raised an ,ambulance corps and as a result of the strenuous training had a severe attack of pleurisy1 and lastly1 in fulfilment of my promise to ,lord ,chelmsford at the ,war ,conference in ,delhi4 ,i threw myself in such an active recruiting campaign in ,kuira ,district involving long and trying marches that ,i had an attack of dysentry which proved almost fatal4 ,i did all this in the full belief that acts such as mine must gain for my country an equal status in the ,empire4 ,so late as last ,december ,i pleaded hard for a trustful co-operation1 ,i fully believed that ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george would redeem his promise to the ,mussalmans and that the revelations of the official atrocities in the ,punjab would secure full reparation for the ,punjabis4 ,but the treachery of ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george and its appreciation by you1 and the condonation of the ,punjab atrocities have completely shattered my faith in the good intentions of the ,government and the nation which is supporting it4 ,but though1 my faith in your good intentions is gone1 ,i recognise your bravery and ,i know that what you will not yield to justice and reason1 you will gladly yield to bravery4 ,see what this ,empire means to ,india ,exploitation of ,india's resources for the benefit of ,great ,britain4 ,an ever-increasing military expenditure1 and a civil service the most expensive in the world4 ,extravagant working of every department in utter disregard of ,india's poverty4 ,disarmament and consequent emasculation of a whole nation lest an armed nation might imperil the lives of a handful of you in our midst4 ,traffic in intoxicating liquors and drugs for the purposes of sustaining a top heavy administration4 ,progressively representative legislation in order to suppress an evergrowing agitation seeking to give expression to a nation's agony4 ,degrading treatment of ,indians residing in your dominions1 and ,you have shown total disregard of our feelings by glorifying the ,punjab administration and flouting the ,mosulman sentiment4 ,i know you would not mind if we could fight and wrest the sceptre form your hands4 ,you know that we are powerless to do that1 for you have ensured our incapacity to fight in open and honourable battle4 ,bravery on the battlefield is thus impossible for us4 ,bravery of the soul still remains open to us4 ,i know you will respond to that also4 ,i am engaged in evoking that bravery4 ,non-co-operation means nothing less than training in self-sacrifice4 ,why should we co-operate with you when we know that by your administration of this great country we are lifting daily enslaved in an increasing degree4 ,this response of the people to my appeal is not due to my personality4 ,i would like you to dismiss me1 and for that matter the ,ali ,brothers too1 from your consideration4 ,my personality will fail to evoke any response to anti-,muslim cry if ,i were foolish enough to rise it1 as the magic name of the ,ali ,brothers would fail to inspire the ,mussalmans with enthusiasm if they were madly to raise in anti-,hindu cry4 ,people flock in their thousands to listen to us because we to-day represent the voice of a nation groaning under iron heels4 ,the ,ali ,brothers were your friends as ,i was1 and still am4 ,my religion forbids me to bear any ill-will towards you4 ,i would not raise my hand against you even if ,i had the power4 ,i expect to conquer you only by my suffering4 ,the ,ali ,brothers will certainly draw the sword1 if they could1 in defence of their religion and their country4 ,but they and ,i have made common cause with the people of ,india in their attempt to voice their feelings and to find a remedy for their distress4 ,you are in search of a remedy to suppress this rising ebullition of national feeling4 ,i venture to suggest to you that the only way to suppress it is to remove the causes4 ,you have yet the power4 ,you can repent of the wrongs done to ,indians4 ,you can compel ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george to redeem his promises4 ,i assure you he has kept many escape doors4 ,you can compel the ,viceroy to retire in favour of a better one1 you can revise your ideas about ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer and ,general ,dyer4 ,you can compel the ,government to summon a conference of the recognised lenders of the people1 duly elected by them and representing all shades of opinion so as to devise means for granting ,swaraj in accordance with the wishes of the people of ,india4 ,but this you cannot do unless you consider every ,indian to be in reality your equal and brother4 ,i ask for no patronage1 ,i merely point out to you1 as a friend1 as honourable solution of a grave problem4 ,the other solution1 namely repression is open to ,,you4 ,i prophesy that it will fail4 ,it has begun already4 ,the ,government has already imprisoned two brave men of ,panipat for holding and expressing their opinions freely4 ,another is on his trial in ,lahore for having expressed similar opinion4 ,one in the ,oudh ,district is already imprisoned4 ,another awaits judgment4 ,you should know what is going on in your midst4 ,our propaganda is being carried on in anticipation of repression4 ,i invite you respectfully to choose the better way and make common cause with the people of ,india whose salt you are eating4 ,to seek to thwart their inspirations is disloyalty to the country4 ,i am1 ,your faithful friend1 ,m4 ,k4 ,,gandhi ,,one ,,step ,,enough ,,for ,,me ,mr4 ,stokes is a ,christian1 who wants to follow the light that ,god gives him4 ,he has adopted ,india as his home4 ,he is watching the non-co-operation movement from the ,kotgarh hills where he is living in isolation from the ,india of the plains and serving the hillmen4 ,he has contributed three articles on non-co-operation to the columns of the ,servant of ,calcutta and other papers4 ,i had the pleasure of reading them during my ,bengal tour4 ,mr4 ,stokes approves of non-co-operation but dreads the consequences that may follow complete success i4e41 evacuation of ,india by the ,british4 ,he conjures up before his mind a picture of ,india invaded by the ,afghans from the ,north-,west1 plundered by the ,gurkhas from the ,hills4 ,for me ,i say with ,cardinal ,newman3 ',i do not ask to see the distant scene2 one step enough for me4' ,the movement is essentially religious4 ,the business of every god-fearing man is to dissociate himself from evil in total disregard of consequences4 ,he must have faith in a good deed producing only a good result3 that in my opinion is the ,gita doctrine of work without attachment4 ,god does not permit him to peep into the future4 ,he follows truth although the following of it may endanger his very life4 ,he knows that it is better to die in the way of ,god than to live in the way of ,satan4 ,therefore who ever is satisfied that this ,government represents the activity of ,satan has no choice left to him but to dissociate himself from it4 ,however1 let us consider the worst that can happen to ,india on a sudden evacuation of ,india by the ,british4 ,what does it matter that the ,gurkhas and the ,pathans attack us8 ,surely we would be better able to deal with their violence than we are with the continued violence1 moral and physical1 perpetrated by the present ,government4 ,mr4 ,stokes does not seem to eschew the use of physical force4 ,surely the combined labour of the ,rajput1 the ,sikh and the ,mussalman warriors in a united ,india may be trusted to deal with plunderers from any or all the sides4 ,imagine however the worst3 ,japan overwhelming us from the ,bay of ,bengal1 the ,gurkhas from the ,hills1 and the ,pathans from the ,north-,west4 ,if we not succeed in driving them out we make terms with them and drive them at the first opportunity4 ,this will be a more manly course than a hopeless submission to an admittedly wrongful ,state4 ,but ,i refuse to contemplate the dismal out-look4 ,if the movement succeeds through non-violent non-co-operation1 and that is the supposition ,mr4 ,stokes has started with1 the ,english whether they remain or retire1 they will do so as friends and under a well-ordered agreement as between partners4 ,i still believe in the goodness of human nature1 whether it is ,english or any other4 ,i therefore do not believe that the ,english will leave in a night4 ,and do ,i consider the ,gurkha and the ,afghan being incorrigible thieves and robbers without ability to respond to purifying influences8 ,i do not4 ,if ,india returns to her spirituality1 it will react upon the neighbouring tribes1 she will interest herself in the welfare of these hardy but poor people1 and even support them if necessary1 not out of fear but as a matter of neighbourly duty4 ,she will have dealt with ,japan simultaneously with the ,british4 ,japan will not want to invade ,india1 if ,india has learnt to consider it a sin to use a single foreign article that she can manufacture within her own borders4 ,she produces enough to eat and her men and women can without difficulty manufacture enough to clothe to cover their nakedness and protect themselves from heat and cold4 ,we become prey to invasion if we excite the greed of foreign nation1 by dealing with them under a feeling dependence on them4 ,we must learn to be independent of every one of them4 ,whether therefore we finally succeed through violence or non-violence in my opinion1 the prospect is by no means so gloomy as ,mr4 ,stokes has imagined4 ,any conceivable prospect is1 in my opinion1 less black than the present unmanly and helpless condition4 ,and we cannot do better than following out fearlessly and with confidence the open and honourable programme of non-violence and sacrifice that we have mapped for ourselves4 ,,the ,,need ,,for ,,humility ,the spirit of non-violence necessarily leads to humility4 ,non-violence means reliance on ,god1 the ,rocks of ages4 ,if we would seek ,his aid1 we must approach ,him with a humble and a contrite heart4 ,non-co-operationists may not trade upon their amazing success at the ,congress4 ,we must act1 even as the mango tree which drops as it bears fruit4 ,its grandeur lies in its majestic lowliness4 ,but one hears of non-co-operationists being insolent and intolerant in their behaviour towards those who differ from them4 ,i know that they will lose all their majesty and glory1 if they betray any inflation4 ,whilst we may not be dissatisfied with the progress made so far1 we have little to our credit to make us feel proud4 ,we have to sacrifice much more than we have done to justify pride1 much less elation4 ,thousands1 who flocked to the ,congress pandal1 have undoubtedly given their intellectual assent to the doctrine but few have followed it out in practice4 ,leaving aside the pleaders1 how many parents have withdrawn their children from schools8 ,how many of those who registered their vote in favour of non-co-operation have taken to hand-spinning or discarded the use of all foreign cloth8 ,non-co-operation is not a movement of brag1 bluster1 or bluff4 ,it is a test of our sincerity4 ,it requires solid and silent self-sacrifice4 ,it challenges our honesty and our capacity for national work4 ,it is a movement that aims at translating ideas into action4 ,and the more we do1 the more we find that much more must be done than we have expected4 ,and this thought of our imperfection must make us humble4 ,a non-co-operationist strives to compel attention and to set an example not by his violence but by his unobtrusive humility4 ,he allows his solid action to speak for his creed4 ,his strength lies in his reliance upon the correctness of his position4 ,and the conviction of it grows most in his opponent when he least interposes his speech between his action and his opponent4 ,speech1 especially when it is haughty1 betrays want of confidence and it makes one's opponent sceptical about the reality of the act itself4 ,humility therefore is the key to quick success4 ,i hope that every non-co-operationist will recognise the necessity of being humble and self-restrained4 ,it is because so little is really required to be done because all of that little depends entirely upon ourselves that ,i have ventured the belief that ,swaraj is attainable in less than one year4 ,,some ,,questions ,,answered ,i write to thank you for yours of the #gth instant and especially for your request that ,i should after reading your writings in ,young ,india on non-co-operation1 give a full and frank criticism of them4 ,i know that your sole desire is to find out the truth and to act accordingly1 and hence ,i venture to make the following remarks4 ,in the issue of ,may #eth you say that non-co-operation is not even anti-,government4 ,but surely to refuse to have anything to do with the ,government to the extent of not serving it and of not paying its taxes is actually1 if not theoretically anti-,government2 and such a course must ultimately make all ,government impossible4 ,again1 you say1 ,it is the inherent right of a subject to refuse to assist a government that will not listen to him4 ,leaving aside the question of the ethical soundness of this proposition1 may ,i ask which ,government1 in the present case8 ,has not the ,indian ,government done all it possibly can in the matter8 ,then if its attempts to voice the request of ,india should fail1 would it be fair and just to do anything against it8 ,would not the proper course be non-co-operation with the ,supreme ,council of the ,allies1 including ,great ,britain1 if it be found that the latter has failed properly to support the demand of the ,indian ,government and people8 ,it seems to me that in all your writings and speeches you forget that in the present question both ,government and people are as one1 and if they fail to get what they justly want1 how does the question of non-co-operation arise8 ,hindus and ,englishmen and the ,government are all at present shouldering in a full-hearted manner the burden that ,muhomedans of ,india are carrying etc4 etc4 ,but supposing we fail of our object--what then8 ,are we all to refuse to co-operate and with whom8 ,might ,i recommend the consideration of the following course of conduct8 7#a7 ,wait and see what the actual terms of the ,treaty with ,turkey are8 7#b7 ,if they are not in accordance with the aspirations and recommendations of the ,government and the people of ,india1 the every legitimate effort should be made to have the terms revised4 7#c7 ,to the bitter end1 co-operate with a ,government that co-operates with us1 and only when it refuses co-operation1 go in for non-co-operation4 ,so far ,i personally see no reason whatsoever for non-co-operation with the ,indian ,government1 and till it fails to voice the needs and demands of ,india as a whole there can be no reason4 ,the ,indian ,government does some times make mistakes1 but in the ,khilafat matter it is sound and therefore deserves or ought to have the sympathetic and whole-hearted co-operation of every one in ,india4 ,i hope that you will kindly consider the above and perhaps you will be able to find time for a reply in ,young ,india4 ,i gladly make room for the above letter and respond to the suggestion to give a public reply as no doubt the difficulty experienced by the ,english friend is experienced by many4 ,causes are generally lost1 not owing to the determined opposition of men who will not see the truth as they want to perpetuate an injustice but because they are able to enlist in their favour the allegiance of those who are anxious to understand a particular cause and take sides after mature judgment4 ,it is only by patient argument with such honest men that one is able to check oneself1 correct one's own errors of judgment and at times to wean them from their error and bring them over to one's side4 ,this ,khilafat question is specially difficult because there are so many side-issues4 ,it is therefore no wonder that many have more or less difficulty in making up their minds4 ,it is further complicated because the painful necessity for some direct action has arisen in connection with it4 ,but whatever the difficulty1 ,i am convinced that there is no question so important as this one if we want harmony and peace in ,india4 ,my friend objects to my statement that non-co-operation is not anti-,government1 because he considers that refusal to serve it and pay its taxes is actually anti-,government4 ,i respectfully dissent from the view4 ,if a brother has fundamental differences with his brother1 and association with the latter involves his partaking of what in his opinion is an injustice4 ,i hold that it is brotherly duty to refrain from serving his brother and sharing his earnings with him4 ,this happens in everyday life4 ,prahalad did not act against his father1 when he declined to associate himself with the latter's blasphemies4 ,nor was ,jesus anti-,jewish when he declaimed against the ,pharisees and the hypocrites1 and would have none of them4 ,in such matters1 is it not intention that determines the character of a particular act8 ,it is hardly correct as the friend suggests that withdrawal of association under general circumstances would make all government impossible4 ,but it is true that such withdrawal would make all injustice impossible4 ,my correspondent considers that the ,government of ,india having done all it possibly could1 non-co-operation could not be applicable to that ,government4 ,in my opinion1 whilst it is true that the ,government of ,india has done a great deal1 it has not done half as much as it might have done1 and might even now do4 ,no ,government can absolve itself from further action beyond protesting1 when it realises that the people whom it represents feel as keenly as do lakhs of ,indian ,mussalmans in the ,khilafat question4 ,no amount of sympathy with a starving man can possibly avail4 ,he must have bread or he dies1 and what is wanted at that critical moment is some exertion to fetch the wherewithal to feed the dying man4 ,the ,government of ,india can to-day heed the agitation and ask1 to the point of insistence for full vindication of the pledged word of a ,british ,minister4 ,has the ,government of ,india resigned by way of protest against the threatened1 shameful betrayal of trust on the part of ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george8 ,why does the ,government of ,india hide itself behind secret despatches8 ,at a less critical moment ,lord ,hardiage committed a constitutional indiscretion1 openly sympathised with ,south ,african ,passive ,resistance movement and stemmed the surging tide of public indignation in ,india1 though at the same time he incurred the wrath of the then ,south ,african ,cabinet and some public men in ,great ,britain4 ,after all1 the utmost that the ,government of ,india has done is on its own showing to transmit and press the ,mahomedan claim4 ,was that not the least it could have done8 ,could it have done anything less without covering itself with disgrace8 ,what ,indian ,mahomedans and the ,indian public expect the ,government of ,india to do at this critical juncture is not the least1 but the utmost that it could do4 ,viceroys have been known to tender resignations for much smaller causes4 ,wounded pride brought forth not very long ago the resignation of a ,lieutenant ,governor4 ,on the ,khilafat question1 a sacred cause dear to the hearts of several million ,mahomedans is in danger of being wounded4 ,i would therefore invite the ,english friend1 and every ,englishman in ,india1 and every ,hindu1 be he moderate or extremist1 to make common cause with the ,mahomedans and thereby compel the ,government of ,india to do its duty1 and thereby compel ,his ,majesty's ,ministers to do theirs4 ,there has been much talk of violence ensuing from active non-co-operation4 ,i venture to suggest that the ,mussalmans of ,india1 if they had nothing in the shape of non-co-operation in view1 would have long ago yielded to counsels of despair4 ,i admit that non-co-operation is not unattended with danger4 ,but violence is a certainty without1 violence is only a possibility with non-co-operation4 ,and it will he a greater possibility if all the important men1 ,english1 ,hindu and others of the country discountenance it4 ,i think1 that the recommendation made by the friend is being literally followed by the ,mahomedans4 ,although they practically know the fate1 they are waiting for the actual terms of the treaty with ,turkey4 ,they are certainly going to try every means at their disposal to have the terms revised before beginning non-co-operation4 ,and there will certainly be no non-co-operation commenced so long as there is even hope of active co-operation on the part of the ,government of ,india with the ,mahomedans1 that is1 co-operation strong enough to secure a revision of the terms should they be found to be in conflict with the pledges of ,british statesmen4 ,but if all these things fail1 can ,mahomedans as men of honour who hold their religion dearer than their lives do anything less than wash their hands clean of the guilt of ,british ,ministers and the ,government of ,india by refusing to co-operate with them8 ,and can ,hindus and ,englishmen1 if they value ,mahomedan friendship1 and if they admit then full justice of the ,mahomaden friendship and if they admit the full justice of the ,mahomedan claim do otherwise than heartily support the ,mahomedans by word and deed4 ,,pledges ,,broken ,after the forgoing was printed the long-expected peace terms regarding ,turkey were received4 ,in my humble opinion they are humiliating to the ,supreme ,council1 to the ,british ministers1 and if as a ,hindu with deep reverence for ,christianity ,i may say so1 a denial of ,christ's teachings4 ,turkey broken down and torn with dissentions within may submit to the arrogant disposal of herself1 and ,indian ,mahomedans may out of fear do likewise4 ,hindus out of fear1 apathy or want of appreciation of the situation1 may refuse to help their ,mahomedan brethren in their hour of peril4 ,the fact remains that a solemn promise of the ,prime ,minister of ,england has been wantonly broken4 ,i will say nothing about ,president ,wilson's fourteen points1 for they seem now to be entirely forgotten as a day's wonder4 ,it is a matter of deep sorrow that the ,government of ,india communique offers a defence of the terms1 calls them a fulfilment of ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's pledge of #eth ,january #aiah and yet apologises for their defective nature and appeals to the ,mahomedans of ,india as if to mock them that they would accept the terms with quiet resignation4 ,the mask that veils the hypocrisy is too thin to deceive anybody4 ,it would have been dignified if the communique had boldly admitted ,mr4 ,lloyd ,george's mistake in having made the promise referred to4 ,as it is1 the claim of fulfilment of the promise only adds to the irritation caused by its glaring breach4 ,what is the use of the ,viceroy saying1 ,the question of the ,khilafat is one for the ,mahomedans and ,mahomedans only and that with their free choice in the matter ,government have no desire to interfere1 while the ,khalif's dominions are ruthlessly dismembered1 his control of the ,holy places of ,islam shamelessly taken away from him and he himself reduced to utter impotence in his own palace which can no longer be called a palace but which can he more fitly described us a prison8 ,no wonder1 ,his ,excellency fears that the peace includes terms which must be painful to all ,moslems4 ,why should he insult ,muslim intelligence by sending the ,mussalmans of ,india a of encouragement and sympathy8 ,are they expected to find encouragement in the cruel recital of the arrogant terms or in a remembrance of 'the splendid response' made by them to the call of the ,king 'in the day of the ,empire's need4' ,it ill becomes ,his ,excellency to talk of the triumph of those ideals of justice and humanity for which the ,allies fought4 ,indeed1 the terms of the so called peace with ,turkey if they are to last1 will be a monument of human arrogance and man-made injustice4 ,to attempt to crush the spirit of a brave and gallant race1 because it has lost in the fortunes of war1 is a triumph not of humanity but a demonstration of inhumanity4 ,and if ,turkey enjoyed the closest ties of friendship with ,great ,britain before the war1 ,great ,britain has certainly made ample reparation for her mistake by having made the largest contribution to the humiliation of ,turkey4 ,it is insufferable therefore when the ,viceroy feels confident that with the conclusion of this new treaty that friendship will quickly take life again and a ,turkey regenerate full of hope and strength1 will stand forth in the future as in the past a pillar of the ,islamic faith4 ,the ,viceregal message audaciously concludes1 ,this thought will ,i trust strengthen you to accept the peace terms with resignation1 courage and fortitude and to keep your loyalty towards the ,crown bright and untarnished as it has been for so many generations4 ,if ,muslim loyalty remains untarnished it will certainly not be for want of effort on the part of the ,government of ,india to put the heaviest strain upon it1 but it will remain so because the ,mahomedans realise their own strength--the strength in the knowledge that their cause is just and that they have got the power to vindicate justice in spite of the aberration suffered by ,great ,britain under a ,prime ,minister whom continued power has made as reckless in making promises as in breaking them4 ,whilst therefore ,i admit that there is nothing either in the peace terms or in the ,viceregal message covering them to inspire the ,mahomedans and ,indians in general with confidence or hope1 ,i venture to suggest that there is no cause for despair and anger4 ,now is the time for ,mahomedans to retain absolute self-control1 to unite their forces and1 weak though they are1 with firm faith in ,god to carry on the struggle with redoubled vigour till justice is done4 ,if ,india--both ,hindu and ,mahomedan--can act as one man and can withdraw her partnership in this crime against humanity which the peace terms represent1 she will soon secure a revision of the treaty and give herself and the ,empire at least1 if not the world1 a lasting peace4 ,there is no doubt that the struggle would be bitter sharp and possibly prolonged1 but it is worth all the sacrifice that it is likely to call forth4 ,both the ,mussalmans and the ,hindus are on their trial4 ,is the humiliation of the ,khilafat a matter of concern to the former8 ,and if it is1 are they prepared to exercise restraint1 religiously refrain from violence and practise non-co-operation without counting the material loss it may entail upon the community8 ,do the ,hindus honestly feel for their ,mahomedan brethren to the extent of sharing their sufferings to the fullest extent8 ,the answer to these questions and not the peace terms1 will finally decide the fate of the ,khilafat4 ,,more ,,objections ,,answered ,swadeshmitran is one of the most influential ,tamil dailies of ,madras4 ,it is widely read4 ,everything appearing in its columns is entitled to respect4 ,the ,editor has suggested some practical difficulty in the way of non-co-operation4 ,i would therefore like1 to the best of my ability1 to deal with them4 ,i do not know where the information has been derived from that ,i have given up the last two stages of non-co-operation4 ,what ,i have said is that they are a distant goal4 ,i abide by it4 ,i admit that all the stages are fraught with some danger1 but the last two are fraught with the greatest--the last most of all4 ,the stages have been fixed with a view to running the least possible risk4 ,the last two stages will not be taken up unless the committee has attained sufficient control over the people to warrant the beliefs that the laying down of arms or suspension of taxes will1 humanly speaking1 be free from an outbreak of violence on the part of the people4 ,i do entertain the belief that it is possible for the people to attain the discipline necessary for taking the two steps4 ,when once they realise that violence is totally unnecessary to bend an unwilling government to their will and that the result can be obtained with certainty by dignified non-co-operation1 they will cease to think of violence even by way of retaliation4 ,the fact is that hitherto we have not attempted to take concerted and disciplined action from the masses4 ,some day1 if we are to become truly a self-governing nation1 that attempt has to be made4 ,the present1 in my opinion1 is a propitious movement4 ,every ,indian feels the insult to the ,punjab as a personal wrong1 every ,mussalman resents the wrong done to the ,khilafat4 ,there is therefore a favourable atmosphere for expecting cohesive and restrained movement on the part of the masses4 ,so far as response is concerned1 ,i agree with the ,editor that the quickest and the largest response is to be expected in the matter of suspension of payment of taxes1 but as ,i have said so long as the masses are not educated to appreciate the value of non-violence even whilst their holding are being sold1 so long must it be difficult to take up the last stage into any appreciable extent4 ,i agree too that a sudden withdrawal of the military and the police will be a disaster if we have not acquired the ability to protect ourselves against robbers and thieves4 ,but ,i suggest that when we are ready to call out the military and the police on an extensive scale we would find ourselves in a position to defend ourselves4 ,if the police and the military resign from patriotic motives1 ,i would certainly expect them to perform the same duty as national volunteers1 not has hirelings but as willing protectors of the life and liberty of their countrymen4 ,the movement of non-co-operation is one of automatic adjustment4 ,if the ,government schools are emptied1 ,i would certainly expect national schools to come into being4 ,if the lawyers as a whole suspended practice1 they would devise arbitration courts and the nation will have expeditions and cheaper method of setting private disputes and awarding punishment to the wrong-doer4 ,i may add that the ,khilafat ,committee is fully alive to the difficulty of the task and is taking all the necessary steps to meet the contingencies as they arise4 ,regarding the leaving of civil employment1 no danger is feared1 because no one will leave his employment1 unless he is in a position to find support for himself and family either through friends or otherwise4 ,disapproval of the proposed withdrawal of students betrays1 in my humble opinion1 lack of appreciation of the true nature of non-co-operation4 ,it is true enough that we pay the money wherewith our children are educated4 ,but1 when the agency imparting the education has become corrupt1 we may not employ it without partaking of the agents1 corruption4 ,when students leave schools or colleges ,i hardly imagine that the teachers will fail to perceive the advisability of themselves resigning4 ,but even if they do not1 money can hardly be allowed to count where honour or religion are at the stake4 ,as to the boycott of the councils1 it is not the entry of the ,moderates or any other persons that matters so much as the entry of those who believe in non-co-operation4 ,you may not co-operate at the top and non-co-operate at the bottom4 ,a councillor cannot remain in the council and ask the gumasta who cleans the council-table to resign4 ,,mr4 ,,pennington',s ,,objections ,,answered ,i gladly publish ,mr4 ,pennington's letter with its enclosure just as ,i have received them4 ,evidently ,mr4 ,pennington is not a regular reader of ',young ,india1' or he would have noticed that no one has condemned mob outrages more than ,i have4 ,he seems to think that the article he has objected to was the only thing ,i have ever written on ,general ,dyer4 ,he does not seem to know that ,i have endeavoured with the utmost impartiality to examine the ,jallianwala massacre4 ,and he can see any day all the proof adduced by my fellow-commissioners and myself in support of our findings on the massacre4 ,the ordinary readers of ',young ,india' knew all the facts and therefore it was unnecessary for me to support my assertion otherwise4 ,but unfortunately ,mr4 ,pennington represents the typical ,englishman4 ,he does not want to be unjust1 nevertheless he is rarely just in his appreciation of world events because he has no time to study them except cursorily and that through a press whose business is to air only party views4 ,the average ,englishman therefore except in parochial matters is perhaps the least informed though he claims to be well-informed about every variety of interest4 ,mr4 ,pennington's ignorance is thus typical of the others and affords the best reason for securing control of our own affairs in our own hands4 ,ability will come with use and not by waiting to be trained by those whose natural interest is to prolong the period of tutelage as much as possible4 ,but to return to ,mr4 ,pennington's letter he complains that there has been no 'proper trial of any one4' ,the fault is not ours4 ,india has consistently and insistently demanded a trial of all the officers concerned in the crimes against the ,punjab4 ,he next objects to be 'violence' of my language4 ,if truth is violent1 ,i plead guilty to the charge of violence of language4 ,but ,i could not1 without doing violence to truth1 refrain from using the language1 ,i have1 regarding ,general ,dyer's action4 ,it has been proved out of his own mouth or hostile witnesses3 7#a7 ,that the crowd was unarmed4 7#b7 ,that it contained children4 7#c7 ,that the #acth was the day of ,vaisakhi fair4 7#d7 ,that thousands had come to the fair4 7#e7 ,that there was no rebellion4 7#f7 ,that during the intervening two days before the 'massacre' there was peace in ,amritsar4 7#g7 ,that the proclamation of the meeting was made the same day as ,general ,dyer's proclamation4 7#h7 ,that ,general ,dyer's proclamation prohibited not meetings but processions or gatherings of four men on the streets and not in private or public places4 7#i7 ,that ,general ,dyer ran no risk whether outside or inside the city4 7#aj7 ,that he admitted himself that many in the crowd did not know anything of his proclamation4 7#aa7 ,that he fired without warning the crowd and even after it had begun to disperse4 ,he fired on the backs of the people who were in flight4 7#ab7 ,that the men were practically penned in an enclosure4 ,in the face of these admitted facts ,i do call the deed a 'massacre4' ,the action amounted not to 'an error of judgment' but its 'paralysis in the face of fancied danger4' ,i am sorry to have to say that ,mr4 ,pennington's notes1 which too the reader will find published elsewhere1 betray as much ignorance as his letter4 ,whatever was adopted on paper in the days of ,canning was certainly not translated into action in its full sense4 ',promises made to the ear were broken to the hope1' was said by a reactionary ,viceroy4 ,military expenditure has grown enormously since the days of ,canning4 ,the demonstration in favour of ,general ,dyer is practically a myth4 ,no trace was found of the so-called ,danda ,fauj dignified by the name of bludgeon-army by ,mr4 ,pennington4 ,there was no rebel army in ,amritsar4 ,the crown that committed the horrible murders and incendiarism contained no one community exclusively4 ,the sheet was found posted only in ,lahore and not in ,amritsar4 ,mr4 ,pennington should moreover have known by this time that the meeting held on the #acth was held1 among other things1 for the purpose of condemning mob excesses4 ,this was brought out at the ,amritsar trial4 ,those who surrounded him could not stop ,general ,dyer4 ,he says he made up his mind to shoot in a moment4 ,he consulted nobody4 ,when the correspondent says that the troops would have objected to being concerned in 'what might in that case be not unfairly called a 'massacre1' he writes as if he had never lived in ,india4 ,i wish the ,indian troops had the moral courage to refuse to shoot innocent1 unarmed men in full flight4 ,but the ,indian troops have been brought in too slavish an atmosphere to dare do any such correct act4 ,i hope ,mr4 ,pennington will not accuse me again of making unverified assertions because ,i have not quoted from the books4 ,the evidence is there for him to use4 ,i can only assure him that the assertions are based on positive proofs mostly obtained from official sources4 ,mr4 ,pennington wants me to publish an exact account of what happened on the #ajth ,april4 ,he can find it in the reports1 and if he will patiently go through them he will discover that ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer and his officials goaded the people into frenzied fury--a fury which nobody1 as ,i have already said1 has condemned more than ,i have4 ,the account of the following days is summed up in one word1 viz4 'peace' on the part of the crowd disturbed by indiscriminate arrests1 the massacre and the series of official crimes that followed4 ,i am prepared to give ,mr4 ,pennington credit for seeking after the truth4 ,but he has gone about it in the wrong manner4 ,i suggest his reading the evidence before the ,hunter ,committee and the ,congress ,committee4 ,he need not read the reports4 ,but the evidence will convince him that ,i have understated the case against ,general ,dyer4 ,when however ,i read his description of himself as for #ab years ,chief ,magistrate of ,districts in the ,south of ,india before reform1 by assassination and otherwise1 became so fashionable4 ,i despair of his being able to find the truth4 ,an angry or a biased man renders himself incapable of finding it4 ,and ,mr4 ,pennington is evidently both angry and biased4 ,what does he mean by saying1 before reform by assassination and otherwise became so fashionable8 ,it ill becomes him to talk of assassination when the school of assassination seems happily to have become extinct4 ,englishmen will never see the truth so long as they permit their vision to be blinded by arrogant assumption of superiority or ignorant assumptions of infallibility4 ,,mr4 ,,pennington',s ,,letter ,,to ,,mr4 ,,gandhi ,dear ,sir1 ,i do not like your scheme for boycotting the ,government of ,india under what seems to be the somewhat less offensive 7though more cumbrous7 name of non-co-operation2 but have always given you credit for a genuine desire to carry out revolution by peaceful means and am astonished at the violence of the language you use in describing ,general ,dyer on page #d of your issue of the #adth ,july last4 ,you begin by saying that he is by no means the worst offender1 and1 so far1 ,i am inclined to agree1 though as there has been no proper trial of anyone it is impossible to apportion their guilt2 but then you say his brutality is unmistakable1 his abject and unsoldierlike cowardice is apparent1 he has called an unarmed crowd of men and children--mostly holiday makers--a rebel army4 ,he believes himself to be the saviour of the ,punjab in that he was able to shoot down like rabbits men who were penned in an enclosure2 such a man is unworthy to be considered a soldier4 ,there was no bravery in his action4 ,he ran no risk4 ,he shot without the slightest opposition and without warning4 ,this is not an error of judgement4 ,it is paralysis of it in the face of fancied danger4 ,it is proof of criminal incapacity and heartlessness1 etc4 ,you must excuse me for saying that all this is mere rhetoric unsupported by any proof1 even where proof was possible4 ,to begin with1 neither you nor ,i were present at the ,jallianwalla ,bagh on that dreadful day--dreadful especially for ,general ,dyer for whom you show no sympathy1--and therefore cannot know for certain whether the crowd was or was not unarmed4' ,that it was an 'illegal1' because a 'prohibited1' assembly is evident2 for it is absurd to suppose that ,general ,dyer's #d-a_/b hours march1 through the city that very morning1 during the whole of which he was warning the inhabitants against the danger of any sort of gathering1 was not thoroughly well-known4 ,you say they were 'mostly holiday makers1' but you give nor proof2 and the idea of holiday gathering in ,amritsar just then in incredible4 ,i cannot understand your making such a suggestion4 ,general ,dyer was not the only officer present on the occasion and it is impossible to suppose that he would have been allowed to go on shooting into an innocent body of holiday-makers4 ,even the troops would have refused to carry out what might then have been not unfairly called a massacre4 ,i notice that you never even allude to the frightful brutality of the mob which was immediately responsible for the punitive measure reluctantly adopted by ,general ,dyer4 ,your sympathies seem to be only with the murderers1 and ,i am not sanguine enough to suppose that my view of the case will have much influence with you4 ,still ,i am bound to do what ,i can to get at the truth1 and enclose a copy of some notes ,i have had occasion to make4 ,if you can publish an exact account of what happened at ,amritsar on the #ajth of ,april1 #aiai and the following days1 especially on the #acth1 including the demonstration in favour of ,general ,dyer1 7if there was one71 ,i for one1 as a mere seeker after the truth1 should be very much obliged to you4 ,mere abuse is not convincing1 as you so often observe in your generally reasonable paper1 ,yours faithfully1 ,j4 ,r4 ,,pennington1 ,i4,o4,s4 7,retd47 #ce1 ,,victoria ,,road1 ,,worthing1 ,,sussex #bgth ,aug4 #aibj4 ,for #ab years ,chief ,magistrate of ,districts in the south of ,india before reform1 by assassination and otherwise1 became so fashionable4 ,p4,s4 ,let us get the case in this way4 ,general ,dyer1 acting as the only representative of ,government on the spot shot some hundreds of people 7some of them perhaps innocently mixed up in an illegal assembly71 in the bona fide belief that he was dealing with the remains of a very dangerous rebellion and was thereby saving the lives of very many thousands1 and in the opinion of a great many people did actually save the city from falling in the hands of a dangerous mob4 ,,some ,,doubts ,babu ,janakdhari ,prasad was a staunch coworker with me in ,champaran4 ,he has written a long letter setting forth his reasons for his belief that ,india has a great mission before her1 and that she can achieve her purpose only by non-violent non-co-operation4 ,but he has doubts which he would have me answer publicly4 ,the letter being long1 ,i am withholding4 ,but the doubts are entitled to respect and ,i must endeavour to answer them4 ,here they are us framed by ,bubu ,janakdhari ,prasad4 7a7 ,is not the non-co-operation movement creating a sort of race-hatred between ,englishmen and ,indians1 and is it in accordance with the ,divine plan of universal love and brotherhood8 7b7 ,does not the use of words devilish1 satanic1 etc41 savour of unbrotherly sentiment and incite feelings of hatred8 7c7 ,should not the non-co-operation movement be conducted on strictly non-violent and non-emotional lines both in speech and action8 7d7 ,is there no danger of the movement going out of control and lending to violence8 ,as to 7a71 ,i must say that the movement is not 'creating' race-hatred4 ,it certainly gives1 as ,i have already said1 disciplined expression to it4 ,you cannot eradicate evil by ignoring it4 ,it is because ,i want to promote universal brotherhood that ,i have taken up non-co-operation so that1 by self-purification1 ,india may make the world better than it is4 ,as to 7b71 ,i know that the words 'satanic' and 'devilish' are strong1 but they relate the exact truth4 ,they describe a system not persons3 ,we are bound to hate evil1 if we would shun it4 ,but by means of non-co-operation we are able to distinguish between the evil and the evil-doer4 ,i have found no difficulty in describing a particular activity of a brother of mine to be devilish1 but ,i am not aware of having harboured any hatred about him4 ,non-co-operation teaches us to love our fellowmen in spite of their faults1 not by ignoring or over-looking them4 ,as to 7c71 the movement is certainly being conducted on strictly non-violent lines4 ,that all non-co-operators have not yet thoroughly imbibed the doctrine is true4 ,but that just shows what an evil legacy we have inherited4 ,emotion there is in the movement4 ,and it will remain4 ,a man without emotion is a man without feeling4 ,as to 7d71 there certainly is danger of the movement becoming violent4 ,but we may no more drop non-violent non-co-operation because of its dangers1 than we may stop freedom because of the danger of its abuse4 ,,rejoinder ,messrs4 ,popley and ,philips have been good enough to reply to my letter ,to ,every ,englishman in ,india4 ,i recognise and appreciate the friendly spirit of their letter4 ,but ,i see that there are fundamental differences which must for the time being divide them and me4 ,so long as ,i felt that1 in spite of grievous lapses the ,british ,empire represented an activity for the worlds and ,india's good1 ,i clung to it like a child to its mother's breast4 ,but that faith is gone4 ,the ,british nation has endorsed the ,punjab and ,khilsfat crimes4 ,the is no doubt a dissenting minority4 ,but a dissenting minority that satisfies itself with a mere expression of its opinion and continues to help the wrong-doer partakes in wrong-doing4 ,and when the sum total of his energy represents a minus quantity one may not pick out the plus quantities1 hold them up for admiration1 and ask an admiring public to help regarding them4 ,it is a favourite design of ,satan to temper evil with a show of good and thus lure the unwary into the trap4 ,the only way the world has known of defeating ,satan is by shunning him4 ,i invite ,englishmen1 who could work out the ideal the believe in1 to join the ranks of the non-co-operationists4 ,w4,t4 ,stead prayed for the reverse of the ,british arms during the ,boer war4 ,miss ,hobbhouse invited the ,boers to keep up the fight4 ,the betrayal of ,india is much worse than the injustice done to the ,boers4 ,the ,boers fought and bled for their rights4 ,when therefore1 we are prepared to bleed1 the right will have become embodied1 and idolatrous world will perceive it and do homage to it4 ,but ,messers4 ,popley and ,phillips object that ,i have allied myself with those who would draw the sword if they could4 ,i see nothing wrong in it4 ,they represent the right no less than ,i do4 ,and is it not worth while trying to prevent an unsheathing of the sword by helping to win the bloodless battle8 ,those who recognise the truth of the ,indian position can only do ,god's work by assisting this non-violent campaign4 ,the second objection raised by these ,english friends is more to the point4 ,i would be guilty of wrong-doing myself if the ,muslim cause was not just4 ,the fact is that the ,muslim claim is not to perpetuate foreign domination of non-,muslim or ,turkish races4 ,the ,indian ,mussalmans do not resist self-determination1 but they would fight to the last the nefarious plan of exploiting ,mesopotamia under the plea of self-determination4 ,they must resist the studied attempt to humiliate ,turkey and therefore ,islam1 under the false pretext of ensuring ,armenian independence4 ,the third objection has reference to schools4 ,i do object to missionary or any schools being carried on with ,government money4 ,it is true that it was at one time our money4 ,will these good missionaries be justified in educating me with funds given to them by a robber who has robbed me of my money1 religion and honour because the money was originally mine4 ,i personally tolerated the financial robbery of ,india1 but it would have been a sin to have tolerated the robbery of honour through the ,punjab1 and of religion through ,turkey4 ,this is strong language4 ,but nothing less would truly describe my deep conviction4 ,needless to add that the emptying of ,government aided1 or affiliated1 schools does not mean starving the young mind ,national ,schools are coming into being as fast as the others are emptied4 ,messrs4 ,popley and ,phillips think that my sense of justice has been blurred by the knowledge of the ,punjab and the ,khilafat wrongs4 ,i hope not4 ,i have asked friends to show me some good fruit 7intended and deliberately produced7 of the ,british occupation of ,india4 ,and ,i assure them that ,i shall make the amplest amends if ,i find that ,i have erred in my eagerness about the ,khilafat and the ,punjab wrongs4 ,,two ,,englishmen ,,reply ,dear ,mr4 ,gandhi1 ,thank you for your letter to every ,englishman in ,india1 with its hard-hitting and its generous tone4 ,something within us responds to the note which you have struck4 ,we are not representatives of any corporate body1 but we think that millions of our countrymen in ,england1 and not a few in ,india1 feel as we do4 ,the reading of your letter convinces us that you and we cannot be real enemies4 ,may we say at once that in so far as the ,british ,empire stands for the domination and exploitation of other races for ,britain's benefit1 for degrading treatment of any1 for traffic in intoxicating liquors1 for repressive legislation1 for administration such as that which to the ,amritsar incidents1 we desire the end of it as much as you do8 ,we quite understand that in the excitement of the present crisis1 owing to certain acts of the ,british ,administration1 which we join with you in condemning1 the ,empire presents itself to you under this aspect along4 ,but from personal contact with our countrymen1 we know that working like leaven in the midst of such tendencies1 as you and we deplore1 is the faith in a better ideal--the ideal of a commonwealth of free peoples voluntarily linked together by the ties of common experience in the past and common aspirations for the future1 a commonwealth which may hope to spread liberty and progress through the whole earth4 ,with vast numbers of our countrymen we value the ,british ,empire mainly as affording the possibility of the realization of such an idea and on the ground give it our loyal allegiance4 ,meanwhile we do repent of that arrogant attitude to ,indians which has been all too common among our countrymen1 we do hold ,indians to be our brothers and equals1 many of them our superiors1 and we would rather be servants than rulers of ,india4 ,we desire an administration which cannot he intimated either by the selfish element in ,anglo-,indian political opinion or by any other sectional interest and which shall govern in accordance with the best democratic principles4 ,we should welcome the convening of a ,national assembly of recognized leaders of the people1 representing all shades of political opinion of every caste1 race and creed1 to frame a constitution for ,swaraj4 ,in all the things that matter most we are with you4 ,surely you and we can co-operate in the service of ,india1 in such matters for example as education4 ,it seems to us nothing short of a tragedy that you should be rallying ,indian ,patriotism to inaugurate a new era of good will under a watchword that divides1 instead of uniting all4 ,we have spoken of the large amount of common ground upon which you and we can stand4 ,but frankness demands that we express our anxiety about some items in your programme4 ,leaving aside smaller questions on which your letter seems to us to do the ,british side less than justice1 may we mention three main points8 ,your insistence on spiritual forces alone we deeply respect and desire to emulate1 but we cannot understand your combining into it with a close alliance with those who1 as you frankly say1 would draw the sword as soon as they could4 ,your desire for an education truly national commands our whole-hearted approval4 ,but instead of ,indianizing the present system1 as you could begin to do from the beginning of next year1 or instead of creating a hundred institutions such as that at ,bolpur and turning into them the stream of ,india's young intellectual life1 you appear to be turning that stream out of its present channel into open sands where it may dry up4 ,in other words1 you seem to us to be risking the complete cessation1 for a period possibly1 of years1 of all education1 for a large number of boys and young men4 ,is it best1 for those young men or for ,india that the present imperfect education should cease before a better education is ready to take its place8 ,your desire to unite ,mohammedan and ,hindu and to share with your ,mohammedan brethren in seeking the satisfaction of ,mohammedan aspirations1 we can understand and sympathize with4 ,but is there no danger1 in the course which some of your party have urged upon the ,government1 that certain races in the former ,ottoman ,empire might be fixed under a foreign yoke1 for worse than that which you hold the ,english yoke to be8 ,you could not wish to purchase freedom in ,india at the price of enslavement in the middle ,east4 ,to sum up1 we thank you for the spirit of your letter1 to which we have tried to respond in the same spirit4 ,we are with you in the desire for an ,india genuinely free to develop the best that is in her and in the belief that best is something wonderful of which the world to-day stands in need4 ,we are ready to co-operate with you and with every other man of any race or nationality who will help ,india to realize her best4 ,are you going to insist that you can have nothing to do with us if we receive a government grant 7i4e41 ,indian money71 for an ,indian ,school4 ,surely some more inspiring battle cry than non-co-operation can be discovered4 ,we have ventured quite frankly to point out three items in your present programme1 which seem to us likely to hinder the attainment of your true ideals for ,indian greatness4 ,but those ideals themselves command our warm sympathy1 and we desire to work1 so far as we have opportunity1 for their attainment4 ,in fact1 it is only thus that we can interpret our ,british citizenship4 ,yours sincerely1 7,sd47 ,h4,a4 ,,popley1 7,sd47 ,g4,e4 ,,phillips4 ,bangalore1 ,november #ae1 #aibj4 ,,renunciation ,,of ,,medals ,mr4 ,gandhi has addressed the following letter to the ,viceroy3-- ,it is not without a pang that ,i return the ,kaisar-i-,hind gold medal granted to me by your predecessor for my humanitarian work in ,south ,africa1 the ,zulu war medal granted in ,south ,africa for my services as officer in charge of the ,indian volunteer ambulance corps in #aijf and the ,boer war medal fur my services as assistant superintendent of the ,indian volunteer stretcher bearer corps during the ,boer war of #ahii-aijj4 ,i venture to return these medals in pursuance of the scheme of non-co-operation inaugurated to-day in connection with the ,khilafat movement4 ,valuable as those honours have been to me1 ,i cannot wear them with an easy conscience so long as my ,mussalman countrymen have to labour under a wrong done to their religious sentiment4 ,events that have happened during the past month have confirmed me in the opinion that the ,imperial ,government have acted in the ,khilafat matter in an unscrupulous1 immoral and unjust manner and have been moving from wrong to wrong in order to defend their immorality4 ,i can retain neither respect nor affection for such a ,government4 ,the attitude of the ,imperial and ,your ,excellency's ,governments on the ,punjab question has given me additional cause for grave dissatisfaction4 ,i had the honour1 as ,your ,excellency is aware1 as one of the congress commissioners to investigate the causes of the disorders in the ,punjab during the ,april of #aiai4 ,and it is my deliberate conviction that ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer was totally unfit to hold the office of ,lieutenant ,governor of ,punjab and that his policy was primarily responsible for infuriating the mob at ,amritsar4 ,no doubt the mob excesses were unpardonable2 incendiarism1 murder of five innocent ,englishmen and the cowardly assault on ,miss ,sherwood were most deplorable and uncalled for4 ,but the punitive measures taken by ,general ,dyer1 ,col4 ,frank ,johnson1 ,col4 ,o',brien1 ,mr4 ,bosworth ,smith1 ,rai ,shri ,ram ,sud1 ,mr4 ,malik ,khan and other officers were out of all proportional to the crime of the people and amounted to wanton cruelty and inhumanity and almost unparalleled in modern times4 ,your excellency's light-hearted treatment of the official crime1 your1 exoneration of ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer1 ,mr4 ,montagu's dispatch and above all the shameful ignorance of the ,punjab events and callous disregard of the feelings of ,indians betrayed by the ,house of ,lords1 have filled me with the gravest misgivings regarding the future of the ,empire1 have estranged me completely from the present ,government and have disabled me from tendering1 as ,i have hitherto whole-heartedly tendered1 my loyal co-operation4 ,in my humble opinion the ordinary method of agitating by way of petitions1 deputations and the like is no remedy for moving to repentence a ,government so hopelessly indifferent to the welfare of its charges as the ,government of ,india has proved to me4 ,in ,european countries1 condonation of such grievous wrongs as the ,khilafat and the ,punjab would have resulted in a bloody revolution by the people4 ,they would have resisted at all costs national emasculation such as the said wrongs imply4 ,but half of ,india is to weak to offer violent resistance and the other half is unwilling to do so4 ,i have therefore ventured to suggest the remedy of non-co-operation which enables those who wish1 to dissociate themselves from the ,government and which1 if it is unattended by violence and undertaken in an ordered manner1 must compel it to retrace its steps and undo the wrongs committed4 ,but whilst ,i shall pursue the policy of non-co-operation in so far as ,i can carry the people with me1 ,i shall not lose hope that you will yet see your way to do justice4 ,i therefore respectfully ask ,your ,excellency to summon a conference of the recognised leaders of the people and in consultation with them find a way that would placate the ,mussalmans and do reparation to the unhappy ,punjab4 ,august #d1 #aibj4 ,,mahatma ,,gandhi',s ,,letter ,,to ,h4,r4,h4 ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,connaught ,the following letter has been addressed by ,mr4 ,gandhi to his ,royal ,highness the ,duke of ,connaught2-- ,sir1 ,your ,royal ,highness must have heard a great deal about non-co-operation1 non-co-operationists and their methods and incidentally of me its humble author4 ,i fear that the information given to ,your ,royal ,highness must have been in its nature one-sided4 ,i owe it to you and to my friends and myself that ,i should place before you what ,i conceive to be the scope of non-co-operation as followed not only be me but my closest associates such as ,messrs4 ,shaukat ,ali and ,mahomed ,ali4 ,for me it is no joy and pleasure to be actively associated in the boycott of your ,royal ,highness' visit--,i have tendered loyal and voluntary association to the ,government for an unbroken period of nearly #cj years in the full belief that through that way lay the path of freedom for my country4 ,it was therefore no slight thing for me to suggest to my countrymen that we should take no part in welcoming ,your ,royal ,highness4 ,not one among us has anything against you as an ,english gentleman4 ,we hold your person as sacred as that of a dearest friend4 ,i do not know any of my friends who would not guard it with his life1 if he found it in danger4 ,we are not at war with individual ,englishmen we seek not to destroy ,english life4 ,we do desire to destroy a system that has emasculated our country in body1 mind and soul4 ,we are determined to battle with all our might against that in the ,english nature which has made ,o',dwyerism and ,dyerism possible in the ,punjab and has resulted in a wanton affront upon ,islam a faith professed by seven crores of our countrymen4 ,the affront has been put in breach of the letter and the spirit of the solemn declaration of the ,prime ,minister4 ,we consider it to be inconsistent with our self respect any longer to brook the spirit of superiority and dominance which has systematically ignored and disregarded the sentiments of thirty crores of the innocent people of ,india on many a vital matter4 ,it is humiliating to us1 it cannot be a matter of pride to you1 that thirty crores of ,indians should live day in and day out in the fear of their lives from one hundred thousand ,englishmen and therefore be under subjection to them4 ,your ,royal ,highness has come not to end the system ,i have described but to sustain it by upholding its prestige4 ,your first pronouncement was a laudation of ,lord ,wellingdon4 ,i have the privilege of knowing him4 ,i believe him to be an honest and amiable gentleman who will not willingly hurt even a fly4 ,but1 he has certainly failed as a ruler4 ,he allowed himself to be guided by those whose interest it was to support their power4 ,he is reading the mind of the ,dravidian province4 ,here in ,bengal you are issuing a certificate of merit to a ,governor who is again from all ,i have heard an estimable gentleman4 ,but he knows nothing of the heart of ,bengal and its yearnings4 ,bengal is not ,calcutta4 ,fort ,william and the palaces of ,calcutta represent an insolent exploitation of the unmurmuring and highly cultured peasantry of this fair province4 ,non-co-operationists have come to the conclusion that they must not be deceived by the reforms that tinker with the problem of ,india's distress and humiliation4 ,nor must they be impatient and angry4 ,we must not in our impatient anger resort1 to stupid violence4 ,we freely admit that we must take our due share of the blame for the existing state4 ,it is not so much the ,british guns that are responsible fur our subjection1 as our voluntary co-operation4 ,our non-participation in a hearty welcome to your ,royal ,highness is thus in no sense a demonstration against your high personage but it is against the system you have come to uphold4 ,i know that individual ,englishmen cannot even if they will alter the ,english nature all of a sudden4 ,if we would be equals of ,englishmen we must cast off fear4 ,we must learn to be self-reliant and independent of the schools1 courts1 protection1 and patronage of a ,government1 we seek to end1 if it will not mend4 ,hence this non-violent non-co-operation4 ,i know that we have not all yet become non-violent in speech and deed4 ,but the results so far achieved have ,i assure ,your ,royal ,highness1 been amazing4 ,the people have understood the secret and the value of non-violence as they have never done before4 ,he who runs may see that this a religious1 purifying movement4 ,we are leaving off drink1 we are trying to rid ,india of the curse of untouchability4 ,we are trying to throw off foreign tinsel splendour and by reverting to the spinning wheel reviving the ancient and the poetic simplicity of life4 ,we hope thereby to sterilize the existing harmful institution4 ,i ask ,your ,royal ,highness as an ,englishman to study this movement and its possibilities for the ,empire and the world4 ,we are at war with nothing that is good in the world4 ,in protecting ,islam in the manner we are1 we are protecting all religions4 ,in protecting the honour of ,india we are protecting the honour of humanity4 ,for our means are hurtful to none4 ,we desire to live on terms of friendship with ,englishmen but that friendship must be friendship of equals in both theory and practice4 ,and we must continue to non-co-operate1 i4e4 to purify ourselves till the goal is achieved4 ,i ask ,your ,royal ,highness and through you every ,englishman to appreciate the view-point of the non-co-operationists4 ,i beg to remain1 ,your ,royal ,highness's faithful servant1 7,sd47 ,m4,k4 ,,gandhi4 ,february1 #aiba ,,the ,,greatest ,,thing ,it is to be wished that non-co-operationists will clearly recognise that nothing can stop the onward march of the nation as violence4 ,ireland may gain its freedom by violence4 ,turkey may regain her lost possessions by violence within measurable distance of time4 ,but ,india cannot win her freedom by violence for a century1 because her people are not built in the manner of other nations4 ,they have been nurtured in the traditions of suffering4 ,rightly or wrongly1 for good or ill1 ,islam too has evolved along peaceful lines in ,india4 ,and ,i make bold to say that1 if the honour of ,islam is to be vindicated through its followers in ,india1 it will only be by methods of peaceful1 silent1 dignified1 conscious1 and courageous suffering4 ,the more ,i study that wonderful faith1 the more convinced ,i become that the glory of ,islam is due not to the sword but to the sufferings1 the renunciation1 and the nobility of its early ,caliphs4 ,islam decayed when its followers1 mistaking the evil for the good1 dangled the sword in the face of man1 and lost sight of the godliness1 the humility1 and austerity of its founder and his disciples4 ,but1 ,i am not at the present moment1 concerned with showing that the basis of ,islam1 as of all religions1 is not violence but suffering not the taking of life but the giving of it4 ,what ,i am anxious to show is that non-co-operationists must be true as well to the spirit as to the letter of their vow if they would gain ,swaraj within one year4 ,they may forget non-co-operation but they dare not forget non-violence4 ,indeed1 non-co-operation is non-violence4 ,we are violent when we sustain a government whose creed is violence4 ,it bases itself finally not on right but on might4 ,its last appeal is not to reason1 nor the heart1 but to the sword4 ,we are tired of this creed and we have risen against it4 ,let us not ourselves belie our profession by being violent4 ,though the ,english are very few1 they are organised for violence4 ,though we are many we cannot be organised for violence for a long time to come4 ,violence for us is a gospel or despair4 ,i have seen a pathetic letter from a god-fearing ,english woman who defends ,dyerism for she thinks that1 if ,general ,dyer had not enacted ,jallianwala1 women and children would have been murdered by us4 ,if we are such brutes as to desire the blood of innocent women and children1 we deserve to be blotted out from the face of the earth4 ,there is the other side4 ,it did not strike this good lady that1 if we were friends1 the price that her countrymen paid at ,jallianwala for buying their safety was too great4 ,they gained their safety at the cost of their humanity4 ,general ,dyer has been haltingly blamed1 and his evil genius ,sir ,michael ,o',dwyer entirely exonerated because ,englishmen do not want to leave this country of fields even if everyone of us has to be killed4 ,if we go mad again as we did at ,amritsar1 let there be no mistake that a blacker ,jallianwala will be enacted4 ,shall we copy ,dyerism and ,o',dwyerism even whilst we are condemning it8 ,let not our rock be violence and devilry4 ,our rock must be non-violence and godliness4 ,let us1 workers1 be clear as to what we are about4 ,swaraj depends upon our ability to control all the forces of violence on our side4 ,therefore there is no ,swaraj within one year1 if there is violence on the part of the people4 ,we must then refrain from sitting dhurna1 we must refrain from crying 'shame1 shame' to anybody1 we must not use any coercion to persuade our people to adopt our way4 ,we must guarantee to them the same freedom we claim for ourselves4 ,we must not tamper with the masses4 ,it is dangerous to make political use of factory labourers or the peasantry--not that we are not entitled to do so1 but we are not ready for it4 ,we have neglected their political 7as distinguished from literary7 education all these long years4 ,we have not got enough honest1 intelligent1 reliable1 and brave workers to enable us to act upon these countrymen of ours4 ,,ix4 ,,mahatma ,,gandhi',s ,,statement ,the following is the ,statement of ,mahatma ,gandhi made before the ,court during his ,trial in ,ahmedabad on the #ahth ,march #aiba4 ,before reading his written statement ,mahatma ,gandhi spoke a few words as introductory remarks to the whole statement4 ,he said3 ,before ,i read this statement1 ,i would like to state that ,i entirely endorse the learned ,advocate-,general's remarks in connection with my humble self4 ,i think that he was entirely fair to me in all the statements that he has made1 because it is very true and ,i have no desire whatsoever to conceal from this ,court the fact that to preach disaffection towards the existing system of ,government has become almost a passion with me4 ,and the learned ,advocate-,general is also entirely in the right when he says that my preaching of disaffection did not commence with my connection with ,young ,india but that it commenced much earlier and in the statement that ,i am about to read it will be my painful duty to admit before this ,court that it commenced much earlier than the period stated by the ,advocate-,general4 ,it is the most painful duty with me but ,i have to discharge that duty knowing the responsibility that rested upon my shoulders4 ,and ,i wish to endorse all the blame that the ,advocate-,general has thrown on my shoulders in connection with the ,bombay occurrence1 ,madras occurrences1 and the ,chouri ,choura occurrences thinking over these things deeply1 and sleeping over them night after night and examining my heart ,i have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for me to dissociate myself from the diabolical crimes of ,chouri ,choura or the mad outrages of ,bombay4 ,he is quite right when he says that as a man of responsibility1 a man having received a fair share of education1 having had a fair share of experience of this world1 ,i should know them4 ,i knew that ,i was playing with fire4 ,i ran the risk and if ,i was set free ,i would still do the same4 ,i would be failing in my duty if ,i do not do so4 ,i have felt it this morning that ,i would have failed in my duty if ,i did not say all what ,i said here just now4 ,i wanted to avoid violence4 ,non-violence is the first article of my faith4 ,it is the last article of my faith4 ,but ,i had to make my choice4 ,i had either to submit to a system which ,i considered has done an irreparable harm to my country or incur the risk of the mad fury of my people bursting forth when they understood the truth from my lips4 ,i know that my people have sometimes gone mad4 ,i am deeply sorry for it2 and ,i am1 therefore1 here to submit not to a light penalty but to the highest penalty4 ,i do not ask for mercy4 ,i do not plead any extenuating act4 ,i am here1 therefore1 to invite and submit to the highest penalty that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime and what appears to me to be the highest duty of a citizen4 ,the only course open to you1 ,mr4 ,judge1 is1 as ,i am just going to say in my statement1 either to resign your post or inflict on me the severest penalty if you believe that the system and law you are assisting to administer are good for the people4 ,i do not expect that kind of conversion4 ,but by the time ,i have finished with my statement you will1 perhaps1 have a glimpse of what is raging within my breast to run this maddest risk which a sane man can run4 ,,written ,,statement ,i owe it perhaps to the ,indian public and to the public in ,england to placate which this prosecution is mainly taken up that ,i should explain why from a staunch loyalist and co-operator ,i have become an uncompromising disaffectionist and non-co-operator4 ,to the ,court too ,i should say why ,i plead guilty to the charge of promoting disaffection towards the ,government established by law in ,india4 ,my public life began in #ahic in ,south ,africa in troubled weather4 ,my first contact with ,british authority in that country was not of a happy character4 ,i discovered that as a man and as an ,indian ,i had no rights4 ,on the contrary ,i discovered that ,i had no rights as a man because ,i was an ,indian4 ,but ,i was not baffled4 ,i thought that this treatment of ,indians was an excrescence upon a system that was intrinsically and mainly good4 ,i gave the ,government my voluntary and hearty co-operation1 criticising it fully where ,i felt it was faulty but never wishing its destruction4 ,consequently when the existence of the ,empire was threatened in #ahii by the ,boer challenge1 ,i offered my services to it1 raised a volunteer ambulance corps and served at several actions that took place for the relief of ,ladysmith4 ,similarly in #aijf at the time of the ,zulu revolt ,i raised a stretcher-bearer party and served till the end of the 'rebellion'4 ,on both these occasions ,i received medals and was even mentioned in despatches4 ,for my work in ,south ,africa ,i was given by ,lord ,hardinge a ,kaiser-i-,hind ,gold ,medal4 ,when the war broke out in #aiad between ,england and ,germany ,i raised a volunteer ambulance corps in ,london consisting of the then resident ,indians in ,london1 chiefly students4 ,its work was acknowledged by the authorities to be valuable4 ,lastly in ,india when a special appeal was made at the ,war ,conference in ,delhi in #aiag by ,lord ,chelmsford for recruits1 ,i struggled at the cost of my health to raise a corps in ,kheda and the response was being made when the hostilities ceased and orders were received that no more recruits were wanted4 ,in all those efforts at service ,i was actuated by the belief that it was possible by such services to gain a status of full equality in the ,empire for my countrymen4 ,the first shock came in the shape of the ,rowlalt ,act a law designed to rob the people of all real freedom4 ,i felt called upon to lead an intensive agitation against it4 ,then followed the ,punjab horrors beginning with the massacre at ,jallianwala ,bagh and culminating in brawling orders1 public floggings and other indescribable humiliations1 ,i discovered too that the plighted word of the ,prime ,minister to the ,mussalmans of ,india regarding the integrity of ,turkey and the holy places of ,islam was not likely to be fulfilled4 ,but in spite of the foreboding and the grave warnings of friends1 at the ,amritsar ,congress in #aiai ,i fought for co-operation and working the ,montagu-,chelmsford reforms1 hoping that the ,prime ,minister would redeem his promise to the ,indian ,mussalmans1 that the ,punjab wound would be healed and that the reforms inadequate and unsatisfactory though they were1 marked a new era of hope in the life of ,india4 ,but all that hope was shattered4 ,the ,khilafat promise was not to be redeemed4 ,the ,punjab crime was white-washed and most culprits went not only unpunished but remained in service and some continued to draw pensions from the ,indian revenue1 and in some cases were even rewarded4 ,i saw too that not only did the reforms not mark a change of heart1 but they were only a method of further draining ,india of her wealth and of prolonging her servitude4 ,i came reluctantly to the conclusion that the ,british connection had made ,india more helpless than she ever was before1 politically and economically4 ,a disarmed ,india has no power of resistance against any aggressor if she wanted to engage in an armed conflict with him4 ,so much is this the case that some of our best men consider that ,india must take generations before she can achieve the ,dominion status4 ,she has become so poor that she has little power of resisting famines4 ,before the ,british advent ,india spun and wove in her millions of cottages just the supplement she needed for adding to her meagre agricultural resources4 ,the cottage industry1 so vital for ,india's existence1 has been ruined by incredibly heartless and inhuman processes as described by ,english witnesses4 ,little do town-dwellers know how the semi-starved masses of ,indians are slowly sinking to lifelessness4 ,little do they know that their miserable comfort represents the brokerage they get for the work they do for the foreign exploiter1 that the profits and the brokerage are sucked from the masses4 ,little do they realise that the ,government established by law in ,british ,india is carried on for this exploitation of the masses4 ,no sophistry1 no jugglery in figures can explain away the evidence the skeletons in many villages present to the naked eye4 ,i have no doubt whatsoever that both ,england and the town dwellers of ,india will have to answer1 if there is a ,god above1 for this crime against humanity which is perhaps unequalled in history4 ,the law itself in this country has been used to serve the foreign exploiter4 ,my unbiased1 examination of the ,punjab ,martial ,law cases had led me to believe that at least ninety-five per cent4 of convictions were wholly bad4 ,my experience of political cases in ,india leads me to the conclusion that in nine out of every ten the condemned men were totally innocent4 ,their crime consisted in love of their country4 ,in ninety-nine cases out of hundred justice has been denied to ,indians as against ,europeans in the ,court of ,india4 ,this is not an exaggerated picture4 ,it is the experience of almost every ,indian who has had anything to do such cases4 ,in my opinion the administration of the law is thus prostituted consciously or unconsciously for the benefit of the exploiter4 ,the greatest misfortune is that ,englishmen and their ,indian associates in the administration of the country do not know that they are engaged in the crime ,i have attempted to describe4 ,i am satisfied that many ,english and ,indian officials honestly believe that they are administering one of the best systems devised in the world and that ,india is making steady though slow progress4 ,they do not know that a subtle but effective system of terrorism and an organised display of force on the one hand and the deprivation of all powers of retaliation of self-defence on the other have emasculated the people and induced in them the habit of simulation4 ,this awful habit has added to the ignorance and the self-deception of the administrators4 ,section #abd-;,a under which ,i am happily charged is perhaps the prince among the political sections of the ,indian ,penal ,code designed to suppress the liberty of the citizen4 ,affection cannot be manufactured or regulated by law4 ,if one has no affection for a person or thing one should be free to give the fullest expression to his disaffection so long as he does not contemplate1 promote or incite to violence4 ,but the section under which mere promotion of disaffection is a crime4 ,i have studied some of the cases tried under it1 and ,i know that some of the most loved of ,india's patriots have been convicted under it4 ,i consider it a privilege therefore1 to be charged under it4 ,i have endeavoured to give in their briefest outline the reasons for my disaffection4 ,i have no personal ill-will against any single administrator1 much less can ,i have any disaffection towards the ,king's person4 ,but ,i hold it to be a virtue to be disaffected towards a ,government which in its totality has done more harm to ,india than any previous system4 ,india is less manly under the ,british rule than she ever was before4 ,holding such a belief1 ,i consider it to be a sin to have affection for the system4 ,and it has been a precious privilege for me to be able to write what ,i have in the various articles tendered in evidence against me4 ,in fact ,i believe that ,i have rendered a service to ,india and ,england by showing in non-co-operation the way out of the unnatural state in which both are living4 ,in my humble opinion1 non-co-operation with evil is as much a duty as is co-operation with good4 ,but in the past1 non-co-operation has been deliberately expressed in violence to the evil doer4 ,i am endeavouring to show to my countrymen that violent non-co-operation only multiplies evil and that as evil can only be sustained by violence1 withdrawal of support of evil requires complete abstention from violence4 ,non-violent implies voluntary submission to the penalty for non-co-operation with evil4 ,i am here1 therefore1 to invite and submit cheerfully to the highest penalty that can he inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime and what appears to me to be the highest duty of a citizen4 ,the only course open to you1 the ,judge and the ,assessors1 is either to resign your posts and thus dissociate yourselves from evil if you feel that the law you are called upon to administer is an evil and that in reality ,i am innocent1 or to inflict on me the severest penalty if you believe that the system and the law you are assisting to administer are good for the people of this country and that my activity is therefore injurious to the public weal4 ,m4 ,k4 ,,ghandi4