Freedom's Battle: Being a Comprehensive Collection of Writings and Speeches on the Present SituationGandhi, Mahatma
Religion
Freedom's Battle: Being a Comprehensive Collection of Writings and Speeches on the Present Situation
Gandhi, Mahatma
British -- India; India -- Politics and government -- 1919-1947; Nonviolence
The following letter has been received by Mr. Gandhi from Miss Anne
Marie Peterson of the Danish Mission in Madras:--
Dear Mr. Gandhi,
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 future. I
have thrown myself at the feet of India. At the same time I know that in
Christ alone is my abode and I have no longing and no desire but to live
Him, my crucified Saviour, and reveal Him for those with whom I come in
contact. 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 India.
We go on crucifying Christ while we long to proclaim the Power of His
resurrection by which He has conquered untruth and unrighteousness. If
we who bear His name were true to Him, we would never bow ourselves
before the Powers of this world, but we would always be on the side of
the poor, the suffering and the oppressed. 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 future.
Truly it matters little what I, a lonely and insignificant person, may
say or do. What is my protest against the common current, the race to
which I belong is taking and (what grieves me more), which the
missionary societies seem to follow? Even if a respectable number
protested it would not be of any use. Yet were I alone against the whole
world, I must follow my conscience and my God.
I therefore cannot but smile when I see people saying, you should have
awaited the decision of the National Congress before starting the
non-co-operation movement. You have a message for the country, and the
Congress is the voice of the nation--its servant and not its master. A
majority has no right simply because it is a majority.
But we must try to win the majority. And it is easy to see that now that
Congress is going to be with you. Would it have done so if you had kept
quiet and not lent your voice to the feelings of the people? Would the
Congress have known its mind? I think not.
I myself was in much doubt before I heard you. But you convinced me. Not
that I can feel much on the question of the Khilafat. I cannot. I can
see what service you are doing to India, if you can prevent the
Mahomedans from using the sword in order to take revenge and get their
rights. I can see that if you unite the Hindus and the Mahomedans, it
will be a master stroke. 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 Christ. I may not feel much for
Turkey, but I feel for India, and I can see she (India) has no other way
to protest against being trampled down and crushed than
non-co-operation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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