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
I have suggested another difficult matter, _viz._, that the lawyers
should suspend their practice. How should I do otherwise knowing so well
how the Government had always been able to retain this power through the
instrumentality of lawyers. It is perfectly true that it is the lawyers
of to-day who are leading us, who are fighting the country's battles,
but when it comes to a matter of action against the Government, when it
comes to a matter of paralysing the activity of the Government I know
that the Government always look to the lawyers, however fine fighters
they may have been to preserve their dignity and their self-respect. 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 offices, because lawyers are considered to be honorary
officers of the courts and therefore subject to their disciplinary
jurisdiction. They must no longer retain these honorary offices if they
want to withdraw on operation from Government. But what will happen to
law and order? We shall evolve law and order through the instrumentality
of these very lawyers. We shall promote arbitration courts and dispense
justice, pure, simple home-made justice, swadeshi justice to our
countrymen. That is what suspension of practice means.
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 schools. How could I do
otherwise? I want to gauge the national sentiment. I want to know
whether the Mahomodans feel deeply. If they feel deeply they will
understand in the twinkling of an eye, that it is not right for them to
receive schooling from a Government in which they have lost all faith;
and which they do not trust at all. How can I, if I do not want to help
this Government, receive any help from that Government. I think that the
schools and colleges are factories for making clerks and Government
servants. I would not help this great factory for manufacturing clerks
and servants if I want to withdraw co-operation from that Government.
Look at it from any point of view you like. It is not possible for you
to send your children to the schools and still believe in the doctrine
of non-co-operation.
THE DUTY OF TITLE HOLDERS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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