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 gone further. I have suggested that our title holders should give
up their titles. How can they hold on to the titles and honour bestowed
by the Government? They were at one time badges of honours when we
believed that national honour was safe in their hands. 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 Government. 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 consideration. 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 victory. I want
no revolution. I want ordered progress. I want no disordered order. I
want no chaos. I want real order to be evolved out of this chaos which
is misrepresented to me as order. 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 disorder. I want to evolve justice out of
this injustice. Therefore, I suggest to you the passive
non-co-operation. 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 finger, let alone a stick
or a sword.
NON-CO-OPERATION--SERVICE TO THE EMPIRE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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