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
It gives me much pleasure to announce to you that, Mr. Kaleswar Rao has
consented to refrain from standing for election to the new Legislative
Councils. You will be also pleased to know that Mr. Gulam Nohiuddin has
resigned his Honorary Magistrateship, I hope that both these patriots
will not consider that they have done their last duty by their acts of
renunciation, 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 councils. I have said elsewhere that never for another
century will India be faced with a conjunction of events that faces it
to-day. The cloud that has descended upon Islam has solidified the
Moslem world as nothing else could have. It has awakened the men and
women of Mussulman India from their deep sleep. Inasmuch as a single
Panjabi was made to crawl on his belly in the famous street of Amitsar,
I hold that the whole of was made to crawl on its belly. And if we want
to straighten up ourselves from that crawling position and stand erect
before the whole world, it requires, a tremendous effort. H.E. 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
events. He treated them as a closed chapter and referred us to the
future verdict of history. 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 answer, and if we want to stand erect before
the whole world, it is impossible for a single child, man or woman in
India to rest until fullest reparation has been done for the Punjab
wrong. 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 Kalama, day in and day out, they will forfeit their title if they do
not put their shoulders to the wheel and lift this cloud that is hanging
on them. But we shall make a serious blunder. India will commit suicide,
if we do not understand and appreciate the forces that are arrayed
against us. We have got to face a mighty Government with all its power
ranged against us. This composed of men who are able, courageous,
capable of making sacrifices. It is a Government which does not scruple
to use means, fair or foul, in order to gain its end. No craft is above
that Government. It resorts to frightfulness, terrorism. It resorts to
bribery, in the shape of titles, honour and high offices. It administers
opiates in the shape of Reforms. In essence then it is an autocracy
double distilled in the guise of democracy. The greatest gift of a
crafty cunning man are worthless so long as cunning resides in his
heart. It is a Government representing a civilisation which is purely
material and godless.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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