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
You are in search of a remedy to suppress this rising ebullition of
national feeling. I venture to suggest to you that the only way to
suppress it is to remove the causes. You have yet the power. You can
repent of the wrongs done to Indians. You can compel Mr. Lloyd George to
redeem his promises. I assure you he has kept many escape doors. You can
compel the Viceroy to retire in favour of a better one, you can revise
your ideas about Sir Michael O'Dwyer and General Dyer. You can compel
the Government to summon a conference of the recognised lenders of the
people, 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 India. But this you cannot do unless you consider
every Indian to be in reality your equal and brother. I ask for no
patronage, I merely point out to you, as a friend, as honourable
solution of a grave problem. The other solution, namely repression is
open to YOU. I prophesy that it will fail. It has begun already. The
Government has already imprisoned two brave men of Panipat for holding
and expressing their opinions freely. Another is on his trial in Lahore
for having expressed similar opinion. One in the Oudh District is
already imprisoned. Another awaits judgment. You should know what is
going on in your midst. Our propaganda is being carried on in
anticipation of repression. I invite you respectfully to choose the
better way and make common cause with the people of India whose salt you
are eating. To seek to thwart their inspirations is disloyalty to
the country.
I am,
Your faithful friend,
M. K. GANDHI
ONE STEP ENOUGH FOR ME
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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