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
Non-co-operation is not a movement of brag, bluster, or bluff. It is a
test of our sincerity. It requires solid and silent self-sacrifice. It
challenges our honesty and our capacity for national work. It is a
movement that aims at translating ideas into action. And the more we do,
the more we find that much more must be done than we have expected. And
this thought of our imperfection must make us humble.
A non-co-operationist strives to compel attention and to set an example
not by his violence but by his unobtrusive humility. He allows his solid
action to speak for his creed. His strength lies in his reliance upon
the correctness of his position. And the conviction of it grows most in
his opponent when he least interposes his speech between his action and
his opponent. Speech, especially when it is haughty, betrays want of
confidence and it makes one's opponent sceptical about the reality of
the act itself. Humility therefore is the key to quick success. I hope
that every non-co-operationist will recognise the necessity of being
humble and self-restrained. It is because so little is really required
to be done because all of that little depends entirely upon ourselves
that I have ventured the belief that Swaraj is attainable in less
than one year.
SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED
"I write to thank you for yours of the 7th instant and especially for
your request that I should after reading your writings in "Young India"
on non-co-operation, give a full and frank criticism of them. I know
that your sole desire is to find out the truth and to act accordingly,
and hence I venture to make the following remarks. In the issue of May
5th you say that non-co-operation is "not even anti-Government." But
surely to refuse to have anything to do with the Government to the
extent of not serving it and of not paying its taxes is actually, if not
theoretically anti-Government; and such a course must ultimately make
all Government impossible. Again, you say, "It is the inherent right of
a subject to refuse to assist a government that will not listen to him."
Leaving aside the question of the ethical soundness of this
proposition, may I ask which Government, in the present case? Has not
the Indian Government done all it possibly can in the matter? Then if
its attempts to voice the request of India should fail, would it be fair
and just to do anything against it? Would not the proper course be
non-co-operation with the Supreme Council of the Allies, including Great
Britain, if it be found that the latter has failed properly to support
the demand of the Indian Government and people? It seems to me that in
all your writings and speeches you forget that in the present question
both Government and people are as one, and if they fail to get what they
justly want, how does the question of non-co-operation arise? Hindus
and Englishmen and the Government are all at present "shouldering in a
full-hearted manner the burden that Muhomedans of India are carrying
etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account