Gandhi and AnarchySankaran Nair, C. (Chettur), Sir
History
Gandhi and Anarchy
Sankaran Nair, C. (Chettur), Sir
Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948 -- Political and social views; India -- Politics and government -- 1919-1947
road to Home Rule from which Mr. Gandhi seeks to divert us. Had the
Non-Co-operators been members of these councils and had they acted in
their present temper, they might well have wrecked the Reforms and have
set back the clock of India's progress even more than they have done
already. The boycotting is therefore in all probability a blessing
though designed as a curse. Still the fact remains that the Councils
might have done even more had Mr. Gandhi been endowed with the wisdom to
see that India's interests would best be served by using the councils
and the assembly as levers to obtain further freedom on sane, safe, and
constitutional lines.
BOYCOTT OF FOREIGN GOODS
There is not only no objection to the Charka but it is very much to be
commended. It is very useful as a cottage or home industry and will find
an occupation to many who might otherwise be idle. But it will not
displace foreign goods at least without the aid of mills by foreign
machinery.
All these with other minor ones are only steps to be taken to carry out
the policy of non-violent non-co-operation for the attainment of Swaraj
and Mr. Gandhi asks every body, in fact the people of India, to carry on
non-violent non-co-operation with the Government so as ostensibly to
attain Swaraj but really I have no doubt as an end in itself.
I have already pointed out that non-violent submission to suffering and
the consequent attainment of self-control over oneself which he called
Swaraj was the end which he had in view. He found that there was no use
in directly advocating it. He therefore puts it forward as the chief
instrument for obtaining the Parliamentary Swaraj which the people of
India wanted. He based his appeal to the Hindus on the well known
doctrine of "Ahimsa". I will not stop here to discuss how far suffering
for the purpose of inducing another to follow a particular line of
conduct is included in the scope of Ahimsa. I myself believe it is not
only not so included but is totally inconsistent with it. I will merely
point out that this principle has already been condemned by the Penal
Code which makes it a crime for a creditor to realise his debt by
Dharna. For my purpose it is only necessary to say that this principle
of non-violence if accepted in practice generally will lead to chaos and
anarchy. If applied to Government alone by refusal to recognise the
jurisdiction of the courts it will lead to the same results. How it will
lead to 'Parliamentary Swaraj' it is impossible to see. Mr. Gandhi says
if all the people of India adopted it the machinery of Government is
bound to come to a standstill. But that all will adopt it without
leaving sufficient men with the aid of those who will be imported from
England and elsewhere to carry out the administration is only the
fantasy of a diseased imagination. Non-violence is a guarantee on the
part of those who carry it out that the Government has nothing to fear
from physical force.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account