India -- Politics and government -- 1919-1947; Nationalism -- India
EDITOR: The Partition has not only made a rift in the English ship, but
has made it in ours also. Great events always produce great results. Our
leaders are divided into two parties: the Moderates and the Extremists.
These may be considered as the slow party and the impatient party. Some
call the Moderates the timid party, and the Extremists the bold party.
All interpret the two words according to their pre-conceptions. This
much is certain--that there has arisen an enmity between the two. The
one distrusts the other, and imputes motives. At the time of the Surat
Congress, there was almost a fight. I think that this division is not a
good thing for the country, but I think also that such divisions will
not last long. It all depends upon the leaders how long they will last.
CHAPTER III
DISCONTENT AND UNREST
READER: Then you consider Partition to be a cause of the awakening? Do
you welcome the unrest which has resulted from it?
EDITOR: When a man rises from sleep, he twists his limbs and is
restless. It takes some time before he is entirely awakened. Similarly,
although the Partition has caused an awakening, the comatose has not yet
disappeared. We are still twisting our limbs and still restless, and
just as the state between sleep and awakening must be considered to be
necessary, so may the present unrest in India be considered a necessary
and, therefore, a proper state. The knowledge that there is unrest will,
it is highly probable, enable us to outgrow it. Rising from sleep, we do
not continue in a comatose state, but, according to our ability, sooner
or later, we are completely restored to our senses. So shall we be free
from the present unrest which no one likes.
READER: What is the other form of unrest?
EDITOR: Unrest is, in reality, discontent. The latter is only now
described as unrest. During the Congress-period it was labelled
discontent; Mr. Hume always said that the spread of discontent in India
was necessary. This discontent is a very useful thing. So long as a man
is contented with his present lot, so long is it difficult to persuade
him to come out of it. Therefore it is that every reform must be
preceded by discontent. We throw away things we have only when we cease
to like them. Such discontent has been produced among us after reading
the great works of Indians and Englishmen. Discontent has led to unrest,
and the latter has brought about many deaths, many imprisonments, many
banishments. Such a state of things will still continue. It must be so.
All these may be considered good signs, but they may also lead to bad
results.
CHAPTER IV
WHAT IS SWARAJ?
READER: I have now learnt what the Congress has done to make India one
nation, how the Partition has caused an awakening, and how discontent
and unrest have spread through the land. I would now like to know your
views on Swaraj. I fear that our interpretation is not the same.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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