He considers that the most important thing, as he has often pointed out to
the friends, is to maintain the Spiritual Assemblies already in existence
throughout India, to create Spiritual Assemblies out of Groups, and to
establish new Centres. He therefore does not feel that, if the Cause is
precarious in Surat and this goal of the Assembly has not been
successfully achieved, the Baha'is who are working there should leave and
go elsewhere.
The principle he has laid down has invariably been that the friends must
establish a Spiritual Assembly on a firm and enduring basis with a nucleus
of about fifteen Baha'is in the Community, so that the Assembly would be
maintained, and then the other believers are free above the number fifteen
to disperse and teach elsewhere; in fact they should consider it their
duty to do so. This instruction of our beloved Guardian applies to Surat
as well as to other Centres.