The following is a fairly full report of Mr. Gandhi's important speech
at Calcutta on the 13th December 1920:--
The very fact, that so many of you cannot understand Hindi which is
bound to be the National medium of expression throughout Hindustan in
gatherings of Indians belonging to different parts of the land, shows
the depth of the degradation to which we have sunk, and points to the
supreme necessity of the non-co-operation movement which is intended to
lift us out of that condition. This Government has been instrumental in
degrading this great nation in various ways, and it is impossible to be
free from it without co-operation amongst ourselves which is in turn
impossible without a national medium of expression.
But I am not here to day to plead for the medium. I am to plead for the
acceptance by the country of the programme of non-violent, progressive
non-co-operation. Now all the words that I have used here are absolutely
necessary and the two adjectives 'progressive' and 'non-violent' are
integral part of a whole. With me non-violence is part of my religion, a
matter of creed. But with the great number of Mussalmans non-violence is
a policy, with thousand, if not millions of Hindus, it is equally a
matter of policy. But whether it is a creed or a policy, it is utterly
impossible for you to finish the programme for the enfranchisement of
the millions of India, without recognising the necessity and the value
of non-violence. Violence may for a moment avail to secure a certain
measure of success but it could not in the long run achieve any
appreciable result. On the other hand all violence would prove
destructive to the honour and self-respect of the nation. The blue books
issued by the Government of India show that inasmuch as we have used
violence, military expenditure has gone up, not proportionately but in
geometrical progression. The bonds of our slavery have been forged all
the stronger for our having offered violence. And the whole history of
British rule in India is a demonstration of the fact that we have never
been able to offer successful violence. Whilst therefore I say that
rather than have the yoke of a Government that has so emasculated us, I
would welcome violence. I would urge with all the emphasis that I can
command that India will never be able to regain her own by methods
of violence.
Lord Ronaldshay who has done me the honour of reading my booklet on Home
Rule has warned my countrymen against engaging themselves in a struggle
for a Swaraj such as is described in that booklet. Now though I do not
want to withdraw a single word of it, I would say to you on this
occasion that I do not ask India to follow out to-day the methods
prescribed in my booklet. If they could do that they would have Home
Rule not in a year but in a day, and India by realising that ideal wants
to acquire an ascendancy over the rest of the world. But it must remain
a day dream more or less for the time being. What I am doing to-day is
that I am giving the country a pardonable programme not the abolition of
law courts, posts, telegraphs and of railways but for the attainment of
Parliamentary Swarja. I am telling you to do that so long as we do not
isolate ourselves from this Government, we are co-operating with it
through schools, law courts and councils, through service civil and
military and payment of taxes and foreign trade.
The moment this fact is realised and non-co-operation is effected, this
Government must totter to pieces. If I know that the masses were
prepared for the whole programme at once, I would not delay in putting
it at once to work. It is not possible at the present moment, to prevent
the masses from bursting out into wrath against those who come to
execute the law, it is not possible, that the military would lay down
their arms without the slightest violence. If that were possible to-day,
I would propose all the stages of non-co-operation to be worked
simultaneously. But we have not secured that control over the masses, we
have uselessly frittered away precious years of the nation's life in
mastering a language which we need least for winning our liberty; we
have frittered away all those years in learning liberty from Milton and
Shakespeare, in deriving inspiration from the pages of Mill, whilst
liberty could be learnt at our doors. We have thus succeeded in
isolating ourselves from the masses: we have been westernised. We have
failed these 35 years to utilise our education in order to permeate the
masses. We have sat upon the pedestal and from there delivered harangues
to them in a language they do not understand and we see to-day that we
are unable to conduct large gatherings in a disciplined manner. And
discipline is the essence of success. Here is therefore one reason why I
have introduced the word 'progressive' in the non-co-operation
Resolution. Without any impertinence I may say that I understand the
mass mind better than any one amongst the educated Indians. I contend
that the masses are not ready for suspension of payment of taxes. They
have not yet learnt sufficient self-control. If I was sure of
non-violence on their part I would ask them to suspend payment to-day
and not waste a single moment of the nations time. With me the liberty
of India has become a passion. Liberty of Islam is as dear to me. I
would not therefore delay a moment if I found that the whole of the
programme could be enforced at once.
It grieves me to miss the faces of dear and revered leaders in this
assembly. We miss here the trumpet voice of Surendranath Banorji, who
has rendered inestimable service to the country. And though we stand as
poles asunder to-day, though we may have sharp differences with him, we
must express them with becoming restraint. I do not ask you to give up a
single iota of principle. I urge non-violence in language and in deed.
If non-violence is essential in our dealings with Government, it is more
essential in our dealings with our leaders. And it grieves me deeply to
hear of recent instances of violence reported to have been used in East
Bongal against our own people. I was pained to hear that the ears of a
man who had voted at the recent elections had been cut, and night soil
had been thrown into the bed of a man who had stood as a candidate.
Non-co-operation is never going to succeed in this way. It will not
succeed unless we create an atmosphere of perfect freedom, unless we
prize our opponents liberty as much as our own. The liberty of faith,
conscience, thought and action which we claim for ourselves must be
conceded equally to others. Non co-operation is a process of
purification and we must continually try to touch the hearts of those
who differ from us, their minds, and their emotions, but never their
bodies. Discipline and restraint are the cardinal principles of our
conduct and I warn you against any sort of tyrannical social ostracism.
I was deeply grieved therefore to hear of the insult offered to a dead
body in Delhi and feel that if it was the action of non-co-operators
they have disgraced themselves and their creed. I repeat we cannot
deliver our land through violence.
It was not a joke when I said on the congress platform that Swaraj could
be established in one year if there was sufficient response from the
nation. Three months of this year are gone. If we are true to our salt,
true to our nation, true to the songs we sing, if we are true to the
Bhagwad Gita and the Koran, we would finish the programme in the
remaining nine months and deliver Islam the Punjab and India.
I have proposed a limited programme workable within one year, having a
special regard to the educated classes. We seem to be labouring under
the illusion that we cannot possibly live without Councils, law courts
and schools provided by the Government. The moment we are disillusioned
we have Swaraj. It is demoralising both for Government and the governed
that a hundred thousand pilgrims should dictate terms to a nation
composed of three hundred millions. And how is it they can thus dictate
terms. It is because we have been divided and they have ruled. I have
never forgotten Humes' frank confession that the British Government was
sustained by the policy of "Divide and Rule." Therefore it is that I
have laid stress upon Hindu Muslim Unity as one of the important
essentials for the success of Non-co-operation. But, it should be no lip
unity, nor bunia unity it should be a unity broad based on a recognition
of the heart. If we want to save Hinduism, I say for Gods sake, do not
seek to bargain with the Mussalmans. I have been going about with
Maulana Shaukat Ali all these months, but I have not so much as
whispered anything about the protection of the cow. My alliance with the
Ali Brothers is one of honour. I feel that I am on my honour, the whole
of Hinduism is on its honour, and if it will not be found wanting, it
will do its duty towards the Mussalmans of India. Any bargaining would
be degrading to us. Light brings light not darkness, and nobility done
with a noble purpose will be twice rewarded. It will be God alone who
can protect the cow. Ask me not to-day--'what about the cow,' ask me
after Islam is vindicated through India. Ask the Rajas what they do to
entertain their English guests. Do they not provide beef and champagne
for their guests. Persuade them first to stop cow killing and then think
of bargaining with Mussalmans. And how are we Hindus behaving ourselves
towards the cow and her progeny! Do we treat her as our religion
requires us? Not till we have set our own house in order and saved the
cow from the Englishmen have we the right to plead on her behalf with
the Mussalmans. And the best way of saving the cow from them is to give
them unconditional help in their hour of trouble.
Similarly what do we owe the Punjab? The whole of India was made to
crawl on her belly in as much as a single Punjabi was made to crawl in
that dirty lane in Amritsar, the whole womanhood of India was unveiled
in as much as the innocent woman of Manianwalla were unveiled by an
insolent office; and Indian childhood was dishonoured in that, that
school children of tender age were made to walk four times a day to
stated places within the martial area in the Punjab and to salute the
Union Jack, through the effect of which order two children, seven years
old died of sunstroke having been made to wait in the noonday sun. In my
opinion it is a sin to attend the schools and colleges conducted under
the aegis of this Government so long as it has not purged itself of
these crimes by proper repentance. We may not with any sense of
self-respect plead before the courts of the Government when we remember
that it was through the Punjab Courts that innocent men were sentenced
to be imprisoned and hanged. We become participators in the crime of the
Government by voluntarily helping it or being helped by it.
The women of India have intuitively understood the spiritual nature of
the struggle. Thousands have attended to listen to the message of
non-violent non-co-operation and have given me their precious ornaments
for the purpose of advancing the cause of Swaraj. Is it any wonder if I
believe the possibility of gaining Swaraj within a year after all these
wonderful demonstrations? I would be guilty of want of faith in God if I
under-rated the significance of the response from the women of India. I
hope that the students will do their duty. The country certainly expects
the lawyers who have hitherto led public agitation to recognise the new
awakening.
I have used strong language but I have done so with the greatest
deliberation, I am not actuated by any feeling of revenge. I do not
consider Englishmen as my enemy. I recognise the worth of many. I enjoy
the privilege of having many English friends, but I am a determined
enemy of the English rule as is conducted at present and if the
power--tapasya--of one man could destroy it, I would certainly destroy
it, if it could not be mended. An Empire that stands for injustice and
breach of faith does not deserve to stand if its custodians will not
repent and non-co-operation has been devised in order to enable the
nation to compel justice.
I hope that Bengal will take her proper place in this movement of
self-purification. Bengal began Swadeshi and national education when the
rest of India was sleeping. I hope that Bengal will come to the front
in this movement for gaining Swaraj and gaining justice for the Khilafat
and the Punjab through purification and self-sacrifice.