As I said this morning one essential condition for the progress of India
is Hindu-Muslim Unity. I understand that there was a little bit of
bickering between Hindus and Mussalmans to-day in Bezwada. My brother
Maulana Shaukat Ali adjusted the dispute between the two communities and
he illustrated in his own person the entire efficacy of one item in the
first stage of Non-co-operation. He sat without any vakils appearing
before him for either parties to arbitrate on the dispute between them.
He required no postponement for the consideration of the question from
time to time. His fees consisted in a broken lead pencil. That is what
we should do, if all the lawyers suspended practice and set up
arbitration for the settlement of private disputes. But why was there
any quarrel at all? It is laughable in the extreme when you come to
think of it. Because the Hindus seem to have played music whilst passing
the mosque. I think it was improper for them to do so. Hindu Moslem
Unity does not mean that Hindus should cease to respect the prejudices
and sentiments cherished by Mussalmans. And as this question of music
has given rise to many a quarrel between the two communities it behoves
the Hindus, if they want to cultivate true Hindu-Moslem Unity, to
refrain from acts which they know injure the sentiments of their
Mussalman brethren. We may not take undue advantage of the great spirit
of toleration that is developing in Mussalmans and do things likely to
irritate them. It is never a matter of principle for a Hindu procession
to continue playing music before mosques. And now that we desire
voluntarily to respect Mussalman sentiment, we should be doubly careful
at a time when Hindus are offering assistance to Mussalmans in their
troubles. That assistance should be given in all humility and without
any arrogation of rights. To my Mussalman brethren I would say that it
would become their dignity to restrain themselves and not feel irritated
when any Hindu had done anything to irritate their religious sentiment.
But in any event, you have today presented to you a remedy for the
settlement of any such issue. We must settle our disputes by arbitration
as was done this after-noon. You cannot always get a Moulana Shankat
Ali, exercising unrivalled influence on the community. But we can always
get people enough in our own villages, towns and districts who exercise
influence over such villages and towns and command the confidence of
both the communities. The offended party should consider it its duty to
approach them and not to take the law in its own hands.
It gives me much pleasure to announce to you that, Mr. Kaleswar Rao has
consented to refrain from standing for election to the new Legislative
Councils. You will be also pleased to know that Mr. Gulam Nohiuddin has
resigned his Honorary Magistrateship, I hope that both these patriots
will not consider that they have done their last duty by their acts of
renunciation, but I hope they will regard their acts as a prelude to
acts of greater purpose and greater energy and I hope they will take in
hand the work of educating the electorate in their districts regarding
boycott of councils. I have said elsewhere that never for another
century will India be faced with a conjunction of events that faces it
to-day. The cloud that has descended upon Islam has solidified the
Moslem world as nothing else could have. It has awakened the men and
women of Mussulman India from their deep sleep. Inasmuch as a single
Panjabi was made to crawl on his belly in the famous street of Amitsar,
I hold that the whole of was made to crawl on its belly. And if we want
to straighten up ourselves from that crawling position and stand erect
before the whole world, it requires, a tremendous effort. H.E. the
Viceroy in his Viceregal pronouncement at the opening of the Council was
pleased to say that he did not desire to make any remarks on the Punjab
events. He treated them as a closed chapter and referred us to the
future verdict of history. I venture to tell you the citizens of Bezwada
that India will have deserved to crawl in that lane if she accepts this
pronouncement as the final answer, and if we want to stand erect before
the whole world, it is impossible for a single child, man or woman in
India to rest until fullest reparation has been done for the Punjab
wrong. Similarly with reference to the Khilafat grievance the Mussalmans
of India in my humble opinion will forfeit all title to consider
themselves the followers of the great Prophet in whose name they recite
the Kalama, day in and day out, they will forfeit their title if they do
not put their shoulders to the wheel and lift this cloud that is hanging
on them. But we shall make a serious blunder. India will commit suicide,
if we do not understand and appreciate the forces that are arrayed
against us. We have got to face a mighty Government with all its power
ranged against us. This composed of men who are able, courageous,
capable of making sacrifices. It is a Government which does not scruple
to use means, fair or foul, in order to gain its end. No craft is above
that Government. It resorts to frightfulness, terrorism. It resorts to
bribery, in the shape of titles, honour and high offices. It administers
opiates in the shape of Reforms. In essence then it is an autocracy
double distilled in the guise of democracy. The greatest gift of a
crafty cunning man are worthless so long as cunning resides in his
heart. It is a Government representing a civilisation which is purely
material and godless. I have given to you these qualities of this
government in order not to excite your angry passions, but in order that
you may appreciate the forces that are matched against you. Anger will
serve no purpose. We shall have to meet ungodliness by godliness. We
shall have to meet their untruth by truth; we shall have to meet their
cunning and their craft by openness and simplicity; we shall have to
meet their terrorism and frightfulness by bravery. And it is an
unbending bravery which is demanded of every man, woman and child. We
must meet their organisation by greater organising ability. We must meet
their discipline by grater discipline, and we must meet their sacrifices
by infinitely greater sacrifices, and if we are in a position to show
these qualities in a full measure I have not the slightest doubt that we
shall win this battle. If really we have fear of God in us, our prayers
will give us the strength to secure victory. God has always come to the
help of the helpless and we need not go before any earthly power for
help.
You heard this morning of the bravery of the sword, and the bravery of
suffering. For me personally I have forever rejected the bravery of the
sword. But, to-day it is not my purpose to demonstrate to you the final
ineffectiveness of the sword. But he who runs may see that before India
possesses itself a sword which will be more than a match for the forces
of Europe, it will he generations. India may resort to the destruction
of life and property here and there but such destructive cases serve no
purpose. I have therefore presented to you a weapon called the bravery
of suffering, otherwise called Non-co-operation. It is a bravery which
is open to the weakest among the weak. It is open to women and children.
The power of suffering is the prerogative of nobody, and if only 300
millions of Indians could show the power of suffering in order to
redress a grievous wrong done to the nation or to its religion, I make
bold to say that, India will never require to draw the sword. And unless
we are able to show an adequate measure of sacrifice we shall lose this
battle. No one need tell me that India has not got this power of
suffering. Every father and mother is witness to what I am about to say,
viz., that every father and mother have shown in the domestic affairs
matchless power of suffering. And if we have only developed national
consciousness, if we have developed sufficient regard for our religion,
we shall have developed power of suffering in the national and religious
field. Considered in these terms the first stage in Non-co-operation is
the simplest and the easiest state. If the title-holders of India
consider that India is suffering from a grievous wrong both as regards
the Punjab and the Khilafat is it any suffering on their part to
renounce their titles to-day? What is the measure of the suffering
awaiting the lawyers who are called upon to suspend practice when
compared to the great benefit which is in store for the nation? And if
thy parents of India will summon up courage to sacrifice secular
education, they will have given their children the real education of a
life-time. For they will have learnt the value of religion and national
honour. And I ask you, the citizens of Bezwada, to think well before you
accept the loaves and fishes in the form of Government offices set them
on one side and set national honour on the other and make your service.
What sacrifice is there involved in the individual renouncing his
candidature for legislative councils. The councils are a tempting bait.
All kinds of arguments are being advanced in favour of joining the
councils. India will sacrifice the opportunity of gaining her liberty if
she touches them. It passes comprehension how we, who have known this
Government, who have read the Viceregal pronouncement, how we who have
known their determination not to give justice in the Punjab and the
Khilafat matters, can gain any benefit by co-operation, constructive or
obstructive, with this Government? But the Nationalists, belonging to a
great popular party, tell us that if they do not contest these scats,
the moderates will get in. Surely, it is nothing but an exhibition of
want of courage and faith in our own cause to feel that we must enter
the councils lest moderates should get in. Moderates believe in the
possibility of obtaining justice at the hands of the Government.
Nationalists have on the other hand filled the platforms with
denunciations of the Government and its measures. How can the
Nationalists ever hope to gain anything by entering the councils,
holding the belief that they do? They will better represent the popular
will if they wring justice from the Government by means of
Non-co-operation. A calculating spirit at the present moment in the
history of India will prove its ruin. I, therefore, tender my hearty
congratulation to those who have announced their resignations of
candidature or honorary offices, and I hope that their example will
prove infectious. I have been told, and I believe it myself from what I
have seen, that the Andhrus are a brave, courageous and
spiritually-inclined people. I venture therefore to ask my Andhra
brethren whether they have understood the spirituality of this beautiful
doctrine of Non-co-operation. If they have, I hope they will not wait
for a single moment for a mandate from the Congress or the Moslem
League. They will understand that a spiritual weapon is god whether it
is wielded by one or many. I, therefore, invite you to go to Calcutta
with a united will and a united purpose, sanctified by a spirit of
sacrifice, with a will of your own to convert those who are still
undecided about the spirituality or the practicability of the weapon.
I thank you for the attention and patience with which you have listened
to me. I pray to the Almighty that He may give you wisdom and courage
that are so necessary at the present moment.--
_August 1920_.