Had His Excellency the Viceroy not made it impossible by his defiant
attitude on the Punjab and the Khilafat, I would have tendered him
hearty congratulations for substituting ridicule for repression in order
to kill a movement distasteful to him. For, torn from its context and
read by itself His Excellency's discourse on non-co-operation is
unexceptionable. It is a symptom of translation from savagery to
civilization. Pouring ridicule on one's opponent is an approved method
in civilised politics. And if the method is consistently continued, it
will mark an important improvement upon the official barbarity of the
Punjab. His interpretation of Mr. Montagu's statement about the movement
is also not open to any objection whatsoever. Without doubt a government
has the right to use sufficient force to put down an actual outbreak
of violence.
But I regret to have to confess that this attempt to pour ridicule on
the movement, read in conjunction with the sentiments on the Punjab and
the Khilafat, preceding the ridicule, seems to show that His Excellency
has made it a virtue of necessity. He has not finally abandoned the
method of terrorism and frightfulness, but he finds the movement being
conducted in such an open and truthful manner that any attempt to kill
it by violent repression would not expose him not only to ridicule but
contempt of all right-thinking men.
Let us however examine the adjectives used by His Excellency to kill the
movement by laughing at it. It is 'futile,' 'ill-advised,'
'intrinsically insane,' 'unpractical,' 'visionary.' He has rounded off
the adjectives by describing the movement as 'most foolish of all
foolish schemes.' His Excellency has become so impatient of it that he
has used all his vocabulary for showing the magnitude of the ridiculous
nature of non-co-operation.
Unfortunately for His Excellency the movement is likely to grow with
ridicule as it is certain to flourish on repression. No vital movement
can be killed except by the impatience, ignorance or laziness of its
authors. A movement cannot be 'insane' that is conducted by men of
action as I claim the members of the Non-co-operation Committee are. It
is hardly 'unpractical,' seeing that if the people respond, every one
admits that it will achieve the end. At the same time it is perfectly
true that if there is no response from the people, the movement will be
popularly described as 'visionary.' It is for the nation to return an
effective answer by organised non-co-operation and change ridicule into
respect. Ridicule is like repression. Both give place to respect when
they fail to produce the intended effect.