Page:Mahatma Gandhi, his life, writings and speeches.djvu/113



SPEECHES AND WRITINGS OF M. K. GANDHI

GANDHI'S SENSE OF DUTY

[The following exhortation was addressed by Mr, M. K. Gandhi to the Tamil community of South Africa] : —

Remember that we are descendants, of Prahlad and Sudhanva, both passive resisters of the purest type. They disregarded the dictates even of their parents, when they were asked to deny God. They suffered extreme torture rather than inflict suffering on their persecutors. We in the Transvaal are being called upon to deny God, in that we are required to deny our manhood, go back upon our oath, and accept an insult to our nation. Shall we, in the present crisis, do less than our fore-fathers?