Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/354

 264 EARLIER INDIAN SPEECHES.

it that whatever tribute is paid to me is in reality and in truth paid to them.

In the course of my tour in India I have been parti- cularly struck with one thing and that is the awakening of the Indian people. A new hope has filled the hearts of the people, hope that something is going to happen which will raise the Motherland to a higher status. But side by side with thi-> spirit of hope I also had amongst my countrymen awe not only of the Govern- ment but also ol heads of castes and the priestly class. As a result of this we are afraid to speak out what is in us. So long as this spirit remains, there will be and there can be, no true progress, You know that at the last session of the Congress a resolution was passed about self-government. For the attainment of that ideal you and I, all of us, must work and persevere In per- Suance of that resolution the committees of the Congress and the Moslem League will soon meet together; and they will decide what they think proper. But the attainment of self-government depends not on their saying or doing anything but upon what you and I do. Here in Karachi commerce is predomment and there are many big merchants. To them I wish to address a few words. It is a misapprehension to think that th?re is no scope in commerce for serving the mother- country If they are inspired by the spirit of truth, merchants can be immensely useful to the country. The salvation of our country, remember, is not m the hands of others but of oujrselves, and more in the hands of merchants in some respects than the educated people ; for I strongly feel that so long as there is no swedeshism, there can be no self-government (hear, hear,) ; and for the spread of swadeshism Indian

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