Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/572

 NON-COOPERATION

��Mr. Gandhi, assisted by the Congress, the Muslim League, the Khilafat Conference and their many subsidiary organisations all over the country. But the peculiarity of Mr- Gandhi's lead was in his methods which were altogether novel in the history of agitations here or elsewhere- We shall have many occasions to refer to the Non-co-operation movement and his innumerable speeches thereon, but webgin with the cardinal features in Mr. Gandhi's programme, which are fasting, prayer and hartals ; Writing or October 4. 1919 in his Young India, Mr. Gandhi observed : ]

In spite of the Herculean efforts made by the Punjab Government to crush the spirit of the people, prayer and fasting and hartal are institutions as old as the hills and cannot be stopped. Two illuminating abstracts from the bulky volumes published by the Government and containing a record of sentences inflicted by Martial Law Commissions and Summary Courts show although dimly what has happen- ed during the past few months to the people of the Punjab. The leading cases examined by me have shaken my faith in the justice of these sentences. The sentence of stripes is beyond recall as are the 18 death sentences. Who will answer for them if they are proved to have been unjustly pronounced t

But sentences or no sentences, the spirit of the people is unbreakable. The Moslem Conference of Lucknow has proclaimed Friday, the i7th instant, as a day of fasting and prayer. The preliminaries will be presently arranged. The day is to be called the Khalifate day. Mr. Andrews' letter shows clearly what the Khalifate question is and how just is the case of the Muhamedans. He agrees with the suggestion I have ventured to make, viz. that, if justice cannot be obtained for Turkey, Mr. Montagu and Lord Chelmsford must resign. But better than resignation, better than protests are the prayers of the just. I therefore welcome the Lucknow resolution. Prayer expresses the soul's

�� �