Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/594

 504 NON-CO-OPERATION

ability to die in the attempt to make the opponent see the truth which the * Satyagrahi' for the time being expresses.

And as a * Satyagrahi' never injures his opponent and always appeals, either to his reason by gentle argument, or his heart by the sacrifice of self, 'Satyagraha' is twice bless- ed, it blesses him who practises it, and him against whom it is practised.

It has, however, been objecteJ that * Satyagraha, 1 a* we conceive it, can he practised only by a select few. My experience proves the contrary. O.ice its simple princi- ples adherence to truth and insistence upon it by self- suffering are understood, anybidy can practise it. It is as difficult or as easy to practise as any other virtue. It is as little necessary for its practice that everyone should understand the whole philosophy of it, as it is for the practice of total abstinence.

After all, no one disputes the necessity of insisting on truth us one sees it. And it is easy enough to understand that it is vulgar to attempt to compel the opponent to its acceptance by using brute force; it is discreditable to submit to error because argument has failed to convince, and that the only true and honourable course is not to submit to it even at the cost of one's life. Then only can the world be purged of error, if it ever can be altogether. There can be no compromise with <*rror where it hurts the vital be- ing.

But, on the political field, the struggle on behalf of the people mostly consists in oppjsing error in the shape of unjust laws. When you have failed to bring the error home to the lawgiver by way of petitions and the like, the only remedy open to you, if you do not wish to submit to it, is to compel him to retrace his steps by suffering In your own person, i.e., that is by inviting the penalty for the

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