Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/596

 506 NON-CO-OPERATION

purely an inward and purifying tonic I suggested the obser- vance of fast, prayer and suspension of all work for one day, April 6. There was a magnificent response throughout the length and bieadth of India, even in little villages, although there was no organisation and no great previous prepa- ration. 7 he idea was given to the public as soon as it was conceived. On April 6 there was no violence used by the people and no collision whh the police worth naming. The hartal was purely voluntary and spontaneous. 1 HE " ARRKST."

The observance of April 6 was to be followed by civil disobedience. For that purpose the Committee of the Sat- yagraha Sabha had selected certain laws for disobedience. And we commenced the distribution of prohibited literature of a perfectly healthy type, e.g., a pamphlet written by me on Home Rule, a translation of Ruskin's "Unto this Last," and "De fence and Death of Socrates."

But there is no doubt that April 6 found India vitalised as never before. '1 he people who were fear-stricken ceased to fear authority. Moreover, hitherto, the masses had lain inert. The leaders had not really acted upon them. They were undisciplined. They had found a new force, but they did not know what it was and how to use it.

At Delhi the leaders found it difficult to restrain the very large number of people who had remained unmoved before. At Amritsar Mr. Satyapal was anxious that I should go there and show to the people the peaceful nature of Satyagraha. Swami Shraddhanandji from Delhi and Dr, Satyapal from Amritsar wrote to me asking me to go to their respe ctive places for pacifying the people and for ex- plaining to them the nature of Satyagraha. I had never been to Amritsar, and for that matter to the Punjab, before. These two messages *ere seen by the authorities and they

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