Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/604

 514 NON-CO-OPERATION

NON-CO-OPERATION.

Your Excellency must be aware that there was a time when the boldest, though also the most thoughtless among the Mussalmans favoured violence and that Hi j rat (emigra- tion) has not yet ceased to be the battle-cry. I venture to claim that I have succeeded by patient reasoning in wean- ing the party of violence from its ways. I confees that I did not I did not attempt to succeed in weaning them violence on moral grounds but purely on utilitarian grounds. The result for the time being at any rate has however been to stop violence, The school of Hijrat has received a check if it has not stopped its activity entirely. I hold that no repression could have prevented a violent erruption, if the people had not presented to them a form of direct action involving considerable sacrifice and ensuring success if such direct action was largely taken up by the public. Non-co- operation was the only dignified and constitutional form of such direct action. For it is the right recognised from times immemorial of the subject to refuse to assist a ruler who misrules.

At the same time I admit that non-co-operation practis- ed by the mass of people is attended with grave risks. But in a crisis such as has overtaken the Mussalmans of India, no step that is unattended with large risks can possibly bring about the desired change. Not to run some risks will be to court much greater risks, if not virtuil destruction of law and order.

But there is yet an escape from non-co-operation. The Mussalman representation has requested your Excellency to lead the agitation yourself as did your distinguished pre- decessor at the time of the South African trouble. But if you cannot see your way to do so, non-co-operation becomes a dire necessity. I hope your Excellency will give those who

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