Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/651

 THE CREED OF THE CONGRESS

[Mr. Gandhi, in moving his resolution on the creed o! the Congress at the Nagpur session in December 1920, said :]

The resolution which 1 have the honour to move is as follows; " The object of the Indian National Congress is the attainment of Swarajya by the people of India by all legitimate and peaceful means."

There are only two kinds of objections, so far as I understand, that will be advanced from this platform. One is that we may not to-day think of dissolving the British connection. What I say is that it is derogatory to national dignity to think ot the permanence of British connection at any cost. We are labouring under a grievous wrong, which it is the personal duty of every Indian to get redressed. This British Government not only refuses to redress the long as it retains its attitude, it is not possible for us to say all that we want to be or all that we want to get, retaining ^British connection. No matter what difficulties be in our .path, we must make the clearest possible declaration to the world and to the whole of India, that we may not possibly ihave British connection, if the British people will not do 'this elementary justice. I do not, for one moment, suggest 'that we want to end the connection at all costs, un- conditionally. If the British connection is for the advance- ment of india, we do not want to destroy it. But if it is inconsistent with our national self-respect then it is our tbounden duty to destroy it. There is room in this resolu- tion for both those who believe that, by retaining British connection, we can purify ourselves and purify British
 * wrong, but it refuses to acknowledge its mistake and so

�� �