Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/711

 I heard that there was firing resulting in deaths and that in the Anglo-Indian quarters every one who passed with khadder on came in for hard beating if he did not put off his khadder cap or shirt. I heard that many were seriously injured. I am writing this in the midst of six Hindu and Musalman workers who have just come in with broken heads and bleeding and one with a broken nasal bone and another lacerated wounds and in danger of losing his life. They went to Parel led by Maulana Azad Sobhani and Moazzam Ali to pacify the mill hands, who, it was reported, were holding up the tram cars there. The workers, however, were enabled to proceed to their destination. They returned with their bleedings to speak for themselves, CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

Thus the hope of reviving mass civil disobedience has once more been dashed, in my opinion, to pieces. The atmosphere for mass civil disobedience is absent. It is not enough that such an atmoshere is to be found in Bardoli and therefore it may go on side by side with the violence in Bombay. This is impossible. Neither Bardoli nor Bombay can be treated as separate, uncon- nected units. They are parts of one great indivisible whole. It was possible to isolate Malabar ; it was also possible to disregard Malegaon, But it is not possible to ignore Bombay. Non-Co-operators cannot escape liabi- lity. It is true that Non -Co operators were ceaselessly remonstrating everywhere with the people at considera- ble risk to themselves to arrest or stop the mischief and that they are responsible for saving many precious lives. But that is not enough for launching oat on civil disobedience or to discharge them from liability for the violence that has taken place. We claim to have esta-

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