Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/742

 652 NON-CO-OPERATION

Committee of the All-India Congress Committee for two months or for three months and have studied the resolutions can but come to one conclusion that this resolution is absolutely the natural result of the national activities during the past 15 months, And if you have at all followed the course, the downward course, that the repression policy of the Government has been taking, you can only come to the conclusion that the Subjects Committee has come to through this resolution, that the only answer that a self- respecting nation can return to the Viceregal pronounce- ments and to the repression that is overtaking this land is the course mapped out in this resolution.

I am not going to take the time of our English knowing friends over the religious subtleties of the pledge that the volunteers have to take. I wish to confine my remark on that subject to Hindustani. But I want this assembly to understand the bearing of this resolution. This resolution means that we have grown the stage of helplessness and depend- ence upon anybody. This resolution means that the nation through its representatives is determined to have its own way without the assistance of any single human being on earth, except from God above (applause). This resolution, whilst it shows the indomi- table courage and the determination of the nation to vindicate its rights and to be able to stare the world in the face, also says in all humility to the Government, " No matter what you do, no matter how you repress us, we shall one day wring the reluctant repentence from you and we warn you to think betime, take care ^millions of India your eternal enemy."

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