Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/777

 -every home, in visiting 'untouchable' homes and finding out their wants, in inducing national schools to receive * untouchable ' children, in organising social service specially designed to find a common platform for every variety of man and woman, and in visiting the homes which the drink curse is desolating, in establishing real Panchayats and in organising national schools on a proper footing. Ths workers will be better engaged in these activities than in fasting. I hope, therefore, that no one will join me in fasting, either through false sympathy or an ignorant conception -of the ?piritual value of fasting,

All fasting and all penance must as far as possible be secret. But my fasting is both a psnanca and a punishment, and a punishment has to be public. It is penance for me and punishment for those whom I try to serve, for whom I love to live and would equally love to die. They have unintentionally sinned against the laws of the Congress though they were sympathisers rf not actually connected with it, Probably they hacked the constables their countrymen and fellow beings with my name on their lips. The only way Jove punnhes is by suffering. I cannot even wish them to be arrested. But I would let them know that I would suffer for their breach of the Congress creed. I would advise those who feel guilty and repentant to hand themselves voluntarily to the Government for punishment and make a clean confession. I hope that the workers in the Gorakhpur district will leave no stone unturned to find out the evil doers and urge them to deliver themselves into custody. But whether the .murderers accept my advice or not, I would like them to know that they have seriously interfered

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