Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/781

 " (6) Is your intention now to disband the present volunteer corps and enlist those whro know spinning ,and wear handspun and handwoven khaddar ?

'* (7) Suppose violence has made appearance when you have started your mass civil disobedience, what will you do at that time ? Will you stop your activities at the very moment ?"

There is much more criticism in this letter than I fcave reproduced. The writer tells me that the people are -so disgusted that they now threaten to become co-opera- tors and are of opinion that I have sold Lala Lajpat Rai, the Dashabandhu Chitta Ranjan Das, Pandit Motilal Nehru, the Ah Brothers and others, and tells me that if I give up the leadership there are thousands who will leave this world by committing suicide. I may assure the citienzs ,of Lahore in particular and Punjabis in general that I do not believe what is said of them. I used to receive such letters even during the Martial Law days because of the suspension of civil disobedience, but I discounted all the news and on my reaching the Punjab in October, I iound thac I was right in my analysis of the Punjab mind and I discovered that there was no one to challenge the propriety of my act. I feel still more con- fident of the correctness of the decision of the Working Committee, but if it is found that the country repudiates ,my action I shall not mind it. I can but do rny duty. A leader is useless when he acts against the promptings of his own conscience, surrounded as he must be by people holding all kinds of views. He will drift like an .anchorless ship if he has not the inner voice to hold him firm and guide him. Above all, I can easily put tip with the den.al of the world, but any denial by me of my God is unthinkable, and if I did not give at this

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