Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/978

 $0 APPENDIX ll to the Indian community, which had for the moment been taken aback by the suddeness of the assault and by a series of foolish errors Ou the part of the registration oiiiolals I- " Those who have committed the act dad not know what they were doing. They thought that l was doing what was wrong. They have had their redress in the only mtnner they know. I, therefore, request that no steps be taken against them. “ Seeing that the assault was committed by a Mahomedan or Mahomedans, the Hindus might probably feel hurt. It so, they would put themselves in the wrong before the world and their Maker Rather let the blood split to day cement the two com- munities lndissolubly-·such is my heartfelt prayer. May God grant it! . . . . . The spirit of passive resistance rightly understood should make the people fear none and nothing but God-—-no cowardly fear, therefore, should deter the vast majority of sober- mlnded Indians from doing their outy. The promise of repeal of the Act, against voluntary registration, having been given, nt is the sacred duty of every true Indian to help the Government and the Colony to the uttermost." To assume responsibilities, to recognise obligations, was always Mr. G>mdh1’s main thought in his relations with the European colonists of South Africa; for he knew that the com pletest rights cannot os availed of cy undeveloper and irresponsible people. Hence his offers, on behalf of the community, of ambulance and stretcher- bearer corps, his desire to afford the Government and Municipal authorities the utmost help at all tlmes in the proper conduct of public afiairs and the governance and uphftrng of the Indian com- munity, He always felt that the only possible road to progress was by compelling the European colonists to recognise the real worth and sterlingness of character of his compatriots and a deep- se ated desire to secure mutual respect was at the bottom of his action in aivising his fellow-countrymen to continue the struggle for the preservation of their manhood. Mr. Gandhi will not hesitate, when necessary, to set himself against the opinion of many of has countrymen or boldly to declare whose is the responsibility for any recognised eval. indeed his general attitude may be briefly summed up in the following state- ments he once made to the writer : " Most religious men I have met are politicians in disguise; I. however, who wear the guise of a poliucsan, am at heart a religious man." HINDU·MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD So far as the Indian community itself was concerned, Mr. Gandhi had appointed for himself one supreme task-to bring Hindus and Mahcmedans together and to make them realise that they were one brotherhood and sons of the same Motherland.