By
Mahatma Gandhi
BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
We are faced with a sudden calamity. Our freedom is not even one-and-a-half months old. What can a child of a month and 10 days do? But we are strong and have been fighting against British imperialism till today. Are we going to bow down in the face of difficulties? Let us talk only about the post-independence period. It is not that we were not prepared for it. We did become free. But our people started thinking that freedom meant freedom to do anything they chose. With that attitude we have rendered the task of the Government very difficult. If a man cannot keep his hands clean, how can he see clean things and how far can he appreciate such things? When we have rogues amongst US, who would blame whom for being rogues? If anyone is straight away branded a rogue, the question becomes all the more complicated. This is no true freedom. Nor is this the way to win it. That is why I say that we should tell our Government that as far as possible we shall help it. Supposing the Government does not get such help, would we then start doing what has been done and is being done in Pakistan? Would that teach them a lesson? I tell you that is not the way to teach them a lesson. That is not the way things go on in the world. If people fight among themselves the Government would ask them to stop fighting. They would be told to seek the help of the police. If the police did not listen to them, they could go to the residence of the magistrate and report their case there. Whatever could possibly be done would be done there. If there were only some stray cases of fighting the magistrate could settle the dispute. But in this case there is confrontation between two large communities. What can the Government do? It is not the Government of the British receiving orders from Britain. Now the Government is yours. This means that you can order the Government not to do a particular thing. You can throw out that Government. Such is your power. If you do not use that power in the proper manner, you will find yourselves in great trouble. And, let me tell you, today we are in great danger. Pakistan is no doubt facing danger. But so are we.
In reply to this¹ I would merely say that it is our Government and it is doing what needs to be done. If something still remains to be done, that too would be taken up. I have told you where your duty lies. I do not wish to say anything more. What is your duty? It is to live together in amity and not to regard the Muslims as your enemies. Wrongdoers would automatically meet their own end. But if we consider anyone individual as our enemy and beat him and kill him, it is cowardice on our part, and it has a weakening effect on us. Those who have courage and strength should not quarrel with others. Because we fight only with those whom we do not trust. It is all futile. What is the point of fighting? God in them and in us is the same. I had told you that we were not the arbiters of our destiny. We are mere creatures in God’s hand. Only if God helps us can we protect our honour. Otherwise not. Plead with Him, not with man. Plead with Him who brings redemption to the fallen. He is right in our midst. When He is there to protect us, why should we be angry with anyone or be afraid? Let the Muslims do what they want, let them keep any number of arms, let them behave like scoundrels and let them be traitors. If they are traitors the Government will deal with them. Everywhere in the world traitors are shot down as a rule. If anybody becomes a traitor, he commits a great crime against the State. It is a crime greater even than murder. That is why traitors are shot down. I can understand that they may have become traitors. But killing them on suspicion of treason does not behove man. It is the work of a coward.
I told you yesterday,² and I am telling you today, that ours is a wrecked boat. It is quite true that God alone can bring it to the shore. But we also must make efforts. If the boat has a hole somewhere we must try to stop water coming in with whatever may be available to us. But I have seen that if water starts flowing into the boat, they throw it out with the same speed. The boat then continues to sail in spite of the leak. But this can happen only if God helps. With God’s grace it moves and reaches the shore, but if God does not help it sinks. That is why I would say that man should make effort and seek the help of God.
There is a fire raging in Delhi. There is fire in other places too. Every place is burning. It is our duty to extinguish that fire, pour water over it, without which it cannot be put out. Our first task is to make the people understand [the situation]. I try to convince them as well as you in the same terms. I shall repeat the same thing to the whole world till my last breath. The glorious land that was India has become a cremation-ground today. It has become that barbarous.
I am saying out of experience that our police and the army have to be the servants of the people and should not behave like masters. The days of officialdom are over. It is my way to get things done through love. I am pained to hear it being said that we have a Hindu army or a Punjabi army and that the Hindu police will slaughter the Muslims. I am also amused. If this should be so, I think the police and the military together would crush India and India’s ship would sink. Today we have our own army. I do not believe that the British people are all worthless. However, most of the British have already left. Only some officers are left behind. Granted that they are all worthless, though I do not believe they are. But if they are worthless, they have to go. Supposing the army in Pakistan does something wrong, should the army in India do the same thing? Because the police in Pakistan does evil things, should our police also do the same? I wish to tell you this and warn you of the consequences. If all start behaving that way, India will be destroyed and our freedom, which is one month and ten days old, will not even complete two months. Let us not create such a situation. What should we do to avoid this? We must be courageous. We should not be afraid of anyone. We should be afraid only of God. Let us pray to God that He may carry our boat to the shore. The condition we have to fulfil is: Whatever may happen in Pakistan, whatever other people may do, let us keep our hearts clean. We must remember that if we do not do this, we shall all become monsters. We have to keep our India pure and clean and we must be tolerant. The Muslims have got to be loyal to India. If they are not loyal they must be shot. Can we do that ourselves? That is not our job. The Muslims are our brothers. They have got their homes and everything here. Hence we must realize that those who are staying here should live here by all means. Let there be no mutual fear.I would appeal to you to have faith, for faith generates faith and suspicion gives rise to suspicion. Keep on strengthening your faith.
[From Hindi]
Prarthana Pravachan -I, pp. 345-9
Notes
- 1. Before the prayers started, someone passed on a slip to Gandhiji stating that the Pakistan Government was driving away Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan while Gandhiji advised the Indian Government to allow the Muslims to stay in the Indian Union as equal citizens. How could the Union Government bear this double burden?
- 2. Vide p. 232.
Notes
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