By
Mahatma Gandhi
BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
A friend suggests that since it is getting cold we should begin our prayer half an hour earlier, that is, at 5 p. m. I admit it is getting to be pretty cold. Though the days will be getting longer minute by minute from now on, for today it is already the 23rd of December, still if all of you so wish we can begin the prayer at 5 p. m. from tomorrow.¹ Today I shall deal with three points.
Here is the first. You saw that yesterday people² arrived here from Bahawalpur. They are in great distress.³ They say that all the Hindus and Sikhs there should be brought here for their lives are in danger. Today two friends from Bahawalpur came to see me. They said that if no steps were taken in this respect they would go and fast in front of the Governor-General’s house. I told them that their fasting could neither bring here the Hindus and Sikhs left behind nor ensure their safety. That besides the Governor-General had no power except such as he derived from his Cabinet. He merely affixed his signature. If they thought that fasting before the residence of Pandit Nehru or the Sardar would do any good they were equally mistaken. They saw the point and gave up the idea of fasting. Yesterday I was observing silence and so could not say anything. The Nawab of Bahawalpur should permit all the Hindus and Sikhs to go wherever they want to. If he does not he will be failing in his duty. I cannot relate to you the things that have happened there under the very nose of the Nawab. A large number of Hindus and Sikhs were tortured and killed. It is the Sikhs who built Bahawalpur. They are a brave people. They can fight and cultivate land. They have been cultivating the land there; so have the Hindus. They have committed no crime. Their only crime is that they are Hindus or Sikhs. A large number of these innocent people were murdered and some ran away. When Hindus and Sikhs cannot live there in peace, what is the worth of anything that the Nawab may say? I appeal to the Nawab that he should do his duty. If Hindus and Sikhs cannot live there in honour he should arrange for them to leave or he should declare that none of the Hindus and Sikhs still in Bahawalpur will be touched and that they can continue to live in Bahawalpur in peace. If they are starving, food should be made available to them.
According to a report in today’s Statesman about the refugee camps in Lahore, the Muslims in the camps are living in insanitary conditions. Epidemics like cholera and smallpox have broken out and even those who have escaped them are dying of cold and exposure. How can people live under the open sky in this cold? They need shelter and clothes and food. If these three things are not available they must face death. I do not know all that is happening there. Yes, scavengers have been brought over from Sialkot who will clean the camps and remove nightsoil. The officials say that they are not doing enough work. It is clear that the people there are in distress. What does it matter that they are in Pakistan? Why should human beings be so degraded? It pains me. Those people who ran away from here to escape our excesses were deprived of their hearths and homes. They are not familiar with the surroundings there and they have to suffer hardships. But why can’t they keep themselves clean? I should advise all the refugees, be they in India or in Pakistan, that they should not be dependent on others for everything. They should not ask for help to cook for them or to remove their night-soil. People who were being uprooted from their homes are in no position to make such demands. It’s a privilege of the rich. They may employ ten when one is enough, but not we. These are the symptoms of our degradation. The refugees in the camps in Lahore should firmly and courageously declare that they will not have scavengers from Sialkot, that they will themselves do the cleaning of their camps. The Pakistan Government and the officials concerned should also make it clear to the refugees that they will not have scavengers brought from Sialkot. They should at least do what every human being can do. And if even then there are deaths, that will be a different matter. I have said it before, and I say it again, that the refugees should conduct themselves with decency. They should do all that they can do and not become a burden on others.
And here is something good that I want to tell you. I told you once that Pyarelal had come here. You know who Pyarelal is. He is my Secretary. He had been working in Noakhali for a long time. There were others with him too. At the risk of their lives they gave support and courage to the Hindus who felt insecure there. The Muslims too very soon understood that they were their friends and servants and had gone there not to promote violence but to promote amity between the two communities.
Pyarelal has some interesting news from Noakhali: A temple had been demolished and occupied by Muslims. It became a cause of strife. Later when the Muslims expressed their desire to live in amity with the Hindus, Pyarelal pointed out that the Hindus no longer had the temple where they could go and worship. The Muslims thereupon rebuilt the temple with their own labour and assured the Hindus that they were free to go to the temple and offer worship. Now they are all happy. The officials too co-operated. If everyone in India and Pakistan acted in this spirit the faces of the two countries would change. If we stick to our own religion and refrain from interfering with another’s, it will be a great thing.
[From Hindi]
Courtesy: All India Radio. Also Prarthana Pravachan—II, pp. 236-8
Notes
- 1. Gandhiji asked those who wanted the prayers to be held earlier to raise their hands. A large number of them raised their hands. It was, therefore, decided to hold the prayers at 5 p. m.
- 2. Who carried placards reading “Save the 70,000 Hindus and Sikhs of Bahawalpur”
- 3. In the State of Bahawalpur, which had acceded to Pakistan on November 8, seventy thousand Hindus and Sikhs were awaiting evacuation. It was reported that the Pakistan authorities were not agreeing to their evacuation through the Military Evacuation Organization. The Hindus and Sikhs concentrated in camps were without adequate food or clothing.
Notes
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