India of My Dreams

Chapter 19: India's Record of Non-violence

I have ventured to place before India the ancient law of self- sacrifice. For Satyagraha and its offshoots, Non-co-operation and civil resistance are nothing but new names for the la of suffering. The Rishis, who discovered the law of non-violence in the midst of violence, were greater warriors than wellington having themselves known the use of arms they realized their uselessness, and taught a weary world that its salvation lay not through violence but through non-violence. Non-violence in its dynamic condition means pitting of one's whole soul against the will of the tyrant. Working under this law of our being, it is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire to save his honour, his religion, his soul, and lay the foundation for that empire's fall or its regeneration. And so I am not pleading for India to practice non-violence because it is weak. I want her to practice Non- Violence being conscious of her strength and power. No training in arms is required for realization of her strength. We seem to need it, because we seem to think that we are but a lump of flesh. I want India to recognize that she has a soul that cannot perish and that can rise triumphant above every physical weakness and defy the physical combination of a whole world.

Young India, 11-8-'20

That Indians are not a nation of coward is proved by the personal bravery and daring of her marital races, whether Hindu, Mussalman, Sikh or Gurkha. My point is that the spirit of fighting is foreign to India's soil and that probably she has a higher part to play in the evolution of the world. Time alone can show what is to be her destiny.

Young India, 22-6-'21

India's past training for ages, I mean the training of the masses, has been against violence. Human nature in India has advanced so far that the doctrine of non - violence is more natural for the people at large than that of violence.

Young India 26-1-'22

India has never waged was against any nation. She has put up sometimes ill-organized or half-organized resistance in self defense pure and simple. She has, therefore not got to develop the will for peace. She has that in abundance whether she knows it or not. The way she can promote peace is to offer successful resistance to her exploitation by peaceful means. That is to say she has to achieve her independence... by peaceful means. If she can do it will be the largest contribution that any single nation will have made towards world peace.

Young India 4-7-'29