The Pilgrims' March/Mr. Patel
MR. PATEL ON NATION'S DUTY.
WILL THEY RESIGN NOW?
Fear of Jail Fast Vanishing.
A public meeting under the auspices of the Mandvi Ward District Congress Committee was held on Wednesday when Mr. Patel delivered the following thoughtful speech on the present situation.
Friends,—In opening the proceedings of this meeting you will allow me to speak what is uppermost in my mind and I believe in the mind of every one of you: namely, the present situation. I have no heart in the business which has brought us together this evening. Repression is in the full swing in the country. Every day every wind that blows brings some news of the arrest in every nook and corner in our country of our prominent coworkers. Two ex-Presidents and the President Elect of the Congress not to talk of several hundreds of our countrymen are already on a jail pilgrimage. I frankly confess I was not prepared for this feat of the bureaucracy, particularly at a time when our future Sovereign is touring in our midst. You will pardon me, therefore, if I, instead of talking to you on the ensuing Municipal elections, talk of our duty at this critical juncture. The situation in the country is of the gravest character and danger. The attitude of the authorities that be is unmistakable. They are determined to “see the matter through at all costs” to use the words of Sir Harcourt Butler. The mentality of a section of our countrymen who have seceeded from the Congress and are now co-operating with the Government is also equally certain. Sir Binode Mittra, with full knowledge of the arrests of the three ladies of the President Elect’s family, pledged the fullest support of the Moderate-party to the ex-Chief Justice of England in an after-dinner speech only the other day at Calcutta. Pandit Motilal Nehru is sentenced to six months and yet the Raja of Mahmudabad retains his seat on the U. P. Executive Council. Lala Harkishanlal sticks to his post in spite of the arrest of Lala Lajpatrai. I know there is some feeling of resentment here and there even in the Moderate party over this mad policy of the Government. It has been reported that an M. L. C. or an M. L. A. left the dinner party held in honour of the Viceroy at Calcutta immediately after the news of the arrests of the three brave ladies reached them. So also Mr. Raza Ali, member of the Council of State, has sent a telegram of warning and protest to the Viceroy. Four M. L. A.’s have issued a statement to the press under their signatures urging Government to call a round table conference of leaders of all shades of political thought in the country. Mr. A. C. Banerji writes to the press that Sir Surendranath Banerji has authorised him to state that the latter has no hand in the repressive policy inaugurated by the Government of Bengal. If this be true, I do not understand how Sir Surendranath can remain in office and at the same time authorize Mr. Banerji to publish the statement. But what is the good, pray, of these protests, manifestoes, statements, and resentments if they are going to hold fast to their posts notwithstanding? Did not Mr. Samarth speaking on behalf of the Moderate deputation, tell the Parliamentary Joint Committee that if certain demands which he named were not granted there would be an agitation in the country of such a character that it may stagger imagination? Mr. Samarth’s prophecy has no doubt come true; but alas where is Mr. Samarth? Did not Sir Chimanlal Setalvad and Sir Ibrahim Rahimutulla raise their voices and vote against the Bombay Government’s sanction to prosecute the Ali Brothers: but they are there still co-operating with the Government. Who does not know that if our Moderate friends rise in a body from the Government and the Councils, even now, the bureaucracy would have to yield in no time? Let us only hope that these good friends of ours will belie their past traditions and rise to the occasion at this grave crisis. But what is our duty at this juncture and under these circumstances? Our first and most sacred duty at this vital juncture is that we Congress men should sink all our differences and present an organized and united front. I want you to bear in mind that three things are essential for the success of this great and novel experiment. I use the word “Novel” because I know of no precedent in human history where a nation has obtained freedom by means of civil disobedience. If we are successful in this experiment our achievement will be a lasting object lesson to the whole world. The first essential condition of our success is that we should remain perfectly nonviolent in thought, word and deed. We are out to suffer and not to inflict sufferings. It is by self-suffering that we hope to bring about the desired result. The issue is plain. The bureaucracy wants to impose its will on us by repression and oppression. We on the other hand wish to impose our will on the bureaucracy by our suffering. Heaven only knows the extent and the intensity of the suffering that is in store for us in this process. The other two conditions, therefore, are that the fear of jail and the fear of death both must disappear from our minds. Congressmen in their thousands must be prepared to go to jail and also to lay down their lives if necessary. I have no doubt that if India can give a million soldiers for this purpose success is sure. It is a matter of sincere congratulations to know that the fear of jail is fast vanishing away and the events of the last few days are indeed an indication of a very hopeful outlook. In spite of the arrests of our first rank leaders as also the indiscriminating arrests of hundreds of our co-workers in different parts of India the country has remained perfectly non-violent.