Page:Labour in Madras.djvu/33

are concerned, namely, the poorer classes. You are aware that a great fight on the lines of Passive Resiste ance is going on in Guzerat in the district of Kaira where leader Mahatma Gandhi is trying to get some justice for the poor raiyats. The crop in the Kaira District this year is poor, and the inquiry made by Mahatma Gandhi corroborates the story of the raiyats that the crop is really poor. In spite of that situation, the Government bave asked through their Commissioners. and Collectors for the usual taxation. Under the guidance of Mr. Gandhi our friends the agriculturists have refused to pay the taxation and have taken a vow to that effect. The Commissioner of the District gathered together all the agriculturists and told them to break their Vow, but fortunately our agriculturists were religious enough and gentlemanly enough to tell the Collector that the vow that they had taken would not be broken and that if necessary they were ready to go to gaol. (Cheers). That is a great triumph for us and a great object lesson for all of you. If any difficulty arises for us in the future in the course of our work for your moral, religious, social and political emancipation, if any time comes where it will be necessary for you to take a vow of some kind or another, remember this great and noble example of the agriculturists of Kaira who refused to be prejudiced, coerced threatened, or coaxed by the Collector, who is, after all, a high official of Government. That is a lesson which has its value for us, and I hope that Mr. Balasubramania Aiyar will refer to it at length and give you good advice which will Felp us to come together and learn from each other very important lessons for the