Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/631

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battle. Whether you belong to the school of violence or non-violence you will still have to go through the fire of sacrifice, and of discipline. May God grant you, may God grant our leaders, the wisdom, the courage and the true- knowledge to lead the nation to its cherished goal. May God grant the people of India the right path, the true vision and the ability and the courage to follow this path, difficult and yet easy, of sacrifice.

��SPEECH AT THE SPECIAL CONGRESS.

[After a prolonged tour round the country addressing large- masses of people on the non-co-operation programme, Mr. Gandhi reached Calcutta in the first week of September to attend the Special Congress on the 4th to which the country had been looking forward lor a difinke lead on the two issues viz.. the Punjab and the Khilafat. Already Mr. Gandhi had prepared the large mass of tfcose likely to attend the session, to vote for his programme.. But the leaders in different provinces were by no means convinced of the soundness of Mr. Gandhi's scheme. Lala Lajput Rai, the President of the Session, and Mr. C, R. Das who subsequently became ardent -followers of Mr. Gandhi, stood out against his programme and^assisted by Mr. B.C. Pal, opposed Mr. Gandhi. But Mr. Gandhi carried the day and his lead was followed in the Moslem League and the Khilafat Conference as well. The resolu- tion ran as follows :

"In -view of the fact that on the Khilafat question both the Indian and imperial Governments have signally failed in their duty towards the Mussalmans of India, and the Prime Minister has deliberately broken his pledged word given to them and that it is the duty of every no n- Moslem Indian in every legitimate manner to assist his Mussulman brother in this Attempt to remove the religious calamity that has overtaken Jhim :

And in view of the fact ithat in the matter of the events of the April of 19l9 both the said Governments have grossly Neglected or failed to protect the innocent people of the Punjab and junish officers guilty of unsoldierly and barbarous bebavkm

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