Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II By: M.K. Gandhi Compiled and Edited by: V.B. Kher First Published: 1967 Printed and Published by: Jitendra T. Desai Navajivan Mudranalaya, Ahmedabad 380014 (India) www.mkgandhi.org Page 1 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II CONTENTS SECTION ONE: HEALTHY BODY POLITIC PART I: IN POWER SERVICE 1. SILENT SERVICE 2. ALL FELLOW-WORKERS 3. POWER THAT ENNOBLES AND POWER THAT CORRUPTS 4. A TRUE CONGRESSMAN 5. NOT FOR SELF 6. STORM SIGNALS 7. A CRITICISM 8. CHOICE BEFORE CONGRESSMEN 9. DO NOT JUDGE 10. NO ROOM FOR POWER POLITICS 11. ARE WE GOING DOWN? 12. CAUSE BEFORE SELF 13. THE REAL DANGER 14. DO NOT ELIMINATE TRUTH AND NON-VIOLENCE 15. GOOD WORK NEVER DIES 16. THE CURE FOR LOVE OF POWER 17. IF THE CONGRESS ENGAGES IN UNGAINLY SKIRMISH FOR POWER 18. HIS LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT PART II : TOLERANCE 19. TOLERANCE IN PUBLIC LIFE 20. SOCIAL BOYCOTT V. POLITICAL BOYCOTT 21. SOCIAL BOYCOTT OF OPPONENTS 22. NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN 23. HOW TO DEAL WITH AN ADVERSARY? 24. AGAINST CODE OF HONOUR 25. NO ROOM FOR SECTARIANISM IN MY NAME 26. THE LAW OF MAJORITIES 27. MAJORITY V. MINORITY 28. AM I REFORMIST? 29. DANGER SIGNAL www.mkgandhi.org Page 2 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II 30. A MUNICIPAL CHAIRMAN'S DUTY PART III : DISCIPLINE 31. INDISCIPLINE OR INDIFFERENCE? 32. LET IT BE A WARNING 33. EMBANKMENT OF DISCIPLINE 34. THAT UNFORTUNATE WALK-OUT 35. CURIOUS DISCIPLINE 36. HOW NOT TO DO IT 37. A TERRIBLE CONTRAST PART IV: ELIMINATION OF ROWDYISM AND HOOLIGANISM 38. DIFFICULTIES IN OUR WAY 39. HOOLIGANISM 40. ROWDYISM 41. DISGRACEFUL HAPPENINGS IN BOMBAY 42. HOOLIGANISM IN MADRAS 43. WHAT IS TAMMANY HALL? 44. INTIMIDATION IN PUBLIC LIFE 45. OVERCOMING GOONDAISM IN THE CONGRESS 46. CRIMINAL IF TRUE 47. ROWDYISM IN ELECTIONS 48. WAS LAWLESSNESS TO BE TOLERATED? PART V: PUBLIC FUNDS 49. HOW TO FINANCE THE MOVEMENT 50. ALL-INDIA TILAK SWARAJ FUND 51. THE TILAK SWARAJ FUND 52. OUR BURDEN 53. TILAK SWARAJ FUND 54. THE ALL-INDIA TILAK MEMORIAL FUND 55. TILAK SWARAJ FUND 56. WHY IS BOMBAY BEAUTIFUL? 57. PUBLIC FUNDS 58. CARPING CRITICISM 59. ON FINANCING ORGANIZATION AT LOCAL LEVEL 60. FRAUD BY CONGRESSMEN www.mkgandhi.org Page 3 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II 61. WHAT OF PURSES? 62. ON USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS 63. ACCOUNT FOR EVERY PICE 64. IS IT CRIMINAL? 65. DONATION OF TAINTED MONEY 66. PURSES FOR PUBLIC MEN PART VI : ERADICATION OF CORRUPTION 67. CORRUPTION? 68. CONGRESS CORRUPTION 69. CORRUPTION IN THE CONGRESS 70. DEMON OF CORRUPTION PART VII : ORGANIZING OF TOURS, DEMONSTRATIONS AND MEETINGS 71. TO THE ORGANIZERS OF BENGAL TOUR 72. ALMODA TOUR 73. PLEA FOR CATHOLICITY 74. ALL ABOUT VOLUNTEERS 75. VOLUNTEERS 76. ON ORGANIZING BIG ORDERLY DEMONSTRATIONS IN HONOUR OF NATIONAL LEADERS 77. DISCIPLINE 78. THAT UNBECOMING DEMONSTRATION 79. THREE NATIONAL CRIES 80. ABOUT PUBLIC MEETINGS 81. A TRAGEDY 82. THE LESSON OF MADURA 83. FOR ORDERLY ORGANIZATION OF MEETINGS 84. THINGS TO REMEMBER 85. HINTS TO THE ORGANIZERS OF MEETINGS 86. A MOVING PLATFORM FOR MEETINGS 87. THE CHEAPEST PLATFORM 88. GARLANDS 89. WREATH OR GARLAND? 90. HOW AN ANNUAL SESSION OF THE CONGRESS SHOULD BE ORGANIZED PART VIII: MISCELLANEOUS 91. NO BLIND FOLLOWING www.mkgandhi.org Page 4 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II 92. CAUTION AGAINST PERSONALITY CULT 93. BLIND ADORATION IS VALUELESS 94. HOW TO MEET BASE INNUENDOES 95. DOMESTIC CHAPTER 96. LEADERS MUST LEAD 97. NATIONAL WEAKNESS FOR TESTIMONIALS 98. SELF-RELIANCE IN MATTER OF FOOD STUFFS 99. ONENESS OF COSTUME A CURE? 100. CRAZE FOR BLESSINGS 101. RULES FOR THE SEVAGRAM ASHRAM SECTION TWO: NATIONAL UNITY AND INTEGRATION PART I: THE INDIAN PRINCES 1. TO THE PRINCES 2. THE PRINCES' DETERMINATION 3. FOR THE PRINCES 4. DECCAN CHIEFS IN CONFERENCE 5. TOO LATE IN THE DAY PART II: LINGUISTIC INTEGRATION 6. PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY OR PROVINCIAL JEALOUSY 7. NO NARROW PROVINCIALISM 8. THE BANE OF OUR LIFE-EXCLUSIVE PROVINCIALISM 9. WHEN CAN LINGUISTIC REDISTRIBUTION COME INTO BEING? 10. WARNING AGAINST SEGREGATION OF THE SOUTH FROM THE NORTH 11. THE GOANESE UNDER SWARAJ 12. "THE COOLIE PROBLEM OF ASSAM" PART III: RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF MINORITIES 13. INTEREST OF MINORITIES 14. PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF MINORITIES 15. MY APPROACH TO MINORITIES 16. THE SACRED TRUST OF PROTECTING MINORITIES 17. UNITY V. JUSTICE 18. PROPOSED COMMUNAL SOLUTION 19. IS CONGRESS A HINDU ORGANIZATION? www.mkgandhi.org Page 5 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II PART IV: ANGLO-INDIANS AND OTHER MINORITIES 20. ANGLO-INDIANS 21. ADDRESS TO THE ANGLO-INDIANS 22. THE ANGLO-INDIAN 23. ANGLO-INDIANS 24. LET GOD BE WITNESS OF THE BOND 25. INDIAN CHRISTIANS 26. TOTHEPARSIS 27. THE MORAL ISSUE PART V: HINDU-MUSLIM UNITY 28. HINDU-MAHOMEDAN UNITY 29. HINDU-MUSLIM UNITY 30. HINDU-MUSLIM TENSION—ITS CAUSE AND CURE—I 31. HINDU-MUSLIM TENSION—ITS CAUSE AND CURE—II (1) The Arya Samtyists (2) The Agakhani Khojas (3) Partial to Musalmans (4) A Musalman Outburst (5) What May Hindus Do? (6) Dr. Mahmud and Forcible Conversions (7) Not In Nizam's Dominions 32. MY POSITION 33. AN ENGLISH SUGGESTION. 34. HINDU-MUSLIM TANGLE 35. HINDUS AND MUSLIMS NOT TWO NATIONS 36. SELF-DETERMINATION 37. PARTITION AND NON-MUSLIMS 38. COMMUNAL UNITY 39. UNITARY METHOD 40. AN APPEAL TO QUAID-I-AZAM 41. ONLY IF THEY WITHDRAW 42. UNSEEMLY IF TRUE 43. BUTCHERY IN AHMEDABAD 44. HEAL THYSELF 45. HINDU AND MUSALMAN TEA ETC www.mkgandhi.org Page 6 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II 46. HINDU PANI AND MUSLIM PANI PART VI : INTER-CASTE UNITY 47. CASTE SYSTEM NO BAR TO NATIONAL UNITY 48. BRAHMINS AND NON-BRAHMINS 49. DEPRESSED CLASSES 50. THE DUTY OF HINDUS TOWARDS UNTOUCHABLES 51. UNTOUCHABILITY MUST GO 52. UNTOUCHABILITY 53. SWARAJ AND THE SUPPRESSED CLASSES 54. IS SWARAJ WORTH HAVING? 55. MISREPRESENTATION 56. WHY I OPPOSE SEPARATE ELECTORATES FOR THE UNTOUCHABLES 57. SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING UNTOUCHABILITY 58. JOINT OR SEPARATE? 59. NATIONAL UNITY THROUGH SERVICE OF UNTOUCHABLES 60. SWARAJ AND UNTOUCHABILITY www.mkgandhi.org Page 7 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II A popular State can never act in advance of public opinion. If it goes against it, it will be destroyed. Democracy disciplined and enlightened is the finest thing in the world. A democracy prejudiced, ignorant, superstitious will land itself in chaos and may be self-destroyed. —M. K. Gandhi Young India, 30-7-'31, p. 199 www.mkgandhi.org Page 8 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II POLITICAL AND NATIONAL LIFE AND AFFAIRS VOLUME II www.mkgandhi.org Page 9 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II TO THE READER I would like to say to the diligent reader of my writings and to others who are interested in them that I am not at all concerned with appearing to be consistent. In my search after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt many new things. Old as I am in age, I have no feeling that I have ceased to grow inwardly or that my growth will stop at the dissolution of the flesh. What I am concerned with is my readiness to obey the call of Truth, my God, from moment to moment and, therefore, when anybody finds any inconsistency between any two writings of mine, if he has still faith in my sanity, he would do well to choose the later of the two on the same subject. Harijan, 29-4-1933, p, 2 M. K. GANDHI www.mkgandhi.org Page 10 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II SECTION ONE: HEALTHY BODY POLITIC PART I: IN POWER SERVICE 1. SILENT SERVICE (From paragraphs in tHe columns of "Notes" which appeared under the title "The True Spirit") There should be no rivalry among workers for offices of honour. All must aim at becoming the most efficient workers. But all cannot possibly be elected to offices of honour if they also carry heavy responsibility with it. The best way is for every one to be ready to stand aside, and let the others be elected. Thus it is possible to avoid bitterness, unhealthy rivalry and heart burning. The best service is certainly possible, even though one may never hold any office. Indeed the best workers all the world over are generally the most silent. Young India, 29-6-'21, p. 201 at p. 203 2. ALL FELLOW-WORKERS (Extract from "Majli and Jail Treatment" which appeared in "Notes") How nice ... it would be if every one of us could sincerely say to himself: "I am not worth anything"! Then we would all be fellow-servants and fellow-workers among whom the only competition would be to do the maximum of work without the slightest desire for gaining prominence or publicity Swaraj could then be won and run without any difficulty Innumerable difficulties arise when every one wants to lead and advise and nobody wants to work. Young India, 3-4-'24, p. 110 at p. III www.mkgandhi.org Page 11 Political and National Life and Affairs – Volume II 3. POWER THAT ENNOBLES AND POWER THAT CORRUPTS Power that comes from service faithfully rendered ennobles. Power that is sought in the name of service and can only be obtained by a majority of votes is a delusion and a snare to be avoided. Young India, 11-9-'24, p. 300 at p. 301 4 4. A TRUE CONGRESSMAN I "You do not know what we (Congressmen) are.