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VOL. 17 : 1 MAY, 1919 - 28 SEPTEMBER, 1919
1
1. SATYAGRAHA LEAFLET NO. 11
May 1, 1919
BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
Letters continue to pour in containing complaints about the so-called inactivity regarding Mr. Horniman’s deportation. Most of theseletters are anonymous. One of them states that it does not matter evenif violence be the result of our holding large meetings, etc. It adds thatwe shall gain nothing without violence and that without it we shall notbe able to bring Mr. Horniman back to India.It is simple enough to give a reply to the foregoing along thelines of satyagraha: If violence be the condition of Mr. Horniman’sreturn to India, then satyagrahis have to be content with separation.But there is absolutely no fear of any such result from non-violence.We can certainly bring about his return by satyagraha. Indeed we canhasten it by satyagraha alone—satyagraha consists at times in civildisobedience and other times in civil obedience. It consists at times indeclaring hartal, or holding large public meetings or arrangingprocessions and other times in refraining from any one or all of thesethings. Satyagrahis may not do a single thing that would bring aboutor encourage violence. At the present moment people are in aferment, they are angry and it is likely that large meetings, process-ions, hartals may increase excitement and even end in violence. Boththe people and the police are liable to err and both may have to sufferfor the mistake of either. It is therefore clear that satyagrahis ought toprevent such untoward results by every means at their disposal.Therein lies their satyagraha. The nation can only rise higher byreason of the effort to be put forth, the discipline to be undergone andthe soul-force to be exerted for the attainment of such an end. Whenthe people have disciplined themselves to remain calm, to curb anger,to handle processions with self-restraint, to bring about hartals withoutthreat or violence, when volunteers are so trained that the people listento and act according to their instructions, we are in a position to holdmeetings, declare hartals and arrange processions. It is enough to seethat the just demands of a people so trained become irresistible. Thepresent activity is directed towards the attainment of that end and Iurge all to read this leaflet and those who are able to help, to go to theSatyagraha Sabha offices and have their names registered as helpers.
 
2
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDHI
Now let us for a moment examine, not from the satyagraha butfrom the ordinary standpoint the proposition that we can by violencebring about Mr. Horniman’s early return or accomplish our otherobjects. I believe that what is true and possible in other countries is notnecessarily true and possible in Hindustan. India has from timeimmemorial received a different training. In India one cannot recall atime when the whole people were engaged in the use of brute force. Itis my belief that India deliberately abandoned universal use of brute-force. We have noted the results of violence in the Punjab. Ahmeda-bad is still suffering. We shall hereafter be able to measure the fulldreadful effect of violence. One such effect is the suspension of civildisobedience. We ought, therefore, to consider as erroneous the belief that by violence we can hasten Mr. Horniman’s return or gain otherobjects.In one of the letters received by me it is argued that satyagrahishave no right to advise others to refrain from demonstrations, etc.,even if they choose to do so. But we observe at the present moment inHindustan a vast number of people desirous of taking part in allsatyagraha activities other than civil disobedience. This state of thingscauses as much anxiety as pleasure. It throws a tremendousresponsibility upon satyagrahis. One of them is this: If the people areinterested in satyagraha and are desirous of experiencing itswonderful results, satyagrahis have to so act that the people maybecome trained to participate in the movement in strict accordancewith its principles and its fundamental principle is adherence to truthand non-violence to person or property and when the people haveaccepted this principle the whole world will have a demonstration of the efficacy of satyagraha.
M. K. G
ANDHI
Printed by Rustom N. Vatchaghandy at the Sanj Vartaman Press, Nos.22-24-26, Mint Road, Fort, Bombay.From the printed original preserved in Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, Delhi.Courtesy: H. S. L. Polak 
 
VOL. 17 : 1 MAY, 1919 - 28 SEPTEMBER, 1919
3
2. SATYAGRAHA LEAFLET NO. 12
May 2, 1919
W
HEN
I
S
S
ATYAGRAHA
G
OING TO BE
R
ESUMED
?
“When is satyagraha going to be resumed?” is the questionmany have been asking me. There are two answers. One is thatsatyagraha has not at all ceased. As long as we practise truth, and ask others to do so, so long satyagraha can never be said to have ceased.And if all practise truth, and refrain from violence to person andproperty, we would immediately get what we want. But when all arenot prepared to do so, when satyagrahis are only a handful, then wehave to devise other methods deducible from satyagraha. One suchmethod is
Civil Disobedience
. I have already explained the reasonwhy this civil disobedience has been for the time being suspended. Aslong as we know that there is every likelihood, bordering on certainty,of rioting and violence following civil disobedience, so longdisobedience of laws cannot be regarded as civil disobedience, but it isdisobedience that is thoughtless, uncivil, and devoid of truth.Satyagrahis may never commit such disobedience. The resumption of civil disobedience can, however, be hastened by the satyagrahiscompletely fulfilling their duty. My confidence in satyagrahis has ledme to assume that we shall be fitted for resuming civil disobedience inabout two months, i.e., if the Rowlatt legislation is not withdrawn in themeantime, we may resume civil disobedience by the beginning of Julynext. In provisionally fixing this period, I am guided by the followingconsiderations: One of them is that we shall have by that time spreadour message throughout the country, viz., that during the pendency of civil disobedience, no one, under cover of satyagraha, or the pretenceof helping it, should resort to rioting or violence. It may be hoped thatthe people being convinced that the true interest of the country willbe served by acting in accordance with the message will preservepeace. And peace thus voluntarily sustained will materially contributetowards India’s progress. But it is possible that India may notunderstand satyagraha to this extent. In that case, there is one morehope of the non-recurrence of violence, though the condition uponwhich the hope is based is humiliating for us. It is open to thesatyagrahis, however, to avail of this condition. Indeed, it becomestheir duty to resume satyagraha under such conditions. The military
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