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VOL. 25 : 27 OCTOBER, 1921 - 22 JANUARY, 1922
1
1. NOTES
M
UNICIPALITIES
B
EWARE
The Government of Bombay note regarding the Ahmedabad,Surat and Nadiad municipalities shows that it refuses to see the writingon the wall. Its dictatorial tone is now no longer in keeping with therising spirit of the people. Its incitement to the individual ratepayers tosue the councillors who believe they have performed their duty ishardly dignified. The proper course for the Government was to let themunicipalities take their own course and not to invite trouble. As it is,the Government note is calculated to precipitate a crisis. Thecouncillors must take up the challenge and dare the Government todisregard the municipalities if they choose. The municipalities musthave the right to misgovern themselves if they wish. If a city ismisgoverned, it is as much the ratepayers’ fault as is the councillors’.But our wise Government whilst recognizing the independentexistence of the municipalities wants to stick to the letter of the lawwhich killeth and would itself rule instead of letting the municipalitiesalone so long as they do not cost the Government anything. Themunicipalities must now take up the challenge and prepare for actionon their part. Government may succeed; in getting a few ratepayers tofile suits. That will be the least it can do. The most it can do is todisband the municipalities concerned. And the most of theGovernment should prove most welcome, if only the protestants are astrong body. Assuming that they are, they must simply educate theratepayers to understand what is happening and to prepare them forbattle. I can see swaraj peeping even through the Government note if the latter take and the former are ready for action. So long as there isno disbandment, the municipalities have all power; as soon as there isdisbandment, the Government is powerless assuming of course that theratepayers are strong, intelligent and united. The ratepayers are all thatbut they require to be organized for action. Hitherto the people havebeen the football of officials or so-called representatives.Non-co-operation enables the people to become the players in thegame. Representatives
must 
represent or they perish.
T
HE
V
ISITORS TO THE
C
ONGRESS
The Reception Committee of the Congress is trying to make theCongress session a purely business session. In its anxiety to do so, it
 
2
THE COLLECTED WORKS OF MAHATMA GANDNI
has restricted its own number and the number of visitors. It wasimpossible to avoid limitation of the number of visitors when thenumber of delegates was limited. The question therefore before theCommittee was to devise a method of selection. The only qualificationpossible was a monetary qualification subject to free tickets for a fewdistinguished guests. The idea is purely to restrict the number of applicants, not to make money. For the first time, the annual gatheringwill cease to be an instrument for collecting funds for the annualexpenditure. Elaborate preparations including exhibition, musicalconcerts and popular lectures by all the celebrated speakers of the dayfor a fee of eight annas per day are in progress. The prohibitive feehas been imposed only for visitors to the Congress session, the ideabeing to discourage applications from visitors. I am anxious that thepublic should understand and appreciate the position of the ReceptionCommittee upon whose shoulders devolves the responsibility of organizing the first session under the new constitution and underexceptional circumstances. The success of the Congress dependsprincipally upon the willing and hearty co-operation of every memberof the public.
W
AR ON THE
K
HADI
C
AP
Mr. Dharamadas Udharam of Karachi writes, saying that he wascashiered by his employers Messrs Forbes Campbell and Co., forhaving dared to wear the khadi cap. I congratulate him upon hiscourage in accepting dismissal rather than giving up his cap. If hewere not demoralized, every clerk serving no matter where wouldinvite dismissal by a simultaneous adoption of the khadi cap. Thiswould really have the effect of the firms recognizing the inevitableand seeing the folly of warring against harmless dress. Indeed this waris being waged to strike awe among employees and keep themsubmissive and even unmanly. In Madras the Director of PublicInstruction will not allow the inspectors of schools to introducespinning-wheels if only because, the Director says, they are given apolitical significance. On the same reasoning even a lecture onabstinence should be taboo because it has for non-co-operators apolitical significance. This war against swadeshi in a variety of waysshows that it is distasteful to the Government. In other words theGovernment cannot tolerate the economic independence of India.Should these indications not make us resolute in the prosecution of the swadeshi programme?
 
VOL. 25 : 27 OCTOBER, 1921 - 22 JANUARY, 1922
3
S
OLDIERS
The prosecution of the Brothers and their companions and theManifesto
1
have reached the barracks, and soldiers are inquiring howthey can support themselves if they leave. One correspondent asks ontheir behalf as to what would happen to them under swaraj. As for thefirst, the Working Committee has shown them the way. Every soldiercan easily become a weaver and carder. Carding requires strength of arm which every soldier must have. And a carder in Bombay earnsanything between two to three rupees per day. Many weavers of thePunjab have left the handloom for the sword of the hireling. Iconsider the former to be infinitely preferable to the latter. I refuse tocall the profession of the sepoy honourable when he has no choice asto the time when and the persons or people against whom he is calledupon to use his sword. The sepoy’s services have more often beenutilized for enslaving us than for protecting us, whereas the weavertoday can truly become the liberator of his country and hence a truesoldier.A friend has suggested, that agriculture should also be added toweaving and carding advised by the Congress. It cannot be as animmediate measure, because, agriculture cannot be taken up with ease,and it requires a capital outlay which renders it impracticable for ourpurpose.What will happen during swaraj is easily answered. The soldierswill not then be hirelings, but they will form the national militia fordefensive and protective purposes alone. They will have a voice in themoulding of the affairs of the nation. And they will certainly never besent to cut down inoffensive Turks or Arabs in the West or equallyinoffensive Chinese or Burmese in the East.
I
N
D
EFENCE OF
M
R
. T
YAGI
Babu Bhagwandas who has been closely following themovement has sent in the following learned note
2
in defence of Mr.Tyagi.The reader will note that I made some amends last week as soonas I saw Mr. Tyagi’s statement.
3
I considered the caution to be
1
On the Karachi Resolution;
vide
”A Manifesto’, 24-10-1921.
2
Not reproduced here
3
 
Vide”
Notes”, 20-10-1921, under the sub-titles”A Magistrate’s Apology”,and”Accused’s Statement”.
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