I'm very excited to be writing to you all during our vacation time.
The article below is about nonviolence. You may think that you know what nonviolence is, but it is much more complex than you think! One of the most famous people to ever use nonviolence is Mahatma Gandhi. I want you to read the speech below and reply to me with your thoughts, if you would like. If not, ask your parents and family about Mahatma Gandhi and figure out why he is so important in world history!
Mason
Mahatma Gandhi gave this speech in August 1942 to the All-India Congress. Gandhi was just starting his Quit India movement. At the time, India was ruled by Britain. The Quit India movement aimed to end British rule. It was a nonviolent movement. The British arrested Gandhi and other Indian leaders the day after the speech. Five years later, India won its independence.
Mahatma Gandhi's
"Quit India"
Mahatma Gandhi (right) with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during a meeting of the All-India Congress in Bombay, now
Mumbai, India. Photo: Dave Davis, Acme Newspictures Inc./Wikimedia Commons
THE SPEECH:
Before we vote, I want you to understand two things very clearly. I want you to think about them from my point of view. I ask you to think about these things the way I see them. If you think I am right, you will do as I say. It will be a great responsibility. People ask me if I am the same kind of man that I was in 1920. People ask if I have changed. You are right to ask that question.
I can tell you for sure that I am the same Gandhi as I was in 1920. I have not changed in any important way. I am just as committed to nonviolence as I was then. I believe in it even more now. There is no difference between what I say now and what I said in the past.
THE SPEECH:
Before we vote, I want you to understand two things very clearly. I want you to think about them from my point of view. I ask you to think about these things the way I see them. If you think I am right, you will do as I say. It will be a great responsibility. People ask me if I am the same kind of man that I was in 1920. People ask if I have changed. You are right to ask that question.
I can tell you for sure that I am the same Gandhi as I was in 1920. I have not changed in any important way. I am just as committed to nonviolence as I was then. I believe in it even more now. There is no difference between what I say now and what I said in the past.
Unusual events are happening now. Things like this do not usually happen to people. I
want you to know that all I say and do comes from Ahimsa, from the idea of nonviolence.
This first copy of the resolution of the Working Committee is based on Ahimsa. Our
struggle is connected to Ahimsa. If you don't believe in Ahimsa anymore, don't vote for my
resolution. If you are tired of Ahimsa, don't vote for my ideas. Let me explain what I think.
God gave me a priceless gift to use. That gift is Ahimsa. I and my Ahimsa are walking
together. We live in a dangerous time. The earth is being burned by the flames of violence,
of Himsa. I must use the skill God gave me. I must use it to help the earth. If I don't use
that skill, while the earth cries out for help, God will not forgive me. I shall be judged not
worthy of the great gift. I must act now. I must not wait and look on. I see Russia and China
are being threatened.
We are not fighting for power. We are in a totally nonviolent fight to make India free. In the usual kind of war, a general takes over a place by force. He might set up a dictatorship. He could then make all the rules by himself. But this Congress has a plan. It is nonviolent. There is no room for dictatorship.
A nonviolent fighter who wants the country to be free wants nothing for himself. He fights only to make his country free. The Congress is not worried about who will be in charge when the country is finally free. The power will belong to the people of India. It will be up to them to decide who should have the power. Maybe the Parsis will rule. I would love to see that happen. Or maybe power will be given to other people we have not talked about today. If that happens, you should not complain. You must not say, “That group of people is tiny. They did not do enough to help make the country free. Why should they have all the power?” Ever since it began, the Congress has stayed perfectly clean and fair. It has always thought of the good of the whole nation and has acted that way. I know our practice of Ahimsa is not perfect. But in Ahimsa there is no failing or losing. I believe that if we do become free, it will be because God helps us. He will help us even though we are not perfect. He will reward us for our steady worship for the last 22 years. We will be rewarded for getting rid of our selfish pride.
I believe there has never been a more democratic struggle to be free than ours. I read about the French Revolution while I was in prison. I've heard about the Russian Revolution. Those struggles were fought violently. I think because of that they did not make perfect democracies. The country I hope for will be made by nonviolence. Everyone will be free and equal. I invite you today to join the struggle for such a country. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between Hindus and Muslims. You will think of yourselves as Indians only. You will know we are working together in a shared struggle.
Then, there is the question of the British. I have noticed that many of our people hate the British. The people say they are disgusted with how the British behave. They think Britain's takeover of other countries and the British people are the same thing. These people hate the British so much they would even welcome the Japanese. It is a dangerous idea. It means that they would trade being slaves of one country for being slaves of another. We must get rid of this feeling.
Our fight is not with the British people. We fight British imperialism. We fight how their government has taken over our country. We did not ask the British to leave India because we were angry. We just want India to play its part in this time of war. It is not a happy thing for a big country like India that we don't. We should not only be giving money and things to help during the war. They take things from India while the United Nations carry on the war. We cannot show the true spirit of giving and courage, while we are not free. The British Government will not be able to keep us from being free, after we make a contribution to the war. We must not have feelings of hate. I can say that I have never hated anyone. I feel I am a greater friend of the British now than ever before. One reason is that they are in terrible trouble. As a friend I should try to save them from their mistakes. I see them standing on a cliff over a bottomless pit. I must warn them of this danger. I have to do this even though it may make them angry. They might want to cut off the friendly hand that is stretched out to help them. People may laugh, but that is what I see. This is a time when I may have to begin the biggest struggle of my life. I must not hate anyone.
In an e-mail to me, or as a comment below. Write your thoughts (in an organized way!) about nonviolence (Ahimsa) or Gandhi or resolving conflicts like the one Gandhi faced. If you don't have anything to say, don't write! No worries!
masonhults@abaweb.org
We are not fighting for power. We are in a totally nonviolent fight to make India free. In the usual kind of war, a general takes over a place by force. He might set up a dictatorship. He could then make all the rules by himself. But this Congress has a plan. It is nonviolent. There is no room for dictatorship.
A nonviolent fighter who wants the country to be free wants nothing for himself. He fights only to make his country free. The Congress is not worried about who will be in charge when the country is finally free. The power will belong to the people of India. It will be up to them to decide who should have the power. Maybe the Parsis will rule. I would love to see that happen. Or maybe power will be given to other people we have not talked about today. If that happens, you should not complain. You must not say, “That group of people is tiny. They did not do enough to help make the country free. Why should they have all the power?” Ever since it began, the Congress has stayed perfectly clean and fair. It has always thought of the good of the whole nation and has acted that way. I know our practice of Ahimsa is not perfect. But in Ahimsa there is no failing or losing. I believe that if we do become free, it will be because God helps us. He will help us even though we are not perfect. He will reward us for our steady worship for the last 22 years. We will be rewarded for getting rid of our selfish pride.
I believe there has never been a more democratic struggle to be free than ours. I read about the French Revolution while I was in prison. I've heard about the Russian Revolution. Those struggles were fought violently. I think because of that they did not make perfect democracies. The country I hope for will be made by nonviolence. Everyone will be free and equal. I invite you today to join the struggle for such a country. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between Hindus and Muslims. You will think of yourselves as Indians only. You will know we are working together in a shared struggle.
Then, there is the question of the British. I have noticed that many of our people hate the British. The people say they are disgusted with how the British behave. They think Britain's takeover of other countries and the British people are the same thing. These people hate the British so much they would even welcome the Japanese. It is a dangerous idea. It means that they would trade being slaves of one country for being slaves of another. We must get rid of this feeling.
Our fight is not with the British people. We fight British imperialism. We fight how their government has taken over our country. We did not ask the British to leave India because we were angry. We just want India to play its part in this time of war. It is not a happy thing for a big country like India that we don't. We should not only be giving money and things to help during the war. They take things from India while the United Nations carry on the war. We cannot show the true spirit of giving and courage, while we are not free. The British Government will not be able to keep us from being free, after we make a contribution to the war. We must not have feelings of hate. I can say that I have never hated anyone. I feel I am a greater friend of the British now than ever before. One reason is that they are in terrible trouble. As a friend I should try to save them from their mistakes. I see them standing on a cliff over a bottomless pit. I must warn them of this danger. I have to do this even though it may make them angry. They might want to cut off the friendly hand that is stretched out to help them. People may laugh, but that is what I see. This is a time when I may have to begin the biggest struggle of my life. I must not hate anyone.
In an e-mail to me, or as a comment below. Write your thoughts (in an organized way!) about nonviolence (Ahimsa) or Gandhi or resolving conflicts like the one Gandhi faced. If you don't have anything to say, don't write! No worries!
masonhults@abaweb.org
I think that you will put on the e-mails so I waited all the weekend for see, but I don`t saw any e-mail.
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