POONA,
February 26, 1946
I congratulate Shrimati Aruna Asaf Ali on her courageous refutation of my statement on the happenings in Bombay. Except for the fact that she represents not only herself but also a fairly large body of underground workers, I would not have noticed her refutation, if only because she is a daughter of mine not less so because not born to me or because she is a rebel. I had the pleasure of meeting her on several occasions while she was underground. I admired her bravery, resourcefulness and burning love of the country. But my admiration stopped there.I did not like her being underground. I do not appreciate any underground activity. I know that millions cannot go underground. Millions need not. A select few may fancy that they will bring swaraj to the millions by secretly directing their activity. Will this not be spoon- feeding? Only open challenge and open activity is for all to follow. Real swaraj must be felt by all—man, woman and child. To labour for that consummation is true revolution. India has become a pattern for all exploited races of the earth,because India’s has been an open, unarmed e f for t which demands sacrifice from all without inflicting injury on the usurper. The millions in India would not have been awakened but for the open, unarmed struggle. Every deviation from the straight path has meant a temporary arrest of the evolutionary revolution. I do not read the 1942 events as does the brave lady.It was good that the people rose spontaneously.It was bad that some or many resorted to violence. It makes no difference that Shri Kishorelal Mashruwala, Kakasaheb and other workers, in their impatient zeal for the movement, misinterpreted non-violence. That they did so only shows how delicate instrument non-violence is. My analogy is not meant to cast any reflection on any person. Everyone acted as he or she thought best. Supineness in the face of overwhelming, organized violence would have meant cowardice. I would be weak and wrong, if I failed to give my estimate of the doing of 1942. Aruna would “rather unite Hindus and Muslims at the barricade than on the constitution front”. Even in terms of violence, this is a misleading proposition. The union at the barricade is honest, there must be union also at constitutional front. Fighters do not always live at the barricade. They are too wise to commit suicide. The barricade life has always to be followed by the constitutional. That front is not taboo for ever. Emphatically it betrays want of foresight to disbelieve British declarations and precipitate a quarrel in anticipation. Is the official deputation coming to deceive a great nation? It is neither manly nor womanly to think so. What would be lost by waiting? Let the official deputation prove for the last time that British declarations are unreliable. The nation will gain by trusting. The deceiver loses when there is correct response for the deceived Let us force facts. The coming mission is claimed to be a friendly mission, entertaining the hope that they will discover a constitutional method of delivery. The problem is knotty, probably the knottiest that has ever confronted statesmen It is possible that the mission will put forth an insoluble conundrum. So much the worse for them. If they are intent upon finding an honest way out of the difficulties of their own creation, I have no doubt, there is a way. But the nation too has to play the game. If it does, the barricade must be left aside , at least for the time being. I appeal to Aruna and her friends to make wise use of the power their bravery and sacrifice has given them.
The source, however, has “moment”. It is a matter of great relief that the ratings have listened to Sardar Patel’s advice to surrender .They have not surrendered their honour. So far as I can see,in resorting to mutiny they we r e badly advised. If it was for grievance, fancied, or real, they should have waited for the guidance and intervention of political leaders of their choice. If they mutinied for the freedom of India, they were doubly wrong. They could not do so without a 'call from a prepared revolutionary party. They were thoughtless and ignorant, if they believed that by their might they would de liver India from foreign domination. Aruna is right when she says that the fighters this time showed grit as never before. But grit becomes foolhardiness when it is untimely and suicidal as this was. She is entitled to say that the people “are not interested in the ethics of violence or non-violence ”,but the people are very much interested in knowing the way which will bring freedom to the masses violence or non-violence. The people have, however imperfectly,hitherto gone the way of non-violence. Aruna and her comrades have to ask themselves every time whether the non-violent way has, or has not, raised India from her slumber of ages and created in them a yearning, very vague perhaps, for swaraj. There is, in my opinion, only one answer. There are other passages in Shrimati Aruna’s statement which, as it appears to me, betray confusion of thought. But their treatment can wait. Needless to say that I have dealt with the message believing it to representing her opinion.If it does not , I apologize to her in advance.My argument ,however,is not affected even if it iss found that the reporter has not correctly interpreted her. For my argument is,after all,impersonal and directed only to the portions which are calculated to mislead the public, irrespective of their authorship.
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