UNDER THE PROVIDENCE OF MR. GANDHI 295
untouchability, there will be no Swaraj in one year or one hundred years....”
Writing again on the conditions of Swaraj in the issue of Young India for February 23, 1921, he said:
“Swaraj is easy of attainment before October next if certain simple conditions can be fulfilled. 1 ventured to mention one year in September last because 1 knew that the conditions were incredibly simple and 1 felt that the atmosphere in the country was responsive. The past five months experience has confirmed me in the opinion. I am convinced that the country has never been so ready for establishing Swaraj as now.”
“But what is necessary for us as accurately as possible to know the conditions. One supreme indispensible condition is the continuance of non-violence.”
“The next condition is……… establishing a Congress Agency in every village.”
“There are certain things that are applicable to all. The potent thing is Swadeshi. Every home must have the spinning wheel and every village can organize.... and become self supporting.”
“Every man and woman can give some money—be it even a pice—to the Tilak Swaraja Fund. And we need have no anxiety about financing the movement………”
“We can do nothing without Hindu-Moslem unity and without killing the snake of untouchability………”
“Have we honest, earnest, industrious, patriotic workers for this very simple programme ? If we have, Swaraj will be established in India before next October.”
What more did the Untouchables want? Here is Mr. Gandhi who had held himself out as the friend of the Untouchables. He prides himself on being their servant. He claims and fought for being accepted as their representative. Why should the Untouchables show such a lack of confidence in Mr. Gandhi ?
On the basis of words, the charge perhaps appears unfounded. But does it appear equally unfounded if we have regard to deeds? Let me examine Mr. Gandhi’s deeds.
The work which is claimed by Mr. Gandhi and his friends to have been done by him and the Congress for the Untouchables falls into two periods, the period which precedes the Poona Pact and the period which follows the Poona Pact. The first period may be called the period of the Bardoli Programme. The second period may be called the period of the Harijan Sevak Sangh.