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MEANING OF THE CONGRESS DECISION
“Dr. Ambedkar on Mr. Gandhi’s objections
To the Editor, ‘The Times of India’
Sir, Two views are prevalent in Bombay about Mr. Gandhi’s performance at the A. I. C. C. meeting held in Bombay.
One is that the performance of Mr. Gandhi was the cleverest something beyond the ken of ordinary mortal, and that by his performance Mr. Gandhi has avoided the turmoils of Civil Disobedience. To me both these views appear most astounding. That the public should form its views on such vital matters in such a fascile manner is a sad commentary upon his thinking capacity, especially of the Hindu public. I cannot see how Mr. Gandhi has by his project avoided Civil Disobedience. It is true Mr. Gandhi is asking for liberty to preach against the war, to tell people that they should not take part in the war or help it’s furtherance either by supplying men or money. But what does this mean ? To my mind it means nothing else but Civil Disobediance of the Defence of India Act. How the Hindu public can interpret Mr. Gandhi’s project as not amounting to Civil Disobedience is beyond my comprehension.
Very Baffling
What is, however, most baffling in the whole Situation is the audacity of Mr. Gandhi to call upon the Viceroy arid the absolute certainty of the Viceroy giving him an interview. A man with much less intelligence than Mr. Gandhi realise that nothing can be more riduculous than to go to the Viceroy to ask his permission to break the Defence of India Act. It cannot be beyond the knowledge of Mr. Gandhi that he is asking something far in excess of what has been conceded to conscientious objectors in England or America. All that conscientious objector has been given is that he will not be forced to join the combatant service He has not been given exemption from non-combatant service nor has he been given any liberty to preach against the war while war is going on. It cannot be beyond Mr. Gandhi to appereciate that while all