University of Virginia Library

SWARAJ IN NINE MONTHS

Asked by the Times representative as to
his impressions formed as a result of his
activities during the last three months,
Mr. Gandhi said:—"My own impression of
these three months' extensive experience is
that this movement of non-co-operation has
come to stay, and it is most decidedly a purifying
movement, in spite of isolated instances
of rowdyism, as for instance at Mrs. Besant's
meeting in Bombay, at some places in Delhi,
Bengal and even in Gujarat. The people
are assimilating day after day the spirit of
non-violence, not necessarily as a creed, but as
an inevitable policy. I expect most startling
results, more startling than, say, the discoveries
of Sir J. C. Bose, or the acceptance
by the people of non-violence. If the Government
could be assured beyond any possibility
of doubt that no violence would ever be offered
by us the Government would from that
moment alter its character, unconsciously and
involuntarily, but none the less surely on that
account."

"Alter its character,—in what directions?"
asked the Times representative.

"Certainly in the direction which we ask
it should move—that being in the direction of
Government becoming responsive to every call
of the nation."

"Will you kindly explain further?" asked
our representative.

"By that I mean," said Mr. Gandhi,
"people will be able by asserting themselves
through fixed determination and self-sacrifice
to gain the redress of the Khilafat wrong, the
Punjab wrong, and attain the Swaraj of their
choice."

"But what is your Swaraj, and where
does the Government come in there—the
Government which you say will alter its
character unconsciously?"

"My Swaraj," said Mr. Gandhi, "is the
Parliamentary government of India in the
modern sense of the term for the time being,
and that government would be secured to us
either through the friendly offices of the British
people or without them."

"What do you mean by the phrase,
`without them!' " questioned the interviewer.

"This moment," continued Mr. Gandhi,
"is an endeavour to purge the present Government
of selfishness and greed which determine
almost every one of their activities. Suppose
that we have made it impossible by disassociation
from them to feed their greed.
They might not wish to remain in India, as
happened in the case of Somaliland, where the
moment its administration ceased to be a
paying proposition they evacuated it."

"How do you think," queried the representative,
"in practice this will work out?"

"What I have sketched before you," said
Mr. Gandhi, "is the final possibility. What I
expect is that nothing of that kind will happen.
In so far as I understand the British people
they will recognise the force of public opinion
when it has become real and patent. Then, and
only then, will they realise the hideous injustice
which in their name the Imperial
ministers and their representatives in India
have perpetrated. They will therefore remedy
the two wrongs in accordance with the wishes
of the people, and they will also offer a constitution
exactly in accordance with the wishes
of the people of India, as represented by their
chosen leaders.

Supposing that the British Government
wish to retire, because India is not a paying
concern, what do you think will then be the
position of India?"

Mr. Gandhi answered: "At that stage
surely it is easy to understand that India will
then have evolved either outstanding spiritual
height or the ability to offer violence against
violence. She will have evolved an organising
ability of a high order, and will therefore be
in every way able to cope with any emergency
that might arise."

"In other words," observed the Times
representative, "you expect the moment of
the British evacuation, if such a contingency
arises, will coincide with the moment of India's
preparedness and ability and conditions favourable
for India to take over the Indian
administration as a going concern and work
it for the benefit and advancement of the
Nation?"

Mr. Gandhi answered the question with
an emphatic affirmative. "My experience
during the last months fills me with the hope,"
continued Mr. Gandhi, "that within the nine
months that remain of the year in which I
have expected Swaraj for India we shall

redress the two wrongs and we shall see
Swaraj established in accordance with the
wishes of the people of India."

"Where will the present Government be
at the end of the nine months?" asked the
Times representative.

Mr. Gandhi, with a significant smile,
said:—"The lion will then lie with the
lamb."