 | WHAT MERCHANTS CAN DO Swaraj in one year |  |
WHAT MERCHANTS CAN DO
[A meeting of the merchants of Burrabazar
was held at Calcutta on January 30, 1921,
when Mahatma Gandhi delivered the
following address to them on their duties
at the present moment:—]
Brothers, you all know that I speak seated
on a chair and I feel ashamed on that account.
I hope that I may not ever sit on a chair but
I am helpless. As I want to win Swaraj in
nine months, so I do not want these. My
brothers gave me much trouble when I came
through streets. I see that they love me
much, but I want to dissuade them from that
if I can. Outside this hall so many have
assembled that no business can go on.
Because of that, I lost half an hour. The
reason is that the organisation has not been a
good one. That ought not to be so. When
it is known that many men will gather,
provision will have to be made for that also.
Work must not suffer and passages ought not
to be blocked and tramcars ought not to be
stopped. Our people's time ought not to be
and another thousand outside. Two thousand
hours of people's time have here been wasted.
I want that Hindi and Urdu papers should
also publish that touching the feet is bad, and
my request is that people should not do it.
I am greatly disturbed with noise, I am far
from well and cannot tolerate sound. "Bande
Mataram," "Mahatma Gandhi ki Jai"—these
shouts are of no avail unless they voice forth
our true feeling. What I mean to say is that
men do not translate into action what they
utter. I also have become a Kshatriya giving
up my Bania Dharma. Had I not been a
Kshatriya I would have demonstrated my
feelings by weeping. Certainly I am not thirsting
after touching of my feet by you. When I
shall want it I will plainly let you know my
feelings and that will be when my object will
be attained. I consider myself compromised
in dignity, otherwise Swaraj will be attained
in nine months. Let all of you combine and
lend a helping hand. There is no necessity
for shouting "Bande Mataram," "Hindu
Mussalman-ki-Jai," "Alla-ho-Akbar." What I
propose to do I shall accomplish certainly. I
must attain Swaraj. It thirty crores of people
my work and win Swaraj but I do not like
shouting. In the matter of shouts and noise
I am like a weak lamb. Also prostration at the
feet is not good. Bow to all with your hands
folded. No one is worthy of being touched at
the feet, especially in this Kali yuga. The
times are changed. If you wish to accomplish
the work of 30 crores of men, then come out
with your money. Try to have money and
ask me to give account for the same. Appoint
some one treasurer. If you know that you
yourselves cannot attain Swaraj, then help
one with money.
If you do not help with money, Swaraj
will be difficult, but not impossible to attain.
If the students of India do not help me, it does
not matter. If the pleaders do not help it does
not matter.
If monied men do not help with money,
that also does not matter. The attainment of
Swaraj depends on the workers and the
agriculturists. I belong to the same profession
as yourselves by birth and was a merchant myself
by profession. I was a lawyer and earned
money thereby. I am a student also and I think
that I am a good student too. If you have
to govern India, then make sacrifices. Sacrifice
yourselves, your children and your parents,
everything in your life. Swaraj depends upon
the agriculturists. If they do not help, then
Swaraj cannot be attained. If they co-operate
with the Government, then all your virtues
will not help you in winning Swaraj. If 25
crores of people turn out to be undutiful,
Swaraj cannot be attained. Now our Marwari
brothers, the President has just said that rich
have not turned up for to-day's meeting. This
pains me much. But there is a reason for it.
They have been brought up under this Government
and they have made their piles under its
protection. They have earned their money with
their co-operation. So they are afraid of them.
The English people make money through
the co-operation of Indians. This truth is
not realised by my Marwari brothers. I do
not ask you to give up trade, but I ask
you to carry on honest business, and not
indulge in untruth. You may say that
if you do not resort to untruth, then you will
become fakirs. I think it is better to be fakirs,
and in that case I do not want any money from
you. You should give up trade of foreign goods
should certainly be shunned. Those who fear
God, they cannot but do the work of God.
God has given you riches and that riches help
you to decorate your bodies. With that riches
you wear Malmal Pagrees. I ask you to be
fearless and wear Khaddar Pagrees, and give
up all connection with mills even in the matter
of agencies. I asked my son to give up this
business as it is not Swadeshi work and deal
in Khaddar. He answered—"Father Khaddar
business does not go on. Much of it is lying in
stock." Khaddar, Garah Khadi—whatever you
call it, such beautiful stuff cannot be found.
My brothers and sisters, all use it and the
labourers who are my brothers prepare it. The
exploitations which the mill-owners are making
are very unjust. When the price of cotton is
Rs. 9 how is it that the price of the yarn is
Rs. 34? I know that there is very little profit
in Khaddar business. The cause of this is the
mill-owners who increase the price of the yarn.
We have to clothe the shoe-makers and the
sweepers. If there be any Vaishnab in the
meeting he will say that the remnants of his
dish and dirty worn out clothes will suffice.
But I remember them in the morning and
Khaddar after leaving mill cloths, then its
price will go up.
If you go to Janakpuri, Orissa, you will see
the condition of the poor very miserable.
Chattu may be had for food, but not ghee.
When I was travelling in third class—as you
of course do not, then I used to see in
Dharmashalas that one man took out a handful
of Chattu from his baggage, a little of salt and
a read pepper—and with these mixed with
water, he had his meal. I have turned out a
Kshatriya and not a drop of water came to my
eyes. In this country of Annapurna, ghee is
not available. In Champaran, people are dying
of starvation. There is one remedy for all
these, and that is the only remedy for all these
and that is Charka. If all women and girls
spin yarn, then they will be able to feed themselves
as the prices of Khaddar will look up
then. If Swaraj is attained, then malmal
also will be manufactured. I myself am a good
workman and I can work it, but I say that you
have got to make thread from No. 6 to 20
and that will be used in making saris and
pathis. No. 80 thread has been used in
making your pagrees. It is foreign and it is
religion.
If you wish to save cows then save
Khilafat. Millionaries speak of stopping cow
killing but co-operate with the English.
Oppressive Englishmen drink the blood of cows.
Agency of English goods is irreligious. It is said
against the Musalmans that they kill cows.
But I say that what is slaughtered in Bandara
in five years cannot be done in 2 years by
7 crores of Musalmans. I repeat to you some
commonplace things. It is about Champaran?
I narrated the matter to a Marwari and he
burst into tears, I did not shed any tears. I
drew his attention to the condition of a bullock
drawing a cart. You worship cows, and are
you justified in killing bullock? See the condition
of dairy farms. The cows give milk, the
buffaloes also give milk. Milk is drawn in such
quantities from their udders that blood comes
out. And we drink it. If you truly wish to
save cows, then come to the help of Khilafat.
The Musalmans are not ungrateful but you
should not ask him to save cows first
before you can help his Khilafat. Don't
do so—this is no matter of bargain. Die
for your brothers, adopt Fakir and claim you
turn out to be cowards but be bold in your
conduct.
Give up your foreign trade, not all immediately
but of piece goods only, clear your
house of foreign cloth and ask your mothers
and wives to throw them out and not to wear
them again. This will not cause you any
loss. Send all those to South Africa and sell
them there. They will be in demand there as
there are no spinning machines there. India
rested on the Dharma of faithful wives.
Mussalman women do much work on Charkas.
If you have goods lying-in-stock sell it or
burn it and promise that you will never
purchase it or wear it. Make the weaver
understand that foreign yarns should not be
used. Ask them to despatch the goods which
they have in stock and not to use yarn above
No. 20 and use cloths made with them. I
want three things. The first thing is "save
me." Do not worry Gandhi, do not give him
trouble and cry "Gandhi ki Jai" and consider
it as harm. The second thing is—Money is
needed. Give as much as you can afford, and do
as much as you can. To-day the dealers in deeds
have given me Rs. 10,000 and promised to
that whatever you give you should give with
humility and generosity. As I pray to God so
I pray to you. Kindle your religious sense and
your patriotic feelings. The third thing is
this—be pure, be patriotic, be devoted to the
cause of Swaraj and Khilafat. Khilafat is Kamdhenu.
Use pure Swadeshi things in your
household. This alone will do you good; 60 crores
of rupees go out of the country. Save them and
win Swaraj in nine months. Brothers, you
have listened to me with such love and
attention I am very pleased with you. But I
do not want blind, mad love for me. I want
the conscious love of India. With such love
for me, I shall be able to free India. Again I
ask you to remember my words and pray to
God that, He may give you and me power to
win Swaraj and bless you. With these words
I conclude my speech.
After his address, brisk collections of
money went on and quite a large sum was
collected on the spot.
| WHAT MERCHANTS CAN DO Swaraj in one year | |