________________
128
JAINISM AND WORLD PROBLEMS
THE INDIAN PROBLEM
In view of the importance that is attached to the principle of non-cooperation by certain politicians of India, it becomes necessary to ascertain what might be the proper significance of the term in politics. Now, non-cooperation is not the end in itself, but the means to an end, which means that it is not to be practised for its own sake, but to obtain Swaraj. The most pertinent question, therefore, is: will non-cooperation lead us to Swaraj ? And if so, how, and in what period of time ?
I agree that Swaraj is the proper ideal, the true natural goal to aspire after. I also agree that we must exert ourselves for its attainment. If the English will give it to us well and good; we shall be thankful to them when they do so. For the present it does not pay us and is not worth while to rely upon any such thing as good intentions, the spirit of fairplay, or the promises of persons in authority and statements made individually or collectively, through assembled parliaments.
I also agree that the easiest and the best and the cheapest method of getting rid of undesirable persons and institu. tions is by non-violent non.cooperation. In the case under consideration, certainly a handful of the English cannot possibly be deemed to rule a country like India against the will of its inhabitants. But this is all purely theoretical speculation so long as the will and voice of the country are not unanimous. In practical politics divided opinion only means civil war. In our case it will mean civil war with the English thrown in against the non-cooperators. Unanimity, at least, on the part of an appreciable majority, is therefore an essential to success for the non-violent programme. Another thing to bear in mind is that even apart from a civil war which British statesmanship will
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
