Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 3

Author(s): R P Poddar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 24

THE SOCIAL AND FOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF NON-VIOLENCE
"though he did not approve of the use of arms by the Union Government for aiding the Kashmiris and though he could not approve of Sheikh Abdullah's resort to arms, he could not possible withhold admiration for either for their resourceful and praiseworthy conduct, especially, if both the relieving troops and the Kashmiri defenders died heroically to a man. He knew that if they could do so, they would perhaps change the face of India. But if the defence was purely non-violent in intention and action, he would not use the word 'perhaps', for he would be sure of change in the face of India even to the extent of converting to the defender's view the Union Cabinet, if not even the Pakistan Cabinet."31
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These concessions to the absoluteness of Ahimsa as a gospel and (not merely as a policy) applied only to Gandhi because he was conscientiously and completely devoted to it and went even to the extent of identifying non-violence (Love) with God. For others, and for organized institutions he believed that there should be progressive approximation to Ahimsa. The Indian National Congress accepted non-violence only as a policy and never as a matter of irrevocable faith.38 He regarded it as an infallible and universally applicable technic. In 1922 he had suspended the Civil disobedience part of the Non-cooperation Movement because of the Chauri Chaura incident. But in 1930 at the time of the Salt Satyagraha Movement he made it clear that the movement would not be suspended because of any sporadic violence. Only if violence became a part of the movement itself that it could be suspended. During 1940-41, the Congress was ready to share in war efforts if the British acceded to India's claims to have a responsible central government34
31. Harijan, November 16, 1947. For the difference of opinion between Jawaharlal and Vinoba on Gandhi's attitude regarding the military action of the Union Government in Kashmir see K. Sridharani, War Without Violence ( Bombay ed.), pp. 52-53.
32 In a letter written to Vallabhabhai Patel on April 22, 1942, however, Gandhi had advised him "to leave the Congress if it does not accept clearly the policy of non-violent non-cooperation."-N.D. Life of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, Vol. II, p. 464.
Parikh,
33. Jawaharlal Nehru, Autobiography, pp. 85, 209.
34. In an article entitled "A Gry in the Wilderness", Non-Violence in Peace and War. Vol. I, pp. 387 90, Gandhi refers to three fields for the exercise of non-violence.
(i) The Internal Political :-Success had been attained in this field against constituted authority."
(ii) Social :-Less success had been attained in this field of settlement of internal differences because it was more difficult and there was no pleasure of jailgoing (as in the first field).
(iii) External Invasions :-The Congress Working Committee felt that (in 1940) India did not have the strength to exercise Ahimsa against the invasion of a foreign foe. Patel was sceptical of Ahimsa.