your power. For we are face to face with a peril
greater than plagues, greater than influenza, greater
than earthquakes and mighty floods, which sometimes
overwhelm this land. These physical calamities
can rob us of so many Indian bodies. But the
calamity that has at the present moment overtaken India
touches the religious honour of a fourth of her children
and the self-respect of the whole nation. The
Khilafat wrong affects the Mussalmans of India, and
the Punjab calamity very nearly overwhelms the manhood
of India. Shall we in the face of this danger
be weak or rise to our full height. The remedy
for both the wrongs is the spiritual solvent of non-co-operation.
I call it a spiritual weapon, because it demands discipline
and sacrifice from us. It demands sacrifice from
every individual irrespective of the rest. And
the promise that is behind this performance of duty,
the promise given by every religion that I have studied
is sure and certain. It is that there is no spotless
sacrifice that has been yet offered on earth, which
has not carried with it its absolute adequate reward.
It is a spiritual weapon, because it waits for no
mandate from anybody except one’s own conscience.
It is a spiritual weapon, because it brings out the
best in the nation and it absolutely satisfies individual
honour if a single individual takes it, and it will
satisfy national honour if the whole nation takes it
up. And therefore it is that I have called non-co-operation
in opposition to the opinion of many of my distinguished
countrymen and leaders—a weapon that is
infallible and absolutely practicable. It is infallible
and practicable, because it satisfies the demands
of individual conscience. God above cannot, will
not expect Maulana Shaukat Ali to do more than he has
been doing, for he has surrendered and placed at the
disposal of God whom he believes to be the Almighty
ruler of everyone, he has delivered all in the service
of God. And we stand before the citizens of Mangalore
and ask them to make their choice either to accept
this precious gift that we lay at their feet or to
reject it. And after having listened to my message
if you come to the come to the conclusion that you
have no other remedy than non-co-operation for the
conservation of Islam and the honour of India, you
will accept that remedy. I ask you not to be
confused by so many bewildering issues that are placed
before you, nor to be shaken from your purpose because
you see divided counsels amongst your leaders.
This is one of the necessary limitations of any spiritual
or any other struggle that has ever been fought on
this earth. It is because it comes so suddenly
that it confuses the mind if the heart is not tuned
properly. And we would be perfect human beings
on this earth if in all of us was found absolutely
perfect correspondence between the mind and the heart.
But those of you who have been following the newspaper
controversy, will find that no matter what division
of opinion exists amongst our journals and leaders