Freedom's Battle eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 277 pages of information about Freedom's Battle.

Freedom's Battle eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 277 pages of information about Freedom's Battle.

There are only two kinds of objections, so far as I understand, that will be advanced from this platform.  One is that we may not to-day think of dissolving the British connection.  What I say is that it is derogatory to national dignity to think of permanence of British connection at any cost.  We are labouring under a grievous wrong, which it is the personal duty of every Indian to get redressed.  This British Government not only refused to redress the wrong, but it refuses to acknowledge its mistake and so long as it retains its attitude, it is not possible for us to say all that we want to be or all that we want to get, retaining British connection.  No matter what difficulties be in our path, we must make the clearest possible declaration to the world and to the whole of India, that we may not possibly have British connection, if the British people will not do this elementary justice.  I do not, for one moment, suggest that we want to end at the British connection at all costs, unconditionally.  If the British connection is for the advancement of India, we do not want to destroy it.  But if it is inconsistent with our national self respect, then it is our bounden duty to destroy it.  There is room in this resolution for both—­those who believe that, by retaining British connection, we can purify ourselves and purify British people, and those who have no belief.  As for instance, take the extreme case of Mr. Andrews.  He says all hope for India is gone for keeping the British connection.  He says there must be complete severance—­complete independence.  There is room enough in this creed for a man like Mr. Andrews also.  Take another illustration, a man like myself or my brother Shaukat Ali.  There is certainly no room for us, if we have eternally to subscribe to the doctrine, whether these wrongs are redressed or not, we shall have to evolve ourselves within the British Empire; there is no room for me in that creed.  Therefore this creed is elastic enough to take in both shades of opinions and the British people will have to beware that, if they do not want to do justice, it will be the bounden duty of every Indian to destroy the Empire.

I want just now to wind up my remarks with a personal appeal, drawing your attention to an object lesson that was presented in the Bengal camp yesterday.  If you want Swaraj, you have got a demonstration of how to get Swaraj.  There was a little bit of skirmish, a little bit of squabble, and a little bit of difference in the Bengal camp, as there will always be differences so long as the world lasts.  I have known differences between husband and wife, because I am still a husband; I have noticed differences between parents and children, because I am still a father of four boys, and they are all strong enough to destroy their father so far as bodily struggle is concerned; I possess that varied experience of husband and parent; I know that we shall always have squabbles, we shall always have differences but the lesson that I want

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Freedom's Battle from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.