operatives in a factory have grievances, negotiations having failed, a strike would on a similar argument be never admissible.  Unyielding obstinacy being presumed, it must end in the closing down of the factory and break up of the men.  But if in ninety-nine out of a hundred cases it is not the case that strikes end in this manner, it is more unlikely that, instead of righting the manifest wrongs that India complains about, the British people will value their Indian Dominion so low as to prefer to allow us to non-co-operate up to the point of separation.  It would be a totally false reading of British character and British history.  But if such wicked obstinacy be ultimately shown by a government, far be it from us to prefer peace at the price of abject surrender to wrong.  There is no anarchy greater than the moral anarchy of surrender to unrepentant wrong.  We may, however, be certain that if we show the strength and unity necessary for non-co-operation, long before we progress with it far, we shall have developed true order and true self-government wherein there is no place for anarchy.

Another fear sometimes expressed that, if non-co-operation were to succeed, the British would have to go, leaving us unable to defend ourselves against foreign aggression.  If we have the self-respect, the patriotism, the tenacious purpose, and the power of organisation that are necessary to drive the British out from their entrenched position, no lesser foreign power will dare after that, undertake the futile task of conquering or enslaving us.

It is sometimes said that non-co-operation is negative and destructive of the advantages which a stable government has conferred on us.  That non-co-operation is negative is merely a half-truth.  Non-co-operation with the government means greater co-operation among ourselves, greater mutual dependence among the many different castes and classes of our country.  Non-co-operation is not mere negation.  It will lead to the recovery of the lost art of co-operation among ourselves.  Long dependence on an outside government which by its interference suppressed or prevented the consequences of our differences has made us forget the duty of mutual trust and the art of friendly adjustment.  Having allowed Government to do everything for us, we have gradually become incapable of doing anything for ourselves.  Even if we had no grievance against this Government, non-co-operation with it for a time would be desirable so far as it would perforce lead us to trusting and working with one another and thereby strengthen the bonds of national unity.