“What do you think is to be gained by promoting this boycott in connection with the Royal visit?”—­“Because I want to show that the people of India are not in sympathy with the Government of the day and that they strongly disapprove of the policy of the Government in regard to the Punjab and Khilafat, and even in respect of other important administrative measures.  I consider that the visit of the Prince of Wales is a singularly good opportunity to the people to show their disapproval of the present Government.  After all, the visit is calculated to have tremendous political results.  It is not to be a non-political event, and seeing that the Government of India and the Imperial Government want to make the visit a political event of first class importance, namely, for the purpose of strengthening their hold upon India, I for one, consider that it is the bounden duty of the people to boycott the visit which is being engineered by the two Governments in their own interest which at the present moment is totally antagonistic to the people.”

“Do you mean that you want this boycott promoted because you feel that the strengthening of the hold upon India is not desirable in the best interests of the country?”—­“Yes.  The strengthening of the hold of a Government so wicked us the present one is not desirable for the best interests of the people.  Not that I want the bond between England and India to become loosened for the sake of loosening it but I want that bond to become strengthened only in so far as it adds to the welfare of India.”

“Do you think that non-co-operation and the non-boycott of the Legislative Councils consistent?”—­“No; because a person who takes up the programme of non-co-operation cannot consistently stand for Councils.”

“Is non-co-operation, in your opinion, an end in itself or a means to an end, and if so, what is the end?” “It is a means to an end, the end being to make the present Government just, whereas it has become mostly unjust.  Co-operation with a just Government is a duty; non-co-operation with an unjust Government is equally a duty.”

“Will you look with favour upon the proposal to enter the Councils and to carry on either obstructive tactics or to decline to take the oath of allegiance consistent with your non-co-operation?”—­“No; as an accurate student of non-co-operation, I consider that such a proposal is inconsistent with the true spirit of non-co-operation.  I have often said that a Government really thrives on obstruction and so far as the proposal not to take the oath of allegiance is concerned, I can really see no meaning in it; it amounts to a useless waste of valuable time and money.”

“In other words, obstruction is no stage in non-co-operation?” —­“No,"....