E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

122 Contextualising Gandhian Thoughta sense of premonition in them:"(Q) Was it because you had no other weapon to fight a foreignand irresponsible officialdom that you started Satyagraha?(A) Not quite so. I can imagine occasions when Satyagrahamay have to be resorted to against our own ministers even afterwe gain full responsible self-government. And unlike thepresent foreign administrators our ministers cannot excusethemselves on the ground of their ignorance of the sentiment ofthe nation.(Q) But after we have gained full freedom can we not dismisssuch autocratic ministers?(A) I am not so sure. English history gives us instances ofministers sticking to their posts even after they had lost theconfidence of the people. I see no reason why the thing may notbe repeated here. I cannot, therefore, rule out the possibility ofoccasions when grave errors committed by ministersresponsible to the people cannot be remedied except bySatyagraha.(Q) Such occasions would arise rarely when all theGovernment officers are Indians and the people areconsequently law-abiding?(A) It must, at the same time, be remembered that whilstEnglish ministers have at least the benefit of ignorance on theirside, unintentionally, our own ministers will have absolutely nosuch excuse. I have myself seen grave blunders committed byministers of a Government chosen by the people, and they havebehaved in a very irresponsible manner. The Satyagrahi,therefore, would never hesitate to resist injustice done bythem."The answers could not have been different, for: 1.Satyagraha is soul-force or truth-force or "Dharma Bal", and