E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

126 Contextualising Gandhian Thoughtmay embark on repressive measures and violence to thwartcooperation and extract cooperation. The Satyagrahi has tobear the suffering that repression brings to resist the will of theevil doer. Thus resistance becomes an integral part ofSatyagraha.Here, one should refer to the view that Satyagrahashould be assistance, not resistance. This can be a misleadingplay of words, particularly, if it gives the impression that thereis no place for resistance in Satyagraha. Of course, the objectof the Satyagrahi is the welfare of the victim, the evil doer andsociety. It is his love and compassion for all three that makeshim fight. Gandhi did not fight shy of the word 'fight'. He saidhis fight came from his love. He fought out of love. Heconstantly engaged in proving that love and could go together, -that it was love that him to fight. In fact, if one says that lovefor victim as well as the evil-doer cannot be combined withfighting evil, one gives up the whole case of Satyagraha.Then comes the question whether Satyagraha shouldtake the form of 'assistance' when it is used, in a democraticsociety or against one's own people. All Satyagraha isassistance, but assistance through resistance.The object of the Satyagrahi is undoubtedly to assist theevil-doer to see what is evil or wrong in his thought or action. Itis clear that he will not give up his evil action unless he seesand accepts that the action in question is evil or wrong. Howthen does the Satyagrahi assist the evil-doer to see what iswrong in his ways? Will the 'assistance' include co-operationwith the evil-doer in what the Satyagrahi regards as a wrong orevil act? If it does, is not a Satyagrahi himself guilty of beingparty to a wrong or evil act? How then can he consider himselfa Satyagrahi? It is clear, therefore, that 'assistance' in enablingthe evil-doer to see what is wrong in his action cannot includecooperation. Non-cooperation, therefore, is an indispensable