E-Book - Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi’s Non-violence… 39they continue to fight ‘an imagined enemy’ while ignoring ‘theenemy within.’ According to Gandhi nonviolent resistance withlove for the evil-doer is the higher and better way to eradicateevil forever. To fight against violence with violence is to pitSatan against Satan and the end result will be the victory ofSatan.It was on this basis that Gandhi called off the noncooperationmovement after the outbreak of violence inChauri Chaura. In his own words, “The fact is that a votary ofahimsa cannot subscribe to the utilitarian formula. He willstrive for the greatest good of all and die in the attempt torealise the ideal. He will therefore be willing to die so thatothers may live. He will serve himself with the rest, by himselfdying...The utilitarian to be logical will never sacrifice himself.The absolutist will even sacrifice himself.” 15 Thus according tohim a satyagrahi has to follow the path of sarvodaya or welfareof all and not the utilitarian formula.For Gandhi, the highest expression of courage comeswith non-violent resistance to injustice. Non-violence instilledunprecedented courage in the suppressed people of India tochallenge the authority of the mighty British Empire. It waseffectively expressed by Jawaharlal Nehru in the followingwords,” …the dominant impulse in India under British rule wasthat of fear-pervasive, oppressing, strangling fear; fear of thearmy, the police, the wide-spread secret service; fear of theofficial class; fear of laws meant to suppress and of prison; fearof the landlord’s agent; fear of the moneylender; fear ofunemployment and starvation, which were always on thethreshold. It was against this all-pervading fear that Gandhi’squiet and determined voice was raised: Be not afraid.” 16Non-violence at the Practical LevelGandhi was aware of the fact that complete adherenceto non-violence is almost impossible. The very process ofliving involves certain amount of violence, no matter how little