“Passive Resistance” Chapter XVII- Hind Swaraj- M K Gandhi

17. PASSIVE RESISTANCE

Reader: Is there any historical evidence as to the success of what you have called
soul-force or truth-force? No instance seems to have happened of any nation
having risen through soul-force. I still think that the evil-doers will not cease
doing evil without physical punishment.
Editor: The poet Tulsidas has said: "Of religion, pity, or love, is the root, as
egotism of the body. Therefore, we should not abandon pity so long as we are
alive." This appears to me to be a scientific truth. I believe in it as much as I
believe in two and two being four. The force of love is the same as the force of
the soul or truth. We have evidence of its working at every step. The universe
would disappear without the existence of that force. But you ask for historical
evidence. It is, therefore, necessary to know what history means. The Gujarati
equivalent means: "It so happened." If that is the meaning of history, it is possible
to give copious evidence. But, if it means the doings of kings and emperors, there
can be no evidence of soul-force or passive resistance in such history, You cannot
expect silver ore in a tin mine. History, as we know it, is a record of the wars of
the world, and so there is a proverb among Englishmen that a nation which has
no history, that is, no wars, is a happy nation. How kings played, how they
became enemies of one another, how they murdered one another, is found
accurately recorded in history, and if this were all that had happened in the
world, it would have been ended long ago. If the story of the universe had
commenced with wars, not a man would have been found alive today. Those
people who have been warred against have disappeared as, for instance, the
natives of Australia of whom hardly a man was left alive by the intruders. Mark,
please, that these natives did not use soul-force in self-defence, and it does not
require much foresight to know that the Australians will share the same fate as
their victims. "Those that take the sword shall perish by the sword." With us the
proverb is that professional swimmers will find a watery grave.
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The fact that there are so many men still alive in the world shows that it is based
not on the force of arms but on the force of truth or love. Therefore, the greatest
and most unimpeachable evidence of the success of this force is to be found in
the fact that, in spite of the wars of the world, it still lives on.
Thousands, indeed tens of thousands, depend for their existence on a very active
working of this force. Little quarrels of millions of families in their daily lives
disappear before the exercise of this force. Hundreds of nations live in peace.
History does not and cannot take note of this fact. History is really a record of
every interruption of the even working of the force of love or of the soul. Two
brothers quarrel; one of them repents and re-awakens the love that was lying
dormant in him; the two again begin to live in peace; nobody takes note of this.
But if the two brothers, through the intervention of solicitors or some other
reason take up arms or go to law—which is another form of the exhibition of
brute force,— their doings would be immediately noticed in the Press, they would
be the talk of their neighbours and would probably go down to history. And what
is true of families and communities is true of nations. There is no reason to
believe that there is one law for families and another for nations. History, then,
is a record of an interruption of the course of nature. Soul-force, being natural,
is not noted in history.
Reader: According to what you say, it is plain that instances of this kind of
passive resistance are not to be found in history. It is necessary to understand
passive resistance more fully. It will be better, therefore, if you enlarge upon it.
Editor: Passive resistance is a method of securing rights by personal suffering; it
is the reverse of resistance by arms. When I refuse to do a thing that is repugnant
to my conscience, I use soul-force. For instance, the Government of the day has
passed a law which is applicable to me. I do not like it. If by using violence I
force the Government to repeal the law, I am employing what may be termed
body-force. If I do not obey the law and accept the penalty for its breach, I use
soul-force. It involves sacrifice of self.
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Everybody admits that sacrifice of self is infinitely superior to sacrifice of others.
Moreover, if this kind of force is used in a cause that is unjust, only the person
using it suffers. He does not make others suffer for his mistakes. Men have before
now done many things which were subsequently found to have been wrong. No
man can claim that he is absolutely in the right or that a particular thing is wrong
because he thinks so, but it is wrong for him so long as that is his deliberate
judgment. It is therefore meet that he should not do that which he knows to be
wrong, and suffer the consequence whatever it may be. This is the key to the
use of soul-force.
Reader: You would then disregard laws—this is rank disloyalty. We have always
been considered a law-abiding nation. You seem to be going even beyond the
extremists. They say that we must obey the laws that have been passed, but that
if the laws be bad, we must drive out the law-givers even by force.
Editor: Whether I go beyond them or whether I do not is a matter of no
consequence to either of us. We simply want to find out what is right and to act
accordingly. The real meaning of the statement that we are a law-abiding nation
is that we are passive resisters. When we do not like certain laws, we do not
break the heads of law-givers but we suffer and do not submit to the laws. That
we should obey laws whether good or bad is a new-fangled nation. There was no
such thing in former days. The people disregarded those laws that they did not
like and suffered the penalties for their breach. It is contrary to our manhood if
we obey laws repugnant to our conscience. Such teaching is opposed to religion
and means slavery. If the Government were to ask us to go about without any
clothing, should we do so? If I were a passive resister, I would say to them that I
would have nothing to do with their law. But we have so forgotten ourselves and
become so compliant that we do not mind any degrading law. A man who has
realized his manhood, who fears only God, will fear no one else. Man-made laws
are not necessarily binding on him. Even the Government does not expect any
such thing from us. They do not say: "You must do such and such a thing," but
they say: "If you do not do it, we will punish you." We are sunk so low that we
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fancy that it is our duty and our religion to do what the law lays down. If man
will only realize that it is unmanly to obey laws that are unjust, no man's tyranny
will enslave him. This is the key to Self-Rule or Home-Rule.
It is a superstition and ungodly thing to believe that an act of a majority binds a
minority. Many examples can be given in which acts of majorities will be found
to have been wrong and those of minorities to have been right. All reforms owe
their origin to the initiation of minorities in opposition to majorities. If among a
band of robbers a knowledge of robbing is obligatory, is a pious man to accept
the obligation? So long as the superstition that men should obey unjust laws
exists, so long will their slavery exist. And a passive resister alone can remove
such a superstition.
To use brute-force, to use gunpowder, is contrary to passive resistance, for it
means that we want our opponent to do by force that which we desire but he
does not. And if such a use of force is justifiable, surely he is entitled to do
likewise by us. And so we should never come to an agreement. We may simply
fancy, like the blind horse moving in a circle round a mill, that we are making
progress. Those who believe that they are not bound to obey laws which are
repugnant to their conscience have only the remedy of passive resistance open
to them. Any other must lead to disaster.
Reader: From what you say I deduce that passive resistance is a splendid weapon
of the weak, but that when they are strong they may take up arms.
Editor: This is gross ignorance. Passive resistance, that is, soul-force, is
matchless. It is superior to the force of arms. How, then, can it be considered
only a weapon of the weak? Physical-force men are strangers to the courage that
is requisite in a passive resister. Do you believe that a coward can ever disobey
a law that he dislikes? Extremists are considered to be advocates of brute force.
Why do they, then, talk about obeying laws? I do not blame them. They can say
nothing else. When they succeed in driving out the English and they themselves
become governors, they will want you and me to obey their laws. And that is a
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fitting thing for their constitution. But a passive resister will say he will not obey
a law that is against his conscience, even though he may be blown to pieces at
the mouth of cannon.
What do you think? Wherein is courage required in blowing others to pieces from
behind a cannon, or with a smiling face to approach a cannon and be blown to
pieces? Who is the true warrior — he who keeps death always as a bosom-friend,
or he who controls the death of others? Believe me that a man devoid of courage
and manhood can never be a passive resister.
This however, I will admit: that even a man weak in body is capable of offering
this resistance. One man can offer it just as well as millions. Both men and
women can indulge in it. It does not require the training of an army; it needs no
jiu-jitsu. Control over the mind is alone necessary, and when that is attained,
man is free like the king of the forest and his very glance withers the enemy.
Passive resistance is an all-sided sword, it can be used anyhow; it blesses him
who uses it and him against whom it is used. Without drawing a drop of blood it
produces far-reaching results. It never rusts and cannot be stolen. Competition
between passive resisters does not exhaust. The sword of passive resistance does
not require a scabbard. It is strange indeed that you should consider such a
weapon to be a weapon merely of the weak.
Reader: You have said that passive resistance is a speciality of India. Have
cannons never been used in India?
Editor: Evidently, in your opinion, India means its few princes. To me it means
its teeming millions on whom depends the existence of its princes and our own.
Kings will always use their kingly weapons. To use force is bred in them. They
want to command, but those who have to obey commands do not want guns: and
these are in a majority throughout the world. They have to learn either bodyforce or soul-force.
Where they learn the former, both the rulers and the ruled
become like so many madmen; but where they learn soul force, the commands
of the rulers do not go beyond the point of their swords, for true men disregard
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unjust commands. Peasants have never been subdued by the sword, and never
will be. They do not know the use of the sword, and they are not frightened by
the use of it by others. That nation is great which rests its head upon death as
its pillow. Those who defy death are free from all fear. For those who are
labouring under the delusive charms of brute-force, this picture is not
overdrawn. The fact is that, in India, the nation at large has generally used
passive resistance in all departments of life. We cease to co-operate with our
rulers when they displease us. This is passive resistance.
I remember an instance when, in a small principality, the villagers were offended
by some command issued by the prince. The former immediately began vacating
the village. The prince became nervous, apologized to his subjects and withdrew
his command. Many such instances can be found in India. Real Home Rule is
possible only where passive resistance is the guiding force of the people. Any
other rule is foreign rule.
Reader: Then you will say that it is not at all necessary for us to train the body?
Editor: I will certainly not say any such thing. It is difficult to become a passive
resister unless the body is trained. As a rule, the mind, residing in a body that
has become weakened by pampering, is also weak, and where there is no
strength of mind there can be no strength of soul. We shall have to improve our
physique by getting rid of infant marriages and luxurious living. If I were to ask
a man with a shattered body to face a cannon's mouth I should make a laughingstock of myself
Reader: From what you say, then, it would appear that it is not a small thing to
become a passive resister, and, if that is so, I should like you to explain how a
man may become one.
Editor: To become a passive resister is easy enough but it is also equally difficult.
I have known a lad of fourteen years become a passive resister; I have known
also sick people do likewise; and I have also known physically strong and
otherwise happy people unable to take up passive resistance. After a great deal
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of experience it seems to me that those who want to become passive resisters
for the service of the country have to observe perfect chastity, adopt poverty,
follow truth, and cultivate fearlessness.
Chastity is one of the greatest disciplines without which the mind cannot attain
requisite firmness. A man who is unchaste loses stamina, becomes emasculated
and cowardly. He whose mind is given over to animal passions is not capable of
any great effort. This can be proved by innumerable instances. What, then, is a
married person to do is the question that arises naturally; and yet it need not.
When a husband and wife gratify the passions, it is no less an animal indulgence
on that account. Such an indulgence, except for perpetuating the race, is strictly
prohibited. But a passive resister has to avoid even that very limited indulgence
because he can have no desire for progeny. A married man, therefore, can
observe perfect chastity. This subject is not capable of being treated at greater
length. Several questions arise: How is one to carry one's wife with one, what
are her rights, and other similar questions. Yet those who wish to take part in a
great work are bound to solve these puzzles.
Just as there is necessity for chastity, so is there for poverty. Pecuniary ambition
and passive resistance cannot well go together. Those who have money are not
expected to throw it away, but they are expected to be indifferent about it.
They must be prepared to lose every penny rather than give up passive
resistance.
Passive resistance has been described in the course of our discussion as truthforce. Truth, therefore,
has necessarily to be followed and that at any cost. In
this connection, academic questions such as whether a man may not lie in order
to save a life, etc., arise, but these questions occur only to those who wish to
justify lying. Those who want to follow truth every time are not placed in such a
quandary; and if they are, they are still saved from a false position.
Passive resistance cannot proceed a step without fearlessness. Those alone can
follow the path of passive resistance who are free from fear, whether as to their
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possessions, false honour, their relatives, the government, bodily injuries or
death. These observances are not to be abandoned in the belief that they are
difficult. Nature has implanted in the human breast ability to cope with any
difficulty or suffering that may come to man unprovoked. These qualities are
worth having, even for those who do not wish to serve the country. Let there be
no mistake, as those who want to train themselves in the use of arms are also
obliged to have these qualities more or less. Everybody does not become a
warrior for the wish. A would-be warrior will have to observe chastity and to be
satisfied with poverty as his lot. A warrior without fearlessness cannot be
conceived of. It may be thought that he would not need to be exactly truthful,
but that quality follow real fearlessness. When a man abandons truth, he does
so owing to fear in some shape or form. The above four attributes, then, need
not frighten anyone. It may be as well here to note that a physical-force man has
to have many other useless qualities which a passive resister never needs. And
you will find that whatever extra effort a swordsman needs is due to lack of
fearlessness. If he is an embodiment of the latter, the sword will drop from his
hand that very moment. He does not need its support. One who is free from
hatred requires no sword. A man with a stick suddenly came face to face with a
lion and instinctively raised his weapon in self-defence. The man saw that he had
only prated about fearlessness when there was none in him. That moment he
dropped the stick and found himself free from all fear.