ing to-day is
that I am giving the country a pardonable programme not the abolition of
law courts, posts, telegraphs and of railways but for the attainment of
Parliamentary Swarja. I am telling you to do that so long as we do not
isolate ourselves from this Government, we are co-operating with it
through schools, law courts and councils, through service civil and
military and payment of taxes and foreign trade.

The moment this fact is realised and non-co-operation is effected, this
Government must totter to pieces. If I know that the masses were
prepared for the whole programme at once, I would not delay in putting
it at once to work. It is not possible at the present moment, to prevent
the masses from bursting out into wrath against those who come to
execute the law, it is not possible, that the military would lay down
their arms without the slightest violence. If that were possible to-day,
I would propose all the stages of non-co-operation to be worked
simultaneously. But we have not secured that control over the masses, we
have uselessly frittered away precious years of the nation's life in
mastering a language which we need least for winning our liberty; we
have frittered away all those years in learning liberty from Milton and
Shakespeare, in deriving inspiration from the pages of Mill, whilst
liberty could be learnt at our doors. We have thus succeeded in
isolating ourselves from the masses: we have been westernised. We have
failed these 35 years to utilise our education in order to permeate the
masses. We have sat upon the pedestal and from there delivered harangues
to them in a language they do not understand and we see to-day that we
are unable to conduct large gatherings in a disciplined manner. And
discipline is the essence of success. Here is therefore one reason why I
have introduced the word 'progressive' in the non-co-operation
Resolution. Without any impertinence I may say that I understand the
mass mind better than any one amongst the educated Indians. I contend
that the masses are not ready for suspension of payment of taxes. They
have not yet learnt sufficient self-control. If I was sure of
non-violence on their part I would ask them to suspend payment to-day
and not waste a single moment of the nations time. With me the liberty
of India has become a passion. Liberty of Islam is as dear to me. I
would not therefore delay a moment if I found that the whole of the
programme could be enforced at once.