who
form it, and if the individuals go to the Congress with a united voice,
that will be the verdict you will gain from the Congress. But if we go
to the Congress with no opinion because we have none or because we are
afraid to express it, then naturally we wait the verdict of the
Congress. To those who are unable to make up their mind I say by all
means wait. But for those who have seen the clear light as they see the
lights in front of them, for them to wait is a sin. The Congress does
not expect you to wait but it expects you to act so that the Congress
can gauge properly the national feeling. So much for the Congress.

BOYCOTT OF THE COUNCILS

Among the details of non-co-operation I have placed in the foremost rank
the boycott of the councils. Friends have quarrelled with me for the use
of the word boycott, because I have disapproved--as I disapprove even
now--boycott of British goods or any goods for that matter. But there,
boycott has its own meaning and here boycott has its own meaning. I not
only do not disapprove but approve of the boycott of the councils that
are going to be formed next year. And why do I do it? The people--the
masses,--require from us, the leaders, a clear lead. They do not want
any equivocation from us. The suggestion that we should seek election
and then refuse to take the oath of allegiance, would only make the
nation distrust the leaders. It is not a clear lead to the nation. So I
say to you, my countrymen, not to fall into this trap. We shall sell our
country by adopting the method of seeking election and then not taking
the oath of allegiance. We may find it difficult, and I frankly confess
to you that I have not that trust in so many Indians making that
declaration and standing by it. To-day I suggest to those who honestly
hold the view--_viz_. that we should seek election and then refuse to
take the oath of allegiance--I suggest to them that they will fall into
a trap which they are preparing for themselves and for the nation. That
is my view. I hold that if we want to give the nation the clearest
possible lead, and if we want not to play with this great nation we must
make it clear to this nation that we cannot take any favours, no matter
how great they may be so long as those favours are accompanied by an
injustice a double wrong, done to India not yet redressed. The first
indispensable thing before we can receive any favours from them is that
they should redress this double wrong.