tisfactorily, success is a certainty
and in which non-response means no harm. For if even one man
non-co-operates, say, by resigning some office, he has gained, not lost.
That is its ethical or religious aspect. For its political result
naturally it requires polymerous support. I fear therefore no disastrous
result from non-co-operation save for an outbreak of violence on the
part of the people whether under provocation or otherwise. I would risk
violence a thousand times than risk the emasculation of a whole race.

SPEECH AT MUZAFFARABAD

Before a crowded meeting of Mussalmans in the Muzaffarabad, Bombay, held
on the 29th July 1920, speaking on the impending non-co-operation which
commenced on the 1st of August, Mr. Gandhi said: The time for speeches
on non-co-operation was past and the time for practice had arrived. But
two things were needful for complete success. An environment free from
any violence on the part of the people and a spirit of self-sacrifice.
Non-co-operation, as the speaker had conceived it, was an impossibility
in an atmosphere surcharged with the spirit of violence. Violence was an
exhibition of anger and any such exhibition was dissipation of valuable
energy. Subduing of one's anger was a storing up of national energy,
which, when set free in an ordered manner, would produce astounding
results. His conception of non-co-operation did not involve rapine,
plunder, incendiarism and all the concomitants of mass madness. His
scheme presupposed ability on their part to control all the forces of
evil. If, therefore, any disorderliness was found on the part of the
people which they could not control, he for one would certainly help the
Government to control them. In the presence of disorder it would be for
him a choice of evil, and evil through he considered the present
Government to be, he would not hesitate for the time being to help the
Government to control disorder. But he had faith in the people. He
believed that they knew that the cause could only be won by non-violent
methods. To put it at the lowest, the people had not the power, even if
they had the will, to resist with brute strength the unjust Governments
of Europe who had, in the intoxication of their success disregarding
every canon of justice dealt so cruelly by the only Islamic Power
in Europe.

In non-co-operation they had a matchless and powerful weapon. It was a
sign of religious atrophy to sustain an unjust Government that supported