108

A PILGRIMAGE FOR PEACE

one's breast, I know, is a difficult task. It cannot be
achieved through purely personal effort. It can be done
only by God's grace. I ask you all to join me in the prayer
that God might enable the Khudai Khidmatgars to con-
quer the last traces of anger and violence that might still
be lurking in their breasts/'
Kulachi, the headquarters of the tahsil of that name,,
situated on the north bank of the Luni torrent, twenty-
seven miles west of Dera Ismail Khan presented an address
to Gandhiji at a public -meeting held there on the 30th of
October. It referred to the chronic poverty of the tahsil
and the scarcity of rainfall which did not exceed four
Inches in the year. Gandhiji had no hesitation in saying"
that they could banish poverty by taking to the charkha :
" I can say that if the Pathans will take to this peaceful
occupation, both cotton and wool spinning have a great
future."
At the public meeting held next day at Tank, Gandhiji
referred to the lament that the Hindus of Tank had poured
out before him. A deputation of Hindus had waited upon
him and complained about the state of general insecurity
in respect of life and property under which they lived. If
only the local Khudai Khidmatgars helped them, they had
told him, their problem would be solved. "They feel,"
observed Gandhiji, "that the existence of a microscopic
Hindu minority in the midst of the predominantly Mussul-
man population in this area can be rendered possible only
if the latter will be as true hams ay as (neighbours) to
them, and they have asked me to appeal to the Khudai
Khidmatgars to fulfil their natural role in respect of them.
I entirely endorse their feeling and their appeal, and I
am convinced that it is within your power to set them at
their ease if you will but fulfil the expectations you have
raised in me. As I observed on a previous occasion, the
Hindus, the Mussulmans and the Englishmen in this pro-
vince are being weighed in the balance. History will
record its verdict about the Englishmen's deeds. But the
Hindus and the Mussulmans can write their own history
by being correct in their mutual dealings. For the Khudai