0023.htm

6 NON-VIOLENCE IN PEAGE AND WAR

faith in it, it will transcend my love for India herself. My
life is dedicated to the service of India through the religion
of non-violence which I believe to be the root of Hinduism.
Ttmg India, 11-8-1920

ONE STEP ENOUGH FOR ME

Mr. Stokes is a Christian who wants to follow ihc
light that God gives him. He has adopted India as his
home. He is watching the non-co-operation movement from
Kotagiri Hills where he is living in isolation from the India
of the plains and is serving the hillmen. He has contributed
three articles on non-co-operation to the columns of The
Servant of Calcutta and other papers. I had the pleasure
of reading them during my Bengal tour. Mr. Stokes approves
of non-co-operation, but dreads the consequences that may
follow complete success, i.e. evacuation of India by the
British. He conjures up before his mind a picture of India
invaded by the Afghans from the North-West, plundered
by the Gurkhas from the Hills. For me I say with Cardinal
Newman: ^CI do not ask to see the distant scene; one step
enough for me.' The movement is essentially religious.
The business of- every god-fearing man is to dissociate
himself from evil in total disregard of consequences. He
must have faith in a good deed producing only a good
result: that, in my opinion, is the Gita doctrine of work
without attachment. God does not permit him to peep
into the future. He follows truth although the following
of it may endanger his very life. He knows that it is better
to die in the way of God than t9 live in the way of Satan.
Therefore, whoever is satisfied that this Government re-
presents the activity of Satan has no choice left to him
but to dissociate himself from it.

However, let us consider the worst that can happen
to India on a sudden evacuation of India by the British.
What does it matter that the Gurkhas and the Pathans
attack us? Surely we would be better able to deal with



	6 NON-VIOLENCE IN PEAGE AND WAR faith in it, it will transcend my love for India herself. My life is dedicated to the service of India through the religion of non-violence which I believe to be the root of Hinduism. Ttmg India, 11-8-1920

	ONE STEP ENOUGH FOR ME Mr. Stokes is a Christian who wants to follow ihc light that God gives him. He has adopted India as his home. He is watching the non-co-operation movement from Kotagiri Hills where he is living in isolation from the India of the plains and is serving the hillmen. He has contributed three articles on non-co-operation to the columns of The Servant of Calcutta and other papers. I had the pleasure of reading them during my Bengal tour. Mr. Stokes approves of non-co-operation, but dreads the consequences that may follow complete success, i.e. evacuation of India by the British. He conjures up before his mind a picture of India invaded by the Afghans from the North-West, plundered by the Gurkhas from the Hills. For me I say with Cardinal Newman: ^CI do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me.' The movement is essentially religious. The business of- every god-fearing man is to dissociate himself from evil in total disregard of consequences. He must have faith in a good deed producing only a good result: that, in my opinion, is the Gita doctrine of work without attachment. God does not permit him to peep into the future. He follows truth although the following of it may endanger his very life. He knows that it is better to die in the way of God than t9 live in the way of Satan. Therefore, whoever is satisfied that this Government re- presents the activity of Satan has no choice left to him but to dissociate himself from it. However, let us consider the worst that can happen to India on a sudden evacuation of India by the British. What does it matter that the Gurkhas and the Pathans attack us? Surely we would be better able to deal with