DISBANDMENT OF VOLUNTEERS

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338

E-mail- [e-mail];[e-mail]

 

 

 

DISBANDMENT OF VOLUNTEERS

 

 

 Bombay has given a handle to the Provincial Government for undertaking systematic repression and attempting to snuff out non-co-operation. The notifications of the Bengal, the UP, the Punjab and the Delhi Governments disbanding volunteer organizations are an answer to Bombay. I for one welcome these notifications. They obviate the necessity for forcing civil disobedience. If we are ready for the Government challenge, we can have an immediate trial of strength. It is one of the beauties of civil disobedience that a civil resister can choose his own time of battle. For he need not disobey till he thinks it is right for him to do so. No amount of provocation by the Government can goad him into disobedience. If therefore the provinces where the notifications have been issued are ready, they have merely to refuse to disband and every one of the volunteers must surely find him in jail. But we must be sure of our ground. The allegation against the corps is that they are assemblies to use force and not to keep peace. Our first duty is to examine the charge and purge ourselves of guilt if there is any in us. Every volunteer who has been guilty of using force or even threat of force by word or act must be relieved of his charge. The resolution of the Working Committee regarding volunteers has come in time though quite by accident.

I hope that it will be taken up in every province by the respective Congress and Khilafat Organizations and that all volunteer organizations will be combined into one and no volunteer will be retained who does not believe in non-violence. Then we may give battle if there is interference with these organizations. The condition, however, of giving battle is that when imprisonments commence, the rest remain quiet and peaceful. It is high time that we went to jail without noise or fuss. If we believe in the virtue of silent suffering we must make it easy for the Government to arrest us. It becomes difficult when each time we want to make a show and have a precession. Imprisonments must become an every-day occurrence. We make no fuss when we go out for a walk or a picnic. I do ask for the same indifference about going to jails. I accept Mr. Jayakar’s formula of statement before the court. If there is a choice between making or not making statements, I have no hesitation in giving my vote against making them. Imprisonments must cease to cause sensation; for the latter creates excitement and excitement may lead to violence. Violence interferes with a ceaseless flow of innocent imprisonments. Retention of non-violent atmosphere is more important than imprisonments. Therefore no province will be justified in taking the risk of an outbreak of violence and precipitating imprisonments by disregarding the orders of disbandment. We shall lose nothing in the long run by waiting to stabilize non-violence. Our capacity for swaraj consists in our anticipating and thwarting every plan to lead us unto violence whether it be through the C.I.D. or any other channel.