THE COLONY
23
justification. Thus, we must again consider whether non-violence, to
which we are pledged, is practical. Moreover a dying world looks to
us for a way out of the undying horrors to which its perpetual injustice
has doomed it. We must be sure that non-violence, our weapon, will
not fail us, and will not fail the earth's oppressed millions who look
to us for help."
He missed the tension of the crowd, and while he had resolved
not to let himself be carried away by fervor-which was no more than
the desire to hear his name shouted-he looked once more at the ranks
of soldiers on the field, the admini<Jtrators in the shaded grandstand,
the magistrates on the hills, and Satya scowled at the visible oppressor,
as if to recharge his energy for another leap at the crowd.
"The world looks to us for a way out. What shall we do? Shall we
take up arms? Forget for a moment that we are pledged to peace, that
all our aspirations and the very history of our movement forbid it.
Consider-where would we get arms? We have no industry. And
if
we nevertheless acquired arms, what would we do? Our numbers
are large-but there stands an army, already assembled and trained
to kill. It is an army equipped with planes and tanks and fast armored
cars. It is mthless, it recognizes no check of conscience or public
opinion against its fury. Had we resorted to arms and violence in the
past, when the oppressor was relatively weak-that is, when he had
a conscience-we should now, perhaps, be prepared to venture the
struggle. But it is too late. Our decision has been made-and, I say,
wisely! We have only the naked force of our faith, our persuasion,
with which to defend ourselves. We are equipped to resist evil only
with the knowledge of what evil is, and we must conquer violence
even as we abhor it!
"But will they not ride over us and trample us down? Will they
not drop bombs and containers of gas, strafe us. from the air, murder
us ruthlessly on the unprotected ground? What defense is there against
death, carefully, scientifically prepared? There is no defense-but
one-willingness to die!" He was again raising the javelin. "Consider
our thousands of martyrs who faced machine gun fire, who marched,
singing their defiance and chanting their prayers, holding the holy
images aloft, directly into the path of rifle and cannon! Consider the
thousands who were massacred and beaten and burned-the centuries
of violence we have already withstood, without fear, without losing
courage, and without once failing, in the end, to wrest the instrument
of death from the hands of the oppressing soldier and send it dashing
to the ground.
