THE COLONY
37
"The whole age in politics today is this: will against fact. Power, the
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fact. State powerful. We are the will! At the last extreme. After us, the
darkne$s. Our negativism, disobedience, perpetual no! It is necessary!
Today, it is the only thing that says yes!
"I am not too weak to make exclamation marks!"
"We triumph in spite of our weakness, not because of our strength.
Remember reading report about European ghetto. Doomed. Uprising.
Noble thing. But people degraded. Even during uprising people de–
graded. Starving. Turned informers for food. Lied, stole, cheated. Imi–
tated the oppressor. Worst of all, some tried curry favor. But,
in
spite
degradation, battle was fought. Magnificent. All the greater its glory,
its humanity. Even the degraded heart uplifted. Victory is not only over
enemy. Is over ourselves!"
"Yesterday, authorities came. Tried talk me out of hunger strike.
Not interested in them. Fools and hypocrites. Told them so. Told them
kind to me. Could have been worse. But have some imagination. Left
me alone. Knew I would destroy myself. Have not disappointed them.
"Told me more. Seems true. They have won, time being. People
defeated. Docile, outwardly. Cowed, support regime. Refused end hun–
ger strike. Told them, even if useless, necessary. Did not understand me.
Say it again. To myself. Necessary, necessary, necessary! I understand."
"Not that I can't recognize facts. I know what the truth is. But the
other half of fact, unseen! Truth's other name, courage to speak."
"Am still alive. Some physical strength. Absurd vomiting. Danger
is, may still weaken morally."
"The new science of man. Authorities like ascetic scholars of the
middle period: they too made a study of pain. How well they under–
stand! Have discovered the affinity of the oppressed for the oppressor.
Now comes the new age of the State, the acceptance of suffering. All
struggle has rested on belief that men either good or evil. Only necessary
to destroy the belief and provide third alternative : the new man, neutral,
will love his degradation.
"Bapu, these months prison, hated you. At long last, have come
to ask your blessing."
The day the above entry was written, guards came and let Satya
out of his cell. With their support he walked fairly well, though paus–
ing frequently to rest. The guards opened the door of the outer wall
and led him forth into a courtyard. It was a vast yard, one huge wall
stretching miles around and embracing many small closures, similar
to his own. He was made to sit on a stone bench, while 'some of the
other enclosures were opened. A few prisoners were let out. At first
