fromLettertoViceroy,LordIrwin

ArgumentbyMohandasK.Gandhi

First,readthebackgroundinformationfoundonpage351.

ASYOUREADIdentifywaysinwhichGandhiappealstohisaudience,animportantBritishofficial.Writedown
anyquestionsyougenerateduringreading.

DearFriend,
1 BeforeembarkingonCivilDisobedienceandtakingtheriskIhavedreadedtotakealltheseyears,I
wouldfainapproachyouandfindawayout.Mypersonalfaithisabsolutelyclear.Icannotintentionallyhurt
anythingthatlives,muchlessfellow-humanbeingseventhoughtheymaydothegreatestwrongtomeand
mine.WhilstthereforeIholdtheBritishruletobeacurse,IdonotintendtoharmasingleEnglishmanorany
legitimateinteresthemayhaveinIndia.
2 Imustnotbemisunderstood.ThoughIholdtheBritishruleinIndiatobeacurse,Idonottherefore
considerEnglishmeningeneraltobeworsethananyotherpeopleonearth.Ihavetheprivilegeofclaiming
manyEnglishmenasdearestfriends.IndeedmuchthatIhavelearntoftheevilofBritishruleisduetothe
writingsoffrankandcourageousEnglishmenwhohavenothesitatedtotelltheunpalatabletruthaboutthat
rule.

Rhetoric:Re-readthesefirsttwoparagraphs.WhatdoesGandhiprefertoanactofcivildisobedience?Cite
evidence.
InsteadofgoingforwardwithCivilDisobedience(suchasprotesting),Gandhiwouldhaverather
approached[theViceroy]andfoundawayout.Hedoesnotwanttoriskanyviolenceandwouldpreferto
diplomaticallydiscusstheissuesoftheIndianpeoplewiththeBritishrulesliaison.

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3 AndwhydoIregardtheBritishruleasacurse?
4 Ithasimpoverishedthedumbmillionsbyasystemofprogressiveexploitationandbyaruinously
expensivemilitaryandciviladministrationwhichthecountrycanneverafford.
5 Ithasreduceduspoliticallytoserfdom.Ithassappedthefoundationsofourculture,and,bythepolicy
ofdisarmament,ithasdegradedusspiritually.Lackinginwardstrength,wehavebeenreducedbyallbut
universaldisarmamenttoastateborderingoncowardlyhelplessness.

Argument:AccordingtoGandhi,whatisthecauseofIndiasproblems?
GandhisharesthatBritainhasexploitedthepeopleofIndiatothepointofintensepoverty,inpartsothat
theycanfundtheirexpandingmilitary.However,Indiaspeoplecannotaffordanymoremoneytobetaken
outoftheireconomybecausetheyarenotyetlivingcomfortably.

WhataretheeffectsofBritishruleonIndia?
(paragraph5)
Theirspiritsarelow,theylacktheinnerstrengthtofindhope,andtheyarelivinginserfdom.

6 ...IfIndiaistoliveasanation,iftheslowdeathbystarvationofherpeopleistostop,someremedy
mustbefoundforimmediaterelief.Theproposedconferenceiscertainlynottheremedy.Itisnotamatterof
carryingconvictionbyargument.Thematterresolvesitselfintooneofmatchingforces.Convictionorno
convictionGreatBritainwoulddefendherIndiancommerceandinterestbyalltheforcesathercommand.
Indiamustconsequentlyevolveforceenoughtofreeherselffromthatembraceofdeath.Itiscommoncause
that,howeverdisorganizedandforthetimebeinginsignificantitmaybe,thepartyofviolenceisgaining
groundandmakingitselffelt.Itsendisthesameasmine.ButIamconvincedthatitcannotbringthedesired
relieftothedumbmillions.Andtheconvictionisgrowingdeeperanddeeperinmethatnothingbut
unadulteratednon-violencecanchecktheorganizedviolenceoftheBritishGovernment.Manythinkthat
non-violenceisnotanactiveforce.Itismypurposetosetinmotionthatforceaswellagainsttheorganized

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violentforceoftheBritishruleastheunorganizedviolentforceofthegrowingpartyofviolence.Tositstill
wouldbetogivereintoboththeforcesabovementioned.Havinganunquestioningandimmovablefaithinthe
efficacyofnon-violenceasIknowit,itwouldbesinfulonmyparttowaitanylonger....

Paragraph6:UnderlinetheTHREEforcesGandhiidentifiesaspartoftheconflict.Thenitalicizethelinesthat
indicatehisplan.

WhymightGandhisoppositiontotheIndianpartyofviolencebeappealingtohisaudience--theViceroy?

7 Iknowthatinembarkingonnon-violence,Ishallberunningwhatmightfairlybetermedamadrisk,but
thevictoriesoftruthhaveneverbeenwonwithoutrisks,oftenofthegravestcharacter.Conversionofanation
thathasconsciouslyorunconsciouslypreyeduponanotherfarmorenumerous,farmoreancientandnoless
culturedthanitselfisworthanyamountofrisk.
8 Ihavedeliberatelyusedthewordconversion.FormyambitionisnolessthantoconverttheBritish
peoplethroughnon-violenceandthusmakethemseethewrongtheyhavedonetoIndia.Idonotseektoharm
yourpeople.IwanttoservethemevenasIwanttoservemyown.IbelievethatIhavealwaysservedthem.I
servedthemupto1919blindly.Butwhenmyeyeswereopened,andIconceivednon-cooperationtheobject
stillwastoservethem.IemployedthesameweaponthatIhaveinallhumilitysuccessfullyusedagainstthe
dearestmembersofmyfamily.IfIhaveequalloveforyourpeoplewithmine,itwillnotlongremainhidden.It
willbeacknowledgedbythemevenasthemembersofmyfamilyacknowledgeditaftertheyhadtriedmefor
severalyears.IfthepeoplejoinmeasIexpecttheywill,thesufferingstheywillundergo,unlesstheBritish
nationsoonerretracesitssteps,willbeenoughtomeltthestoniesthearts.

Gandhisexplicitstatementofpurposeisunderlinedabove.HowdoesGandhiusethispurposetotryto
appealtohisaudience?

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9 TheplanthroughcivildisobediencewillbetocombatsuchevilsasIhavesampledout.
10 IfwewanttosevertheBritishconnectionitisbecauseofsuchevils.Whentheyareremovedthepath
becomeseasy.Thenthewaytofriendlynegotiationwillbeopen.IftheBritishcommercewithIndiaispurified
ofgreed,youwillhavenodifficultyinrecognizingourindependence.Irespectfullyinviteyouthentopavethe
wayforanimmediateremovalofthoseevilsandthusopenawayforarealconferencebetweenequals,
interestedonlyinpromotingthecommongoodofmankindthroughvoluntaryfellowshipandinarranging
termsofmutualhelpandcommercesuitedtoboth.Youhaveunnecessarilylaidstressuponthecommunal
problemsthatunhappilyaffectthisland.Importantthoughtheyundoubtedlyarefortheconsiderationofany
schemeofgovernment,theyhavelittlebearingonthegreaterproblemswhichareabovecommunitiesand
whichaffectthemallequally.Butifyoucannotseeyourwaytodealwiththeseevilsandmylettermakesno
appealtoyourheart,onthe11thdayofthismonth,Ishallproceedwithsuchco-workersoftheAshramasIcan
taketodisregardtheprovisionsoftheSaltlaws.Iregardthistaxtobethemosti niquitousofallfromthepoor
mansstandpoint.AstheIndependenceMovementisessentiallyforthepoorestintheland,thebeginningwill
bemadewiththisevil.Thewonderis,thatwehavesubmittedtothecruelmonopolyforsolong.Itis,Iknow,
opentoyoutofrustratemydesignbyarrestingme.Ihopethattherewillbetensofthousandsreadyina
disciplinedmannertotakeuptheworkafterme,andintheactofdisobeyingtheSaltActtolaythemselves
opentothepenaltiesofalawthatshouldneverhavedisfiguredtheStatute-book.

Inlines69--77whatwordsdoesGandhiusetodescribethefuturerelationshipbetweenIndianandGreat
Britain?Identifytheconnotationofthesewords.


WhatisGandhispurposeforusingthesewords/phraseswiththeViceroy?

11 IhavenodesiretocauseyouunnecessaryembarrassmentoranyatallsofarasIcanhelp.Ifyouthink
thatthereisanysubstanceinmyletter,andifyouwillcaretodiscussmatterswithme,andiftothatendyou
wouldlikemetopostponepublicationofthisletter,Ishallgladlyrefrainonreceiptofatelegramtothateffect
soonafterthisreachesyou.Youwillhoweverdomethefavornottodeflectmefrommycourseunlessyou
canseeyourwaytoconformtothesubstanceofthisletter.
12 Thisletterisnotinanywayintendedasathreat,butisasimpleandsacreddutyperemptoryonacivil
resister.ThereforeIamhavingitspeciallydeliveredbyayoungEnglishfriend,whobelievesintheIndiancause
andisafullbelieverinnon-violenceandwhomProvidenceseemstohavesenttomeasitwereforthevery
purpose.
Iremain,
YourSincerefriend,

M.K.Gandhi
WhatisGandhisfinaloffertotheViceroy?

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LETSTHINKABOUTTHISABIT
1. CollaborativeDiscussion:HowdoesGandhiappealtohisaudience?Citespecificwords,phrases,and
examplesfromthetextintheboxbelow.

2. WhydoyouthinkGandhisargumentfailedtopersuadetheViceroytochangetheconditionsimposed
ontheIndianpeopleoreventorespondtoGandhi?Answerthisquestioninthespacebelowin
paragraphformat.Citeevidence.