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(Speech at the Prayer Meeting
on 4th January 1948)
Today there is talk of war everywhere. Everyone fears a war breaking out
between the two countries. If that happens it will be a calamity both for
India and for Pakistan. India has written to the U.N. because whenever there is a fear of conflict
anywhere the U.N. is asked to promote a settlement and to stop fighting from
breaking out. India therefore wrote to the U. N. O. however trivial the issue
may appear to be, it could lead to a war between the two countries. It is a
long memorandum and it has been cabled. Pakistan’s leaders Zafrullah Khan and
Liaquat Ali Khan have since issued long statements. I would take leave to
say that their argument does not appeal to me. You may ask if I approve of
the Union Government approaching the UNO I may say that I both approve and
do not approve of what they did. I approve of it, because after all what
else are they to do? They are convinced that what they are doing is right.
If there are raids from outside the frontier of Kashmir, the obvious
conclusion is that it must be with the connivance of Pakistan. Pakistan can
deny it. But the denial does not settle the matter. Kashmir has acceded the
accession upon certain conditions. If Pakistan harasses Kashmir and if
Sheikh Abdullah who is the leader of Kashmir asks the Indian Union for
help, the latter is bound to send help. Such help therefore was sent to
Kashmir. At the same time Pakistan is being requested to get out of Kashmir
and to arrive at a settlement with India over the question through bilateral
negotiations. If no settlement can be reached in this way then a war is
inevitable. It is to avoid the possibility of war that the Union Government
has taken the step it did. Whether they are right in doing so or not God
alone knows. Whatever might have been the attitude of Pakistan, if I had my
way I would have invited Pakistan’s representatives to India and we could
have met, discussed the matter and worked out some settlement. They keep
saying that they want an amicable settlement but they do nothing to create
the conditions for such a settlement. I shall therefore humbly say to the
responsible leaders of Pakistan that though we are now two countries – which
is a thing I never wanted – we should at least try to arrive at an agreement
so that we could live as peaceful neighbors. Let us grant for the sake of
argument that all Indians are bad, but Pakistan at least is a new-born
nation which has more ever come into being in the name of religion and it
should at least keep itself clean. But they themselves make no such claim.
It is not their argument that Muslims have committed no atrocities in
Pakistan. I shall therefore suggest that it is now their duty, as far as
possible, to arrive at an amicable understanding with India and live in
harmony with her. Mistakes were made on both sides. Of this o have no doubt.
But this does not mean that we should persist in those mistakes, for then in
the end we shall only destroy ourselves in a war and the whole of the
sub-continent will pass into the hands of some third power. That will be the
worst imaginable fate for us. I shudder to think of it. Therefore the two
Dominions should come together with God as witness and find a settlement.
The matter is now before the UNO. It cannot be withdrawn from there. But if
India and Pakistan come to a settlement the big powers in the UNO will have
to endorse that settlement. They will not object to the settlement. They
themselves can only say that they will do their best to see that the two
countries arrive at an understanding through mutual discussions. Let us pray
to God is to grant that we may either learn to live in amity with each other
or if we must light to let us fight to the very end. That may be folly but
sooner or later it will purify us. Now a few words about Delhi. I came to
know of the incidents which took place last evening through Brijkishan. I
had gone to the Camp for the evening prayer. I came away after the prayer
but he had stayed over to talk to the people in the Camp. There are some
Muslim houses at as little distance from the Camp. About four or five
hundred inmates of the Camp mostly women and children but also some men –
issued out of the Camp to take possession of the houses. I am told they did
not indulge in any kind of violence. Some of the houses were vacant. Some
were occupied by the owners. They tried to take possession even of the
latter. The police were near at hand. They immediately went to the spot and
brought the situation under control at about 9 O’ clock according to the
information I have. The police have stayed on there. I understand they had
to use tear gas. Tear gas does not kill but it can be pretty painful. I am
told that something has happened today again.
All
I can say is that is a matter of great shame for us. Have not the refugees
learnt even from their immense suffering that they have to exercise some
restraint? It is highly improper to go and occupy other people’s houses. It
is for the Government to find them shelter or whatever else their need.
Today the Government is our own. But if we defy our own Government and defy
the police and forcibly occupy houses the Government is not likely to
continue for long. It is still worse that such things should happen in the
capital city of India where there are so many ambassadors from all over the
world. Do we want to show them the spectacle of people occupying what-ever
they can? It is all the more regrettable that women and children were used
as a shield. It is inhuman. It is like Muslim rulers keeping a herd of cows
in the anguard of their armies to make sure that the Hindus would not fight.
It is uncivilized, barbaric behavior. It is still more barbaric to put women
and children in front to provide against the police making a lathi charge.
It is abuse of womanhood. I must humbly ask all the refugees - women and
children – not to behave in this way. Let them settle down. If they don’t,
then apart from a war between Indian and Pakistan, we may kill ourselves in
mutual strife. We may lose Delhi and make ourselves the laughing-stock of
the world. If we want to keep India a free country, we must stop the things
that are at present going on.
- Collected works-Vol. 90,
Pp 356-58 |
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