Gandhian key to real peace
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Reflections by Romain Rolland
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(We are indebted to Madame Romain Rolland, wife of the French writer, savant and philosopher, for the following unpublished extracts from the diary of her husband. They have been happily chosen, and throw light on M. Rolland’s preoccupation with the Indian freedom struggle and his respect for Gandhian leadership.)
THE young English Quaker who took a vigorous part in Gandhi’s last campaign and who used to send from India penetrating and biting circular letters (Tropical Budgets) — writes to me from London (15th September) a letter generous, modest and charming. He tells me of his vain efforts in England and his sufferings in his quaker surroundings, and he brands their false pacifism, cowardly and crafty. “They always think of ‘peace’
and they like it better even based on violence and injustice than on civil resistance against tyranny which (for them) evokes anarchy… They cannot understand that their visible peace (apparent) is sometimes a violent peace which profanes the peace of the spirit.” He also speaks of “the crushing disillusion” of English youth who had believed up to now in the “idealism” of the English Labour Party and sees it repudiated for the profit of political interests — “Once again religion and the social Gospel have been employed for duping the credulous enthusiasm of youth …
The professionals of religion and of politics have betrayed us. We now know that we are betrayed; but we are few and without guides. Against violence and cynical “moderation,” we feel ourselves powerless. Myself I am only 25. I have faith and I know well that I am intelligent; but I lack that you are one of the only men of the West who can understand everything. I know that you have a clear vision and that you can see above the conflict. I implore you to send me back a few lines. Remember that I am a disciple who has lost his master!...”
And he signs: “Your devoted son.” I reply immediately, affectionately (19th September) and I tell him, that I have the same conception of peace that he has. I remind him of my motto of Spinoza (title-page of Mother and Son).
“… The ‘pacifism’ of ‘worthy people’ — (it is not a great thing to be ‘worthy people’! it is necessary to be ‘people who are worthy’) — is the death of all the virtues: — and of the first: energy, which is the mother of all — energy of thought, which does not try to use evasions with itself, which dares to be sincere with itself, — and the energy of the will which dares to say what it believes true and which dares to do what it says. Emasculated ‘pacifism’ has been allowed to become the lying mask force. I am born for serving some great leader; and he whom I wish to serve is in prison at Yerawada — I write all this to you because I know of the democratic states of to-day which ruin their peoples by armaments for the most ferocious of wars. The mask must be torn off. No compromise possible with hypocrisy. Open violence is better. It is more healthy even when it kills.”
(I give him some directives, some ideas for action, one of which is to edit according to the new writings of Gandhi, a Bible of action for Europe.)
“… It is vain to wall up Gandhi in prison, his spirit is and will be everywhere present among those who have known him — like the spirit of him who came to sit at the table of the disciples of Emmaus. You will carry all your life the reflection of the aureola on you Pass it on!...”
Diary of Romain Rolland — January-November 1930:
C. F. Andrews comes to lunch (31st August). He will not accompany Tagore to Russia, where he is not persona grata, as friend of Gandhi. He thinks of going to South Africa where the coloured races are the most miserably treated: (he
speaks specially with sympathy and sorrow of the noble race of Bantou which is frightfully crushed. He remembers like a remorse these words which were spoken to him by a delegation of theirs, at his last departure from the country: — “We know that you are ready to die for the Indians, but would you die for us?”)
Andrews says that Tagore has drawn much nearer to Gandhi since this year: he has understood his greatness: and the latest interview of these two men in February last has been beneficial to both of them — Tagore has published several articles on India in English journals and specially in the Spectator. — But Andrews brings back a painful impression of his interviews with English politicians and particularly with Ramsay MacDonald who is, however, an old friend of his: (It
is with him that MacDonald formerly visited India). MacDonald is very affectionate towards but intractable in what concerns India and has pressed him to dissociate himself from the cause of Gandhi. There is nothing to hope for from the Labourites. A fact, even more painful: not one of the English writers of renown speaks up for India; they all affect not to know, not to be interested; but this indifference is undoubtedly the mask of a malaise of their embarrassment in not avowing the selfish reasons, which prevent them from recognising the injustice of the English cause. Wells who came to see Tagore recently showed the most complete mediocrity of intelligence, incapable of recognising the true importance of the question. — On the contrary Andrews and Reginald Reynolds have often spoken in public for India and have found a sympathetic English minority especially among the Quakers.
— from Republic Supplement, January 26, 1950
Independent India at 60
