{"id":22679,"date":"2013-01-16T12:06:45","date_gmt":"2013-01-16T18:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drishtikone.com\/?p=22679"},"modified":"2013-01-16T12:06:45","modified_gmt":"2013-01-16T18:06:45","slug":"gandhi-and-his-call-for-firearms-to-be-given-to-indias-citizens-was-he-really-a-pacifist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/drishtikone\/2013\/01\/gandhi-and-his-call-for-firearms-to-be-given-to-indias-citizens-was-he-really-a-pacifist\/","title":{"rendered":"Gandhi and his call for Firearms to be given to India’s Citizens: Was he really a Pacifist?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

A quote from Gandhi has gained prominence<\/a> in recent months, specially in the US because of the Guns possession debate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmong the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some say it wasn\u2019t Gandhi, some say it has been misquoted.\u00a0 Those who say Gandhi said this \u2013 say it is on Page 446 of his Autobiography.\u00a0 The context seems to have been explained thus:<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to issue leaflets asking people to enlist as recruits. One of the arguments I had used was distasteful to the Commissioner: \u2018Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many find it utterly distasteful coming from a man of non-violence.\u00a0 I have not read his Autobiography, but I do believe Gandhi could have said that.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because he did this kind of thing on another occasion.\u00a0 On March 2, 1930 Gandhi wrote a long letter to Viceroy Irwin explaining the reasons, issues as well as his demands from the British.\u00a0 He also used the letter to inform him that civil disobedience would begin on March 11.<\/p>\n

The 11 points of his demands were<\/a>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Total Prohibition<\/li>\n
  2. A better Rupee-Sterling rate<\/li>\n
  3. 50% reduction in Land Revenue<\/li>\n
  4. Abolition of Salt tax<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. 50% reduction in military expenditure<\/li>\n
  6. Reduction in Official Salaries<\/li>\n
  7. Tariffs on foreign cloth<\/li>\n
  8. Reservation of coastal shipping for Indian ships<\/li>\n
  9. Release of political prisoners except those convicted for murder or attempted murder<\/li>\n
  10. Abolition of Criminal Intelligence Department (and control over it by elected representatives)<\/li>\n
  11. Right of Indians to licensed firearms<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    See the last one?\u00a0 Well, that was in his personal letter to Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy.\u00a0 He started his Civil Disobedience \u2013 the Dandi March because of demand #4 (Abolition of Salt Tax).\u00a0 Maybe that is the reason why people forget the last demand, which seems as if it was coming from the NRA of US!<\/p>\n

    Was Gandhi a Pacifist?\u00a0 Was he not?\u00a0 Can\u2019t say categorically.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A quote from Gandhi has gained prominence in recent months, specially in the US because of the Guns possession debate. \u201cAmong the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.\u201d Some say it wasn\u2019t Gandhi, some say it has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1517,"featured_media":22680,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,33,57],"tags":[628,1328,2069,2519],"class_list":["post-22679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-india","category-politics","tag-british","tag-gandhi","tag-lord-irwin","tag-nra"],"yoast_head":"\nGandhi and his call for Firearms to be given to India's Citizens: Was he really a Pacifist?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A quote from Gandhi has gained prominence in recent months, specially in the US because of the Guns possession debate. 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