This page needs to be proofread.
16
LABOUR IN MADRAS


depend upon other people but try to take the next step and depend upon yourselves, and work with those who recognize your equality, your partnership in humanity and leave aside those who say that they are superior to you, that they are your masters, leaders and teachers whom you should follow, without the spirit of co-operation or friendliness on their part THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR We want to go together in a friendly spirit, armoir-arm like comrades and brothers, and it is necessary that you should develop the quality of selfrespect, and realize that as human beings you refuse to tolerate insults which you, at the present moment, receive from Indians and Europeans alike. That must go, and that is one of the fundamental things that our Union must do for us. You need not be ashamed to be labourers. All of us are labourers. None in the world will be able to earn his bread without activity and labour. The great Ishwara is a Labourer. It was said in the Bhagavad Gita that if He did not act the three worlds would go to ruin. I am a labourer as you are, and I do not see why you should be ashamed of your labour if I am not ashamed of mine. I am proud of the work I am doing and I want you to be proud of your work. Now it is said that yours is lowly work. I do not think that many of us will be able to do the work you are doing, just as many of you will not be able to do the work we are doing. God has created these different classes of humanity, these different classes of labourers and they are all of equal value to civilization, progress and advancement of mankind. You are as neces. sary and important to Ishwara as we who are