330 EARLIER INDIAN SPEECHES
students and everybody to partake of that whole life, so that, when they grow to manhood and when they leave their colleges, they may do so as men properly equipped to battle with life. To-day what happens is this : much of the political life is confined to student life; immediately the students leave their colleges and cease to be students, they sink into oblivion, they seek miserable employments, carrying miserable emoluments, rising no higher in their aspirations, knowing nothing of God, knowing nothing of fresh air or bright light and nothing of that real vigorous independence that comes out of obedience to these laws that I have ven- tured to place before you.
INDIAN MERCHANTS
Mr. Gandhi was entertained by the merchants of Broach during his visit to the city and presented with an address of wehome. Mr. Gavdhi replied to the address in the following terms :
Merchant always have the spirit of adventure, intellect and wealth, as without these qualities their business cannot go on. But now they must have the fervour of patriotism in them. Patriotism is necessary even for religion. If the spirit of patriotism is awakened through religious fervour, then that patriotism will shine out brilliantly. So it is necessary that patriotism should be roused in the mercantile community.
The merchants take more part in public affairs now- a-days than before. When merchants take to politics through patriotism, Swaraj is as good as obtained. Some of you might be wondering how we can get Swaraj* I lay my hand on my heart and say that,
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