not, as the communique concludes, between " law- lessness with all its disastrous consequences on the one hand and on the other the maintenance of those principles which lie at the root of all civilised Governments' Mass Civil Disobedience : it adds, is fraught with such danger to the State that it must be met with "sterness and severity*'. The choice before the people is mass civil disobedience with all its undoubted dangers and lawless repression of the lawful activities of the poeple. I hold that it is impossible for any body of self-respecting men for fear of unknown dangers to sit still and do nothing effective when looting of property and assaulting of innocent men are going on all over the country in the name of law and order.
THE CRIME OF CHAURI CHAURA.
��[While Mr. Gandhi was about to inaugurate Mass Civil Disobedience in Bardoli, there occurred a terrible tragedy at Chauri Chaura on the I4ih February when an infuriated-mob, including some volunteers also, attacked the thana^ burnt down the building and beat to death no less than twenty two policemen. Some con- stables and chaukidars were literally burnt to death and the whole place was under mobocracy. Mr. Gandhi took this occurence as a third warning to suspend civil disobedience and the Bardoli programme was accordingly given up. On the lith the Working Committee met at Bardoli and resolved to suspend all offensive action including even picketing and processions. The country was to confine itself to the constructive programme of Khaddar manu- facture The Working Committee advised the stoppage of all activities designed to court imprisonment. Commenting on the tragedy of Chauri Cbaura and the Bardoli decisions, Mr. Gandhi wrote in Young India of February 6th, 1922 :]
God has been abundantly kind to me. He has warned me the third time that there is not as yet in India that truthful and non-violent atmosphere which
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