Quit India

Gandhi fervently argues that nonviolence is only way to achieve real and lasting freedom. This is abundantly clear throughout the “Quit India” speeches. Much of his worldview is born of the religious belief Ahimsa, which calls for no harm of any living thing. Gandhi says, “God has vouchsafed to me a priceless of gift in the weapon of Ahimsa” (1). The ironic phrase “weapon of Ahimsa” emphasizes that nonviolence and truth are his main lines of defense in a diplomatic battle. Gandhi knows that a violent revolution will likely fail against a formidable powerhouse like Great Britain, so he chooses nonviolence.

Though he understands those with power can always dominate and rule the oppressed, he believes that true power is shared. He claims that “the power, when it comes, will belong to the people of India” (1). He also believes that anything forced upon others is inherently unjust: “[E]ven if someone were to succeed in imposing an untruth on others, he would not be able to enjoy for long the fruits of such a coercion” (5). In the same vein, Gandhi understands the temptation for those newly in power to dominate others; he claims that if the Muslims get control from the British, then they might create a “Muslim Raj” (7), or a purely Muslim rule.