COWARDICE

Gandhi is wedded to ideals of truth and non-violence. He abhorred violence in all its forms. Gandhi however was concerned that non-violence or absence of anger may serve to hide cowardice. A cowardly person can never take up a cause and fight for it. As leader of a political movement, Gandhi knew that weak and cowardly people cannot fight battles. Gandhi has often condemned cowardice for this reason. The following quotations from Gandhi’s writings illustrates this point.

Nonviolence and cowardice are contradictory terms. Nonviolence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice. Nonviolence springs from love, cowardice from hate. Nonviolence always suffers, cowardice would always inflict suffering. Perfectnonviolence is the highestbravery. Nonviolentconductisneverdemoralising;cowardicealwaysis.

Better than cowardice is killing and being killed in battle. Fear has its use but cowardice has none.

It isbetter to be violent, if there isviolenceinourhearts,thantoput onthecloak of nonviolence tocoverimpotence. It isany daybetterto standerect with abrokenandbandagedheadthantocrawl on one’sbelly, in orderto be ableto save one’s head.

Incidentally, the last quotation from Gandhiji’s thoughts reminds one of the following lines from William Henley’s poem Invictus:

“Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed”.