GANDHI’S ULTIMATUM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 912, 4 March 1930, Page 9

GANDHI’S ULTIMATUM

MESSAGE FORWARDED TO VICEROY CAMPAIGN OF DISOBEDIENCE DELHI, Monday. After mucli furious thinking and consultation Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his son, leaders of the Independence Party, and Gandhi, have dispatched an ultimatum to the Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin. They give him an eight days’ time-limit, after which mass passive resistance is to be begun. According to Gandhi an emissary has been selected to deliver the ultimatum personally. He is ail Englishman, Reginald Reynolds, who for some time was a member of Gandhi’s ashraf. A message on February 22 said: Writing in his journal, “Young India,” Gandhi says he is sending his plans to the Viceroy before taking any definite step in the campaign of civil disobedi ence. He says he has been a gambler all his life. This is the last throw and, in following out his faith in non-vio-lence, he counted no stake too great. He proposed at present to confine his campaign to those of his disciples who were amenable to the discipline of the religious settlement in Ahmadabad. He realises that there is a danger of an outbreak of violence, but he believes that the “long, strong arm of British authority” can subdue any outbreak where British lives are endangered.