Page 71 - GANDHI A Biography for Children and Beginners

GANDHI – A Biography for children and beginners

and running a mad risk. But if he were discharged, he would do the same thing

again. He knew he was guilty in the eyes of the law that the British Government

had promulgated. But there was a higher law by which a human being is
judged, and he was acting in accordance with that higher law. The Judge had

only one option — to resign and join Gandhi if he believed in the higher law, or

award him the highest punishment prescribed by the Government's laws, since

there was nothing to extenuate the gravity of his action.

The Judge was not to be outdone. He too knew it was a historic trial. He

addressed the accused with great courtesy and respect, and said : "Mr. Gandhi
you have made my task easy by pleading guilty to the charge of sedition; it

would be impossible to ignore the fact that in the eyes of millions of your

countrymen you are a great patriot and great leader. Even those who differ

from you in politics look upon you as a man of high ideals and of noble and of
even saintly life. It is my duty to judge you as a man subject to the law. There

are probably few people in India who do not regret that you should have made

it impossible for any Government to leave you at liberty. But it is so." Then the

Judge placed him in the category of a great patriot who had been sentenced
earlier, Lokmanya Tilak, and sentenced Gandhi to six years of imprisonment.

He also added that if the course of events made it possible for the Government

to release Gandhi earlier, "none would be happier than I". Gandhi thanked the
Judge for the courtesy he had received. His friends and followers in the court

were overcome with emotion. Many wept unashamedly. Gandhi was taken to

the Yervada prison to serve the term.

www.mkgandhi.org Page 70