“…the British people will have to beware that, if they do not want to do justice, it will be the bounded duty of every Indian to destroy the Empire.” ~ Gandhi, Young India, 1919-1922 (New York, Huebsch, 1924), p. 846

If we were tempted still to regard nonviolence as something shy and retiring, we can use the incredible boldness of this rousing call to set that misconception to rest! At the same time, let’s note that it’s the Empire he calls on us to destroy, not imperialists, and that only after they have been given any time they need to renounce it themselves. I say “calls on us” advisedly: I think we are facing exactly the same struggle, only in a different and often subtler guise.

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About Daily Metta

Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence.

Our 2016 Daily Metta continues with Gandhi on weekdays. On weekends, we share videos that complement Michael Nagler’s award-winning book, The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World. To help readers engage with the book more deeply, the Metta Center offers a free PDF study guide.

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