Gandhi beg to support the resolution

During this time the war had entered a critical phase. Britain and France were in a difficult position. In the spring of 1917 Germany had inflicted crushing defeats on both the British and French troops in France. Russia’s war efforts had broken down and the revolution was threatening its government. Though America had entered the war, no American troops had yet reached the battle-front.

The Viceroy of India, Lord Chelmsford, invited various Indian leaders to attend a War Conference. Gandhi was also invited. He accepted the invitation and went to Delhi. Gandhi was not happy that leaders like Tilak or the Alibrothers had not been invited to the conference, so he felt unwilling to attend. After meeting the Viceroy, however, he attended the conference.

The Viceroy was very keen that Gandhi should support the resolution on recruiting.

Gandhi spoke only one sentence: “With a full sense of my responsibility I beg to support the resolution”

Gandhi had supported the government’s resolution on recruiting! Many of his friends were taken aback.

Some said. “You are a votary of ahimsa” how can you ask us to take up arms?”

Others said, “What good has the government done to India to deserve our cooperation?”

Even some of his best friends could not understand how he could reconcile the war effort with his campaign for ahimsa.

But Gandhi stuck to the belief he held at that time that ‘absolutely unconditional and whole-hearted cooperation with the government on the part of educated India will bring us within sight of our goal of Swarai as nothing else will.”

Gandhi had made his decision and he now set out to implement it.

The response to recruitment was not any way encouraging, but Gandhi was determined to carry out his mission. He held meetings. He issued leaflets asking people to enlist in the forces. His steady work began to bear fruit. Many men were recruited and he hoped to get a bigger response as soon as the first batch had been sent.