Gandhi's Unyielding Stand: The Battle for Cow Protection Amidst Hindu-Muslim Unity Talks

Introduction

No compromise on cow slaughter with the Muslim league by M K Gandhi.

Mahatma Gandhi fondling a newborn four hours old calf ; 
held by Balwant Singh at Sevagram Ashram

The Congress was holding its annual session in Madras in December, 1927. We were staying in the house of Srinivasa Iyengar. Our host prepared a draft-resolution concerning Hindu-Muslim unity, and brought it to Gandhi for his approval. Gandhi had at that time withdrawn from active politics, and was devoting himself heart and soul to khadi work. When the draft was placed in his hands, he said: "I am prepared to agree to anything, to any conditions, that will bring about a settlement between Hindus and Muslims. Where is the need to show this to me ?" However, in deference to the wishes of its author, he cast a cursory look over it and said: "it will do."

Gandhi went to sleep soon after evening prayer, and awoke at an unearthly hour the next morning. He also awakened Mahadevbhai. Hearing their voices I, too, awoke. Gandhi said: "I have committed a grave error. I did not read that draft properly last evening. I just said, without due consideration, that it was all right. But in the night, I suddenly remembered that,  draft gave a general permission to the Mussulmans to slaughter cows, and the question of cow-protection was conveniently ignored! How can I bear this? If they slaughter cows, we cannot stop them by force, it is true, but we can at least win their trust by loving service and explain our point of view to them, can't we? As for me, not even to win Swaraj will I renounce my principle of cow-protection! Go and tell those people at once that I do not accept that settlement ! No matter what the consequences, I will not be a party to cow-slaughter!"

(Glimpse No. 78, from the Stray Glimpses of Bapu (Second edition, August 1960) written by Kakasaheb Kalelkar, published by Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad-14) 



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