III. THE MEMORIAL TO MR. MONTAGU
The Guiarat Sabha of Ahmedabad under the direction of Mr. M. K. Gandhi devised an excellent idea of presenting a monster petition to the Right Hon'ble Mr. Montagu, the Secretary or State for India, and H. E. the Viceroy in 1917, supporting the Congress-League Scheme of Self-Government for India. The idea was taken up by the leading political organizations in India. The following is the English translation of the Gujarati petition:—
To the Rt. Hon. Mr. E. S. Montagu, Secretary of State for India,
The petition of the British Subjects ol Gujarat humbly sheweth,—
(1) The petitioners have considered and understood the Swaraj scheme prepared by the Council of the All-India Moslem League and the All-India Congress Committee and unanimously adopted last year by the Indian National Congress and the All-India Moslem League.
(2) The petitioners approve of the scheme.
(3) In the humble opinion of the petitioners, the reforms proposed in the aforementioned scheme are absolutely necessary in the interests oi India and the Empire.
(4) It is further the petitioners’ relief that without such reforms India will not witness the era of true contentment.
For these reasons the petitioners respectfully pray that you will be pleased to give full consideration to and accept the reform, proposals and thus under successful your visit taken at great inconvenience and fulfil the national hope.
And for this act of kindness, the petitioners shall, for ever, remain grateful.
RULES FOR VOLUNTEERS
Mr. Gandhi also devised the following rules for the Volunteers to obtain signature:—
1. In taking signatures to the petition, first it must be ascertained whether the person signing correctly understands the scheme described in the petition or not.
2. In order to make people understand the scheme, it should be read out to the inhabitants of the place, called together by a notification prepared by the Sabha. If, in such reading, the people raise any new question, which cannot be answered out of the
