6. The Unitary Method

Large Heartedness

I know that Hindus are in a numerical majority, and that they are believed to be more advanced in knowledge and education. Accordingly, they should be glad to give way so much the more to their Mohammedan brethren. As a man of Truth, I honestly believe that Hindus should yield up to the Mohammedans what the latter desire, and that they should rejoice in so doing. We can expect unity only if such mutual large heartedness is displayed. When the Hindu and Mohammedans act towards other as blood brothers, then only we can hope for the dawn of India.

Love is the basis of our friendship as it is of religion. I seek to gain Musalman friendship by right of love. And if love persists even on the part of one community, unity will become a settled fact in our national life.

It is as simple as it is pure. A contract or pact is between two parties. There is also consideration passing from one to the other. Such was the Lucknow Pact between the Congress and the Muslim League. The same thing could have been accomplished by the unitary method only. Then there would have been no compromise dictated by fear and distrust. The Congress could have done, according to its notion, absolute justice, i.e., yielded the maximum consistent with the welfare of the whole nation without the expectation of any consideration from the League.

In a well-regulated family the relations are governed by the unitary method. Thus, a father gives to his children not as a result of a pact. He gives out of love, a sense of justice without expecting any return therefore. Not that there is none. But everything is natural, nothing is forced. Nothing is done out of fear or distrust. What is true of a well-regulated family is equally true of a well regulated society, which is but an extended family.

Properly applied the method never fails. It disarms criticism and opposition. It presupposes a clean conscience and clean action.