The six qualities (3/6)
March 13, 2024
Several weeks after 10,000 mill workers were locked out of the factories of Ahmedabad, India, Gandhi and his companions were struggling to keep them united. By March 13, 1918, it was even harder. The previous day, the mills had reopened; now the workers were on strike.
Today, I want to recap some of lessons of the daily leaflets and speeches Gandhi had been providing to the non-working workers. One reoccurring theme was self-improvement. Don’t gossip, gamble, or sleep the day away, he warned. Instead, use the extra time to clean and repair your homes; read books and increase your knowledge; or learn a new skill. Also, avoid borrowing money at exorbitant rates. Gandhi did the math with them; men were paying as much as 300% interest.
In his second leaflet, Gandhi outlined six qualities the workers should have. First, they should be truthful. This was also a warning against spreading rumors. Second, they should possess courage. “Many of us become permanent slaves through fear of what might happen to us if we lost our jobs.” His observation still seems incredibly relevant a century later.
Third, they should have a sense of justice. The 35% raise they were demanding was a just wage, backed up by data from other mills. Fourth, although this experience was stressful, they should not hold a grudge against their employers. All humans make mistakes; the mill workers thought the mill owners were wrong, and vice versa. When the strike was resolved, they would need to resume peaceful relations.
Fifth, they should accept there would be suffering. The owners offered a wage that would starve them little by little; if they demonstrated they "would rather starve right now,” the employers would be moved by it. And sixth, they should have faith. Faith means different things to different people. It could be faith in a religion, an idea or organization, or just that the long arc of the universe bends towards justice.
It strikes me how similar these are to Dr. King’s six principles of nonviolence.
1. Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people: Second quality
2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding: Fourth quality
3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice, not people: Third and fourth qualities
4. Unearned suffering for a just cause is redemptive: Fifth quality
5. Nonviolence chooses love over hate: Third and fourth qualities
6. Nonviolence believes the universe is on the side of justice: Sixth quality
What makes this comparison especially interesting is that King did not include Truth as a principle of nonviolence. Of course, these six points were developed independently and for different occasions; Gandhi’s was dashed off as a daily leaflet, and King’s list appeared in his 1958 book Stride toward Freedom. Still, given the thought King must have put into it, the omission seems glaring.
The strike would quickly reach a boiling point. More tomorrow.
What commitments have you struggled with that were made easier by standing with others?