Gandhi Page #13

A VOICE:

God damn them!

Gandhi just waits.

GANDHI:

Understand! He does not have to stand

at the door -- he may enter.

Now a violent response -- a large, powerful merchant rises

in the third row.

MERCHANT:

I swear to Allah I will kill the man

who offers that insult to my home

and my wife!

(A guttural cheer; he

glares at the police.)

And let them hang me!

Another cheer. When it subsides, Tyeb Mohammed rises near

the back, where he is seated with a number of other young

men.

TYEB MOHAMMED:

I say talk means nothing. Kill a few

officials before they disgrace one

Indian woman -- then they might think

twice about such laws!

The police half rise to look back at him, but there is a

smattering of applause and several stand to look back.

TYEB MOHAMMED'S FRIEND

In that cause, I would be willing to

die!

And now there is general applause. Gandhi waits, then

GANDHI:

I praise such courage. I need such

courage -- because in this cause, I

too am prepared to die...

(A response; he looks

at Tyeb Mohammed)

But, my friend, there is no cause

for which I am prepared to kill.

He looks at the audience. This is the more sober Gandhi they

have come to know.

GANDHI:

I have asked you here tonight because

despite all their troops and police,

I think there is a way to defeat

this law. Whatever they do to us we

will attack no one, kill no one...

But we will not

(the climatic point)

give our fingerprints -- not one of

us.

He looks down at the police, making the point stick. There

is a tentative reaction from the audience, but uncertain.

GANDHI:

They will imprison us, they will

fine us. They will seize our

possessions. But they cannot take

away our self-respect if we do not

give it to them.

VOICE FROM THE GALLERY

Have you been to prison? They'll

beat us and torture us! I say --

GANDHI:

I am asking you to fight -- !

(It catches the

audience a little,

holds them.)

To fight against their anger -- not

to provoke it!

He has their attention now.

GANDHI:

We will not strike a blow -- but we

will receive them. And through our

pain we will make them see their

injustice

(quickly)

and it will hurt, as all fighting

hurts!

(Utter silence.)

...But we cannot lose. We cannot.

(He looks down at the

police.)

Because they may torture my body,

may break my bones, even kill me...

(Up to the house)

They will then have my dead body --

not my obedience.

And now he gets the response he has wanted. Firm, mature,

determined. Gandhi holds up his hand.

GANDHI:

We are Hindu and Muslim -- children

of God, each of us. Let us take a

solemn oath in His name that -- come

what may -- we will not submit to

this law.

He looks at the audience. A second, then a merchant stands,

signifying his pledge. And then another. Then Tyeb Mohammed

and the youths about him. Then all over the theater they

begin to stand and on the stage until everyone is standing.

It is all done is silence. Gandhi looks at the full theater --

all standing. He takes a step forward.

GANDHI:

(a coarse singing)

God save our gracious King... Long

live our

(the audience takes

it up)

...noble King.

(And their voices

fill the auditorium)

God save the King!!

A prison door slams: we are close on one face, another slam,

another face, and again and again in the rhythm of marching

feet...

MINE AREA - EXTERIOR - DAY

Gandhi, Singh and Tyeb Mohammed are leading a large procession

of Indian mine workers along a dirt road from a mining complex --

sheds, elevator platforms, pulleys -- toward a distant city.

We see crude, handworked banners: "We are Citizens of the

Empire," "Justice for All," "One King -- One Law"...

Tyeb Mohammed suddenly touches Gandhi's arm and nods ahead.

Their point of view. A canvas-topped open touring car (circa

1910) pulls out from a turning between two factory buildings

and comes towards them.

Rate this script:5.0 / 3 votes