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Abir Mukherjee Quotes

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Famous Abir Mukherjee Quotes

“What else was the vaunted British sense of fair play but a manifestation of our morality? Gandhi and Das's genius was that they realised that better than we did ourselves. They recognised that when it came down to it, the British and the Indians weren't that different, and the way to beat us was to appeal to our better natures — to make us comprehend the moral incongruity of our position in India.”

Race India Independence Morals Colonialism Imperialism British Empire Fair Play British People Non Violent Protest

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“And we British considered ourselves a moral people. What else was the vaunted British sense of fair play but a manifestation of our morality?”

India British Morals Colonialism British Empire British People

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“We could only control India through force of arms, but force was useless against a people who didn’t fight back; because you couldn’t kill people like that without killing a part of yourself too.”

India Independence Resistance Colonialism Non Violent Protest Moral Injury

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“I hated this new breed of pacifist Indian revolutionary. So often they acted like we were all just good friends who happened to disagree about something, and that once the issue was resolved – obviously in their favour – we’d go back to taking tea and being the best of chums. It made punching them in the face morally difficult.”

Hatred India Independence Human Rights Colonialism Non Violent Protest Struggle For The People Pacifisn

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“And in the expression on the constable’s face, I saw the future. This struggle we were engaged in — this battle to keep India British — was one we were destined to lose. If even our own men treated the enemy as saints, then what chance did we stand?”

India Injustice Human Rights Resistance Inequality Colonialism Imperialism Enemies British Empire

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“As he’d said, the purpose of non-violent non-cooperation was to provoke a reaction, and it was more likely he’d be plotting his next move before he’d even had breakfast.”

Protest Human Rights Activists Nonviolence Quotes Non Violent Protest Gandi Noncooperation Nonviolence Resistance

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“We'd arrested him for making a speech seeking equality, and thrown him in a makeshift prison camp, open to the elements on one of the coldest nights of the year, and here he was inviting us in for a cup of tea. It was hard to dislike the man, let alone classify him as a mortal foe.”

History Human Rights Resistance Colonialism British Imperialism Not Enemies Struggle For The People Das Non Violent Pritest

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes

“To see a man as your enemy, you needed to hate him, and while it was easy to hate a man who fought you with bullets and bombs, it was bloody difficult to hate a man who opposed you by appealing to your own moral compass.”

Hate Enemy Colonialism Gandi Independence Movement

Book:Smoke and Ashes

Source: Smoke and Ashes