I came in contact with every known Indian anarchist in London. Their bravery impressed me, but I felt that their zeal was misguided. I felt that violence was no remedy for India's ills, and that her civilisation required the use of a different and higher weapon for self-protection.

Summary

In this quote, the Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi expresses his thoughts on anarchism and violence as means of seeking freedom for India from British colonial rule. While Gandhi acknowledges the bravery of Indian anarchists he encountered in London, he believes their approach is misguided. He rejects violence as a solution, as he believes it would not address India's problems. Instead, Gandhi advocates for a nonviolent approach, emphasizing the use of a "different and higher weapon" - nonviolent resistance - as the appropriate means for India's self-protection and the preservation of its civilization.

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