Actually no. Picking the weapon and using violence is considered in Ghandi's eyes an act of cowardice anyway. He was just eloquently moving out of a dilemma. Cowardice is what can be considered as starting violence in others or oneself. Unclear? If there is no victim there is no committer. You are what you are because you don't chnage it. I once read: the greatest freedom in a human's life is the ability to answer the order: "Give me your wallet or I will shoot you." with "No." You might get shot, but you kept your freedom. Never look upon Ghandi as a defender of individualism.