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Yet
There is Method in It
THE "Moderate" Indian
politician aspires to be an Imperial citizen. His ambition has at last been
screwed up to the point of seeking equality with his "colonial
brother". His loyalty draws him towards the Empire and his politics draws
him towards self-government and the resultant is self- government within the
Empire. Colonies have been granted self-government within the Empire and it
logically follows that if the Indians try, try, and try again, they too will
gain their end because nothing is impossible to perseverance. Thus two birds
will be killed with one stone. The ruling people, whose immense power can be
turned against us any moment if they happen to be irritated, will be pleased
with our desire not to break away from the Empire and, at the same time the
spirit of independence which is constantly urging us to demand a greater and
greater measure of self- government will have its full play. Such a compromise,
such a smooth scheme of accommodating comprehensiveness is being welcomed
everywhere as suddenly revealed to a political prophet who is going the round of
the country with the inviting message: "Come to me, all ye that are
heavy-laden, and I shall give rest unto you."
The talk of this Colonial Self-Government or self-government within the
Empire at a time they are going to have an Imperial conference of the Colonial
Prime Ministers and have condescended to admit a representative of India to the
same may very well entrap the unwary, especially when it comes from a personage
who is said to have explained to the Secretary of State all that India needs in
a five-minute interview. But the pretension of the frog to rank as a quadruped
of the elephant class with the mere expression of a pious wish should receive a
heavy shock on learning from Reuter that either Mr. Morley or his nominee will
represent India at the coming Colonial Conference. This is quite in keeping with
the system of representation that India enjoys.
Page-205
This
is a further extension of the sham which we see here in the local Legislative
Councils. This is but the continuation of the farce which is known as the Local
Board or Municipal Board representation.
It is a favourable sign that when some leading moderate politicians are
trying fresh and big doses of poppy on our people for the offence of
giving a slight indication of self-consciousness, these smart shocks for
regaining self-possession are coming of themselves. The spurious politics that
has so long lived only on the delusion of the people has very nearly been found
out and thus elaborate preparations are going on to give it a fresh lease of
life. But when the gods want to destroy a thing no human efforts can avail.
Mendicancy is no longer consistent with the stand-up position the Indians have
taken up. The beggar knows only begging and bullying but his day-dreams surpass
even those of Alanschar. The imposing ideal of self-government within the Empire
with which begging politics has been making its last attempt to catch the fancy
of the people will hardly survive such disenchanting strokes as the
representation of India on the Colonial Conference by the Secretary of State
himself or his own nominee.
If India is to be India, if her civilisation is to retain a distinctive
stamp and extend its spiritual conquests for the benefit of the world at large,
it must be propped up with the strength of her own people.
To include India in a federation of colonies and the motherland is
madness without method. The patriotism that wishes the country to lose itself
within an Empire which justifies its name by its conquest — the colonies being
no portion of the Empire in its strict sense — is also madness without method.
But to talk of absolute
independence and autonomy —
though this be madness, yet there is method
in it.
Bande
Mataram,
February 25, 1907
Page-206
Dear
Bande Mataram,
You may reasonably ask me where I had been so long. My answer is that
seeing the Extremists fare very well at the last Congress, I thought I had some
claim to a well-earned repose. When all India kindly took to my views and fought
for them in the National Assembly, I thought I could suspend my activity for a
time.
But with Mr. Gokhale stumping the country to recover the lost ground and
the Bengalee taking the brief of the all-powerful executive, I cannot be
a silent spectator of the cold-blooded deposition of Demos.
The Aga Khan too has entered the lists. Alarmed at the Extremists' talk
of freedom from British control, the combined wit and wisdom of the country is
making a dead set at this crazy class so that prudence and good sense may once
more prevail in the land. The normal calm and the much-coveted peace has, to a
certain extent, been restored to the country and what little of unrest still
exists will pass away as soon as Mr. Gokhale will say "Amen".
Unlike the grave-diggers of Ophelia, Mr. Gokhale wants to make the
extinction of British autocracy in India quite an unchristian procedure. Here
lies the Empire, good; here stands India, good; if India goes to this Empire and
prays for its death, it is will she nill she, she prays for something bad but if
the Empire comes to her and kills itself, she kills not the Empire: argal, she
is not guilty of disloyalty.
The Extremists want to bring the Empire to themselves, and not themselves
to go to the Empire. What is more Christian and loyal? To make the Empire part
with us as friends, or to provoke it with childish demands of colonial
self-government or self-government within the Empire?
Besides, does not Mr. Gokhale know the fable that by mere buzzing about
the head of a Bull or even settling himself upon his head, the gnat cannot at
all inconvenience him, but though small it is by stinging only that he can
arouse his attention.
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In
vain is Mr. Gokhale trying conclusions with people who have tried their remedies
times without number and found them wanting.
Mr. Gokhale's patriotism is based on truth — he paints us as we are and
warns us against the danger of too strong a stimulus in this our exceptionally
weak condition.
Here is he like a wise physician who knows his patient. But Mr. Gokhale,
being such an educated and enlightened
reformer, with supreme contempt "for Indian prejudices, superstitions and
idolatry, should be the last man to trust to mere prayer and petition for the
recovery of his patient.
When the Scotch asked the King of England to appoint a day of prayer and
fasting for abating the fury of cholera when it raged there a few years back,
the authorities in England pooh-poohed the idea and told them to attend to the
recommendations of sanitary science.
Should not Mr. Gokhale be true to himself and ask the people to attend to
the recommendations of political science excluding altogether from their
programme the superstition of prayer? More in my next.
Yours sincerely,
By The Way
Bande Mataram,
February 28, 1907
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