{"id":2044,"date":"2013-07-13T01:39:06","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=2044"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:39:06","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:39:06","slug":"69-to-my-countrymen-vol-08-karmayogin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/03-cwsa\/08-karmayogin\/69-to-my-countrymen-vol-08-karmayogin","title":{"rendered":"-69_To My Countrymen.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n\t\t\tTo My
\n\t\t\tCountrymen <\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tTWO DECISIVE incidents have happened which make
\n\t\t\tit compulsory on the Nationalist party to abandon their attitude of reserve and expectancy and once more
\n\t\t\tassume their legitimate place in the struggle for Indian liberties.
\n\t\t\tThe Reforms, so long trumpeted as the beginning of a new era of constitutional progress in India, have been
\n\t\t\tthoroughly revealed to the public intelligence by the publication of
\n\t\t\tthe Councils Regulations and the results of the elections showing
\n\t\t\tthe inevitable nature and composition of the new Councils. The
\n\t\t\tnegotiations for the union of Moderates and Nationalists in a United Congress have failed owing to the insistence of
\n\t\t\tthe former on the Nationalists subscribing to a Moderate profession
\n\t\t\tof faith. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tThe survival of Moderate politics in India depended on
\n\t\t\ttwo factors, the genuineness and success of the promised Reforms and the use made by the Conventionists of the opportunity
\n\t\t\tgiven them by the practical suppression of Nationalist public
\n\t\t\tactivity. The field was clear for them to establish the effectiveness of
\n\t\t\tthe Moderate policy and the living force of the Moderate party. Had
\n\t\t\tthe Reforms been a genuine initiation of constitutional progress,
\n\t\t\tthe Moderate tactics might have received some justification from
\n\t\t\tevents. Or had the Moderates given proof of the power of carrying on a robust and vigorous agitation for popular
\n\t\t\trights, their strength and vitality as a political force might have
\n\t\t\tbeen established, even if their effectiveness had been disproved.
\n\t\t\tThe Reforms have shown that nothing can be expected from persistence in Moderate politics except retrogression,
\n\t\t\tdisappointment and humiliation. The experience of the last year has shown
\n\t\t\tthat, without the Nationalists at their back, the Moderates are im-potent for opposition and robust agitation. The political life
\n\t\t\tof India in their hands has languished and fallen silent.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-372<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\tBy the incontrovertible logic of events it has appeared
\n\t\t\tthat the success and vigour of the great movement inaugurated in1905 was due to the union of Moderate and Nationalist
\n\t\t\ton the platform of self-help and passive resistance. It was in order to provide an opportunity for the reestablishment of
\n\t\t\tthis union, broken at Surat, that the Nationalists gathered in force
\n\t\t\tat Hughly in order to secure some basis and means of negotiation which might lead to united effort. The hand which
\n\t\t\twe held out, has been rejected. The policy of Lord Morley has been
\n\t\t\tto rally the Moderates and coerce the Nationalists; the policy of the Moderate party led by Mr. Gokhale and Sir Pherozshah Mehta has been to play into the hands of that policy and
\n\t\t\tgive it free course and a chance of success. This alliance has
\n\t\t\tfailed of its object; the beggarly reward the Moderates have
\n\t\t\treceived, has been confined to the smallest and least popular
\n\t\t\telements in their party. But the rejection of the alliance with their
\n\t\t\town countrymen by the insistence on creed and constitution shows
\n\t\t\tthat the Moderates mean to persist in their course even when all motive and political justification for it have
\n\t\t\tdisappeared. Discomfited and humiliated by the Government, they can
\n\t\t\tstill find no way to retrieve their position nor any clear and
\n\t\t\trational course to suggest to the Indian people whom they misled into
\n\t\t\ta misunderstanding of the very limited promises held out by Lord Morley. <\/font>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tSeparated from the great volume of Nationalist feeling in
\n\t\t\tthe country, wilfully shutting its doors to popularity and strength
\n\t\t\tby the formation of electorates as close and limited as those of the
\n\t\t\tReformed Councils, self-doomed to persistence in a policy which has led to signal disaster, the Convention is destined to
\n\t\t\tperish of inanition and popular indifference, dislike and
\n\t\t\topposition. If the Nationalists stand back any longer, either the
\n\t\t\tnational movement will disappear or the void created will be filled by
\n\t\t\ta sinister and violent activity. Neither result can be tolerated by
\n\t\t\tmen desirous of their country’s development and freedom. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tThe period of waiting is over. We have two things
\n\t\t\tmade clear to us, first, that the future of the nation is in our hands, and, secondly, that from the Moderate party we can expect no<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-373<\/font>
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\n

cordial co-operation in
\nbuilding it. Whatever we do, we must do ourselves, in our own
\nstrength and courage. Let us then take up the work God has given us,
\nlike courageous, steadfast and patriotic men willing to
\nsacrifice greatly and venture greatly because the mission also is great.
\nIf there are any unnerved by the fear of repression, let them stand
\naside. If there are any who think that by flattering Anglo-India
\nor coquetting with English Liberalism they can dispense with the
\nneed of effort and the inevitability of peril, let them stand
\naside. If there are any who are ready to be satisfied with mean gains
\nor unsubstantial concessions, let them stand aside. But all who
\ndeserve the name of Nationalists, must now come forward and take
\nup their burden. <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tThe fear of the law is for
\nthose who break the law. Our aims are great and
\nhonourable, free from stain or reproach, our methods are peaceful,
\nthough resolute and strenuous. We shall not break the law and,
\ntherefore, we need not fear the law. But if a corrupt police,
\nunscrupulous officials or a partial judiciary make use of the honourable
\npublicity of our political methods to harass the men who
\nstand in front by illegal ukases, suborned and perjured evidence or
\nunjust decisions, shall we shrink from the toll that we have to
\npay on our march to freedom? Shall we cower behind a petty
\nsecrecy or a dishonourable inactivity? We must have our
\nassociations, our organisations, our means of propaganda, and, if
\nthese are suppressed by arbitrary proclamations, we shall have
\ndone our duty by our motherland and not on us will rest any
\nresponsibility for the madness which crushes down open and
\nlawful political activity in order to give a desperate and sullen
\nnation into the hands of those fiercely enthusiastic and
\nunscrupulous forces that have arisen among us inside and outside
\nIndia. So long as any loophole is left for peaceful effort, we
\nwill not renounce the struggle. If the conditions are made
\ndifficult and almost impossible, can they be worse than those our
\ncountrymen have to contend against in the Transvaal? Or shall
\nwe, the flower of Indian culture and education, show less
\ncapacity and self-devotion than the coolies and shopkeepers who are
\nthere rejoicing to suffer for the honour of their nation and the
\nwelfare of their community?<\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-374<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

What is it for which we
\nstrive? The perfect self-fulfilment of India and the
\nindependence which is the condition of self-fulfilment are our
\nultimate goal. In the meanwhile such imperfect self-development and such
\nincomplete self-government as are possible in less
\nfavourable circumstances, must be attained as a preliminary to the more
\ndistant realisation. What we seek is to evolve self-government
\neither through our own institutions or through those provided for
\nus by the law of the land. No such evolution is possible by
\nthe latter means without some measure of administrative control.
\nWe demand, therefore, not the monstrous and misbegotten
\nscheme which has just been brought into being, but a measure of
\nreform based upon those democratic principles which are ignored in Lord Morley’s
\n\t\t\tReforms, \u2013a literate electorate
\nwithout distinction of creed, nationality or caste, freedom of election
\nunhampered by exclusory clauses, an effective voice in
\nlegislation and finance and some check upon an arbitrary executive. We
\ndemand also the gradual devolution of executive government
\nout of the hands of the bureaucracy into those of the people.
\nUntil these demands are granted, we shall use the pressure of
\nthat refusal of co-operation which is termed passive resistance.
\nWe shall exercise that pressure within the limits allowed us by
\nthe law, but apart from that limitation the extent to which we
\nshall use it, depends on expediency and the amount of resistance
\nwe have to overcome. <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tOn our own side we have
\ngreat and pressing problems to solve. National education
\nlanguishes for want of moral stimulus, financial support,
\nand emancipated brains keen and bold enough to grapple with the
\ndifficulties that hamper its organisation and progress. The
\nmovement of arbitration, successful in its inception, has been
\ndropped as a result of repression. The Swadeshi-Boycott movement
\nstill moves by its own impetus, but its forward march has
\nno longer the rapidity and organised irresistibility of
\nforceful purpose which once swept it forward. Social problems are
\npressing upon us which we can no longer ignore. We must take up
\nthe organisation of knowledge in our country, neglected
\nthroughout the last century. We must free our social and economic
\ndevelopment from the incubus of the<\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-375<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

litigious resort to the
\nruinously expensive British Courts. We must once more seek to
\npush forward the movement toward economic self-sufficiency,
\nindustrial independence. <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tThese are the objects for
\nwhich we have to organise the national strength of
\nIndia. On us falls the burden, in us alone there is the moral ardour,
\nfaith and readiness for sacrifice which can attempt and go far to
\naccomplish the task. But the first requisite is the
\norganisation of the Nationalist party. I invite that party in all the great
\ncentres of the country to take up the work and assist the leaders who
\nwill shortly meet to consider steps for the initiation of
\nNationalist activity. It is desirable to establish a Nationalist Council and
\nhold a meeting of the body in March or April of the next year. It
\nis necessary also to establish Nationalist Associations throughout
\nthe country. When we have done this, we shall be able to
\nformulate our programme and assume our proper place in the
\npolitical life of India.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t <\/p>\n

AUROBINDO<\/span>
\nGHOSE<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

OTHER<\/span>
\nWRITINGS<\/span> BY SRI AUROBINDO<\/span>
\nIN THIS ISSUE <\/font>
\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The National Value of Art
\nVI<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tPage-376<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To My Countrymen   TWO DECISIVE incidents have happened which make it compulsory on the Nationalist party to abandon their attitude of reserve and expectancy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-08-karmayogin","wpcat-44-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2044"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}