{"id":261,"date":"2013-07-13T01:26:58","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:26:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=261"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:26:58","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:26:58","slug":"027-yet-there-is-method-in-it-vol-01-bande-mataram-volume-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/01-sabcl\/01-bande-mataram-volume-01\/027-yet-there-is-method-in-it-vol-01-bande-mataram-volume-01","title":{"rendered":"-027_Yet There is Method in it.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n

\n
\nYet
\nThere is Method in It<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\n               
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>T<\/font><\/b><\/span>HE<\/b> "Moderate" Indian
\npolitician aspires to be an Imperial citizen. His ambition has at last been
\nscrewed up to the point of seeking equality with his "colonial
\nbrother". His loyalty draws him towards the Empire and his politics draws
\nhim towards self-government and the resultant is self- government within the
\nEmpire. Colonies have been granted self-government within the Empire and it
\nlogically follows that if the Indians try, try, and try again, they too will
\ngain their end because nothing is impossible to perseverance. Thus two birds
\nwill be killed with one stone. The ruling people, whose immense power can be
\nturned against us any moment if they happen to be irritated, will be pleased
\nwith our desire not to break away from the Empire and, at the same time the
\nspirit of independence which is constantly urging us to demand a greater and
\ngreater measure of self- government will have its full play. Such a compromise,
\nsuch a smooth scheme of accommodating comprehensiveness is being welcomed
\neverywhere as suddenly revealed to a political prophet who is going the round of
\nthe country with the inviting message: "Come to me, all ye that are
\nheavy-laden, and I shall give rest unto you."<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>The talk of this Colonial Self-Government or self-government within the
\nEmpire at a time they are going to have an Imperial conference of the Colonial
\nPrime Ministers and have condescended to admit a representative of India to the
\nsame may very well entrap the unwary, especially when it comes from a personage
\nwho is said to have explained to the Secretary of State all that India needs in
\na five-minute interview. But the pretension of the frog to rank as a quadruped
\nof the elephant class with the mere expression of a pious wish should receive a
\nheavy shock on learning from Reuter that either Mr. Morley or his nominee will
\nrepresent India at the coming Colonial Conference. This is quite in keeping with
\nthe system of representation that India enjoys.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-205<\/font><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n

\nThis
\nis a further extension of the sham which we see here in the local Legislative
\nCouncils. This is but the continuation of the farce which is known as the Local
\nBoard or Municipal Board representation.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>It is a favourable sign that when some leading moderate politicians are
\ntrying fresh and big doses of poppy on our <\/i>people for the offence of
\ngiving a slight indication of self-consciousness, these smart shocks for
\nregaining self-possession are coming of themselves. The spurious politics that
\nhas so long lived only on the delusion of the people has very nearly been found
\nout and thus elaborate preparations are going on to give it a fresh lease of
\nlife. But when the gods want to destroy a thing no human efforts can avail.
\nMendicancy is no longer consistent with the stand-up position the Indians have
\ntaken up. The beggar knows only begging and bullying but his day-dreams surpass
\neven those of Alanschar. The imposing ideal of self-government within the Empire
\nwith which begging politics has been making its last attempt to catch the fancy
\nof the people will hardly survive such disenchanting strokes as the
\nrepresentation of India on the Colonial Conference by the Secretary of State
\nhimself or his own nominee.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>If India is to be India, if her civilisation is to retain a distinctive
\nstamp and extend its spiritual conquests for the benefit of the world at large,
\nit must be propped up with the strength of her own people.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>To include India in a federation of colonies and the motherland is
\nmadness without method. The patriotism that wishes the country to lose itself
\nwithin an Empire which justifies its name by its conquest \u2014 the colonies being
\nno portion of the Empire in its strict sense \u2014 is also madness without method.
\nBut to talk of absolute
\nindependence and autonomy <\/span>\u2014<\/span>
\nthough this be mad<\/span>ness, yet there is method
\nin it.<\/font><\/p>\n


\nBande
\nMataram<\/i>,
\n<\/i> <\/font> February 25, 1907<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-206<\/font><\/p>\n

\n


\nMr. GOKHALE’S DISLOYALTY<\/font><\/a><\/h3>\n

\n <\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nDear
\nBande Mataram,<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

           
\n<\/span>You may reasonably ask me where I had been so long. My answer is that
\nseeing the Extremists fare very well at the last Congress, I thought I had some
\nclaim to a well-earned repose. When all India kindly took to my views and fought
\nfor them in the National Assembly, I thought I could suspend my activity for a
\ntime.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>But with Mr. Gokhale stumping the country to recover the lost ground and
\nthe Bengalee <\/i>taking the brief of the all-powerful executive, I cannot be
\na silent spectator of the cold-blooded deposition of Demos.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>The Aga Khan too has entered the lists. Alarmed at the Extremists’ talk
\nof freedom from British control, the combined wit and wisdom of the country is
\nmaking a dead set at this crazy class so that prudence and good sense may once
\nmore prevail in the land. The normal calm and the much-coveted peace has, to a
\ncertain extent, been restored to the country and what little of unrest still
\nexists will pass away as soon as Mr. Gokhale will say "Amen".<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>Unlike the grave-diggers of Ophelia, Mr. Gokhale wants to make the
\nextinction of British autocracy in India quite an unchristian procedure. Here
\nlies the Empire, good; here stands India, good; if India goes to this Empire and
\nprays for its death, it is will she nill she, she prays for something bad but if
\nthe Empire comes to her and kills itself, she kills not the Empire: argal, she
\nis not guilty of disloyalty.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>The Extremists want to bring the Empire to themselves, and not themselves
\nto go to the Empire. What is more Christian and loyal? To make the Empire part
\nwith us as friends, or to provoke it with childish demands of colonial
\nself-government or self-government within the Empire?<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>Besides, does not Mr. Gokhale know the fable that by mere buzzing about
\nthe head of a Bull or even settling himself upon his head, the gnat cannot at
\nall inconvenience him, but though small it is by stinging only that he can
\narouse his attention.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-207<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nIn
\nvain is Mr. Gokhale trying conclusions with people who have tried their remedies
\ntimes without number and found them wanting.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>Mr. Gokhale’s patriotism is based on truth \u2014 he paints us as we are and
\nwarns us against the danger of too strong a stimulus in this our exceptionally
\nweak condition.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>Here is he like a wise physician who knows his patient. But Mr. Gokhale,
\nbeing such an educated and enlightened
\nreformer, with supreme contempt "for Indian prejudices, superstitions and
\nidolatry, should be the last man to trust to mere prayer and petition for the
\nrecovery of his patient.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>When the Scotch asked the King of England to appoint a day of prayer and
\nfasting for abating the fury of cholera when it raged there a few years back,
\nthe authorities in England pooh-poohed the idea and told them to attend to the
\nrecommendations of sanitary science.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n           
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span>Should not Mr. Gokhale be true to himself and ask the people to attend to
\nthe recommendations of political science excluding altogether from their
\nprogramme the superstition of prayer? More in my next.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n                                                                                                                                                         <\/font><\/span>                                                  Yours sincerely,<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n                                                                                                                                                            <\/font><\/span>                                                  By The Way<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nBande Mataram<\/i>,
\n<\/i> <\/font> February 28, 1907<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-208<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yet There is Method in It                   THE "Moderate" Indian politician aspires to be an Imperial citizen. His ambition has at last been screwed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-01-bande-mataram-volume-01","wpcat-8-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261","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=261"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}