{"id":2746,"date":"2013-07-13T01:43:36","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:43:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=2746"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:43:36","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:43:36","slug":"61-bande-mataram-24-4-07-vol-06-07-bande-mataram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/03-cwsa\/06-07-bande-mataram\/61-bande-mataram-24-4-07-vol-06-07-bande-mataram","title":{"rendered":"-61_Bande Mataram 24-4-07.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tBande Mataram<\/font><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t
\n\t{ CALCUTTA, April 24th, 1907 }<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n
\nBy the Way
\n<\/b>
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe Englishman <\/i>and Mr. N. N. Ghose, faithful brothers-in-arms, were beside themselves with joy last week. What had happened?
\nHad Nationalism by some divine miracle been suddenly blotted out of the land? Had the spirit of Nobokissen appeared to his
\ndevotee and admirer and prophesied the eternal continuance of the British domination in India? Or had Mr. N. N. Ghose been at
\nlast elected to the Legislative Council? No, but happy signs and omens, prophetic of these desirable events, have appeared in the
\npolitical heavens. Hence this war-dance of victory in Hare Street and Sankaritola. The great Twin Brethren, the black Aswin and
\nthe white, the two heavenly physicians of our political maladies, have laid a joint finger on the national pulse and discovered
\nthat the fever of Nationalism is passing away and the patient returning to a healthy state of loyalty and contented servitude.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n*
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe epoch-making pronouncement of the Indian Mirror <\/i>is the
\nchief source of joy and comfort to these allied powers. The Mahatma of Mott’s Lane has waved his wonder-working wand
\nand Nationalism is no more. Narendranath has spoken; the British Empire is saved. It is not surprising that the discoveries
\nmade by the Indian Mirror <\/i>should have awakened admiring wonder and delight in Hare Street, for they are certainly such
\ndiscoveries as are only made once or twice in the course of the ages. The Mirror
\n<\/i>has discovered that all is for the best in the
\nbest of all possible Governments. It has detected liberalism in Mr. Morley’s Indian policy and a passionate desire for reform
\nin Anglo-India. And to crown all, it has found out that the   
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 339<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tExtremists,\u2014 those bold, bad, dangerous men,\u2014 represent a
\nparty which consists only of themselves. This is a discovery worthy of Newton or Kepler and it has naturally filled Hare
\nStreet with delighted awe. An ordinary man might ask, of whom else should the party consist? But such criticism would
\nbe profane in the face of so much occult knowledge. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t*
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Englishman <\/i>sits at the feet of Babu Narendranath Sen like a pupil, with lifted eyes full of childlike wonder and admiration.
\nMr. N. N. Ghose welcomes his neighbour on equal terms as a fellow-loyalist and fellow-discoverer. For Mr. N. N. Ghose has
\nalso been industriously discovering things, not only in natural history but in political science. The other day he discovered
\nthe surprising fact that Mr. Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai do not belong to the new school of politics\u2014 a discovery which will
\ncertainly edify and astonish both the hearers of Lala Lajpat Rai’s speeches and the readers of the
\nKesari. <\/i>He has discovered too
\nthat the new school have no “constructive programme” and are do-nothing politicians. Unhappily, this is a discovery which Mr.
\nN. N. Ghose is in the habit of making about his opponents and critics ever since he attacked Shambhunath Mukherji in language
\nof astonishing coarseness; so it lacks the charm of novelty.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t*
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Amrita Bazar Patrika <\/i>has also become an object of Mr. N. N. Ghose’s scientific investigations. He has discovered that
\nthis great organ of public opinion is returning to light,\u2014 in other words, that it was mad and is becoming sane. We do not
\nprecisely know why. The passages quoted from the Amrita Bazar<\/i> Patrika
\n<\/i>merely repeat views which it has been insisting on for
\na long time past and the programme which it sets before the public is one in which the
\nAmrita Bazar <\/i>and the new school are
\nin entire agreement. In the opinion of Mr. Ghose, however, this programme shows an insufficiently broad view, and he holds out
\nan ominous threat of broadening Srijut Motilal Ghose’s intelligence. For the present, however, “we reserve our suggestions”
\n   
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
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\n

\n\tand the Amrita Bazar <\/i>is spared this painful operation. In passing,
\nMr. Ghose informs a startled world that in regard to constructive works he has his own ideas! Evidently he has a “constructive
\nprogramme” up his sleeve and is awaiting the dramatic moment for dazzling the world by its appearance. But for how long will
\nhe condemn us to hold our breath in awed expectation?
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t*
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Amrita Bazar <\/i>finds occasion to condemn such effusive receptions as Babu Surendranath received at Rajshahi, and, in
\ndoing so, disclaims the charge of envy and jealousy which is usually brought against it when it criticises the moderate leader.
\nImmediately the Indian Nation <\/i>falls on its neck and weeps joyfully, “I too have been accused. Embrace me, my
\n\tfellow-martyr.” We doubt whether our contemporary will quite relish being put on a level with Mr. N. N. Ghose and the
\nIndian<\/i>
\nNation. <\/i>Its editor is a recognised political leader and his paper has from early days been a power in the land, read and relished
\nin all parts of India and even in England; but Mr. N. N. Ghose is only Mr. N. N. Ghose and the circulation of his weekly is\u2014 well, let us say, confined to the elect.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t*
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Hare Street journal has undergone a startling transformation. It is trying to write sympathetically and pretending to have
\npolitical ideas. This is rather hard on the unfortunate people who are compelled to read its outpourings; for the attempt to
\nmake some sense out of its leaders involves an agonising intellectual strain, which one naturally resents because it is not in
\nthe day’s work. If our contemporary goes on much longer in this strain, we shall all have to go on strike and either petition
\nthe Government to pass prohibitive legislation or else organise passive resistance. As a sort of anti-popular Red Indian in
\n\twar-paint and on the war-path, brandished tomahawk in hand and yelling wild and weird war cries, the
\nEnglishman <\/i>is picturesque
\nand amusing. But its new departure makes neither for instruction nor for entertainment.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t*   
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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\n

\n\tIt followed up its great pronouncement, “For such a Time as
\nthis” with an almost equally fog-bound leader on “Swaraj”. This document begins by entreating us to give up our political
\naspirations out of respect for the lamented memory of Professor Huxley. After paralysing our wits with this stroke of pathos, the
\nEnglishman<\/i>, not to be outdone by the Mirror <\/i>or the Nation<\/i>, announces a political discovery of its own. Our moderate friends,
\nit appears, have been labouring under a serious delusion. The Liberal party cannot give us reform even if it would, but there
\nis one who can and will, and it is\u2014 the Government of India! Codlin’s the friend, not Short. We congratulate our moderate
\nfriends on the delightful choice that is open to them. Minto’s the sympathiser, not Morley\u2014 Minto will give you Swaraj,\u2014 the Englishman <\/i>stands guarantee for it. But after bidding us kowtow to the Government of India because it alone can help
\nor harm us, our contemporary with light-hearted inconsistency declares that our habit of kowtowing to those who can help or
\nharm us, is the chief reason of our unfitness for Swaraj. It seems, on the other hand, that our behaviour is very disrespectful towards those who cannot help or harm us, e.g. Tommies, coolies and the Englishman.
\n<\/i>The Anglo-Indian rules India because of
\nhis paternal kindness to the coolie; until we too learn to enquire habitually into the state of the coolie’s spleen with our boots and
\noverwhelm him with vigorous and lurid terms of endearment in season and out of season, we shall not be fit for self-government.
\nNo wonder the Mirror <\/i>asks us solemnly to lay our hands on our hearts and declare truthfully whether we are morally, mentally
\nand physically fit for self-government. If this is the loyalist test, we answer sorrowfully, “No.”
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t*
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tPolitical discoverers are not confined to this side of India. The
\nIndu <\/i>of Bombay is full of impotent wrath against Mr. Morley for prolonging Lord Kitchener’s term and gives him a severe journalistic whipping for his misconduct. The Indu <\/i>is extremely anxious, as a good moderate should be, for the safety of the British
\npossessions in India; it has discovered that Lord Kitchener is   
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 342<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tnot a good general and is capable of nothing more heroic than
\ndigging up dead Mahdis, so it clamours for a better general who will defend the British Empire more efficiently and spend less
\nover it. Poor Mr. Morley! Even the Indu <\/i>has found him out at last. We cannot expect our contemporary to realise that only in
\na free and prosperous India can defence be both effective and inexpensive. The present Government has to provide both against
\naggression from outside and discontent within, and this means a double expenditure. But what is the use of the
\nIndu<\/i>‘s shaking
\nits moony fist in Mr. Morley’s face and calling the darling of moderatism bad names? Much better were it done to send a
\npetition with two lakhs of signatures for Lord Kitchener’s recall, and, having done that,\u2014 sit content.
\n   
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 343<\/font><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bande Mataram { CALCUTTA, April 24th, 1907 }   By the Way   The Englishman and Mr. N. N. Ghose, faithful brothers-in-arms, were beside themselves…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-06-07-bande-mataram","wpcat-54-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2746","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=2746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2746\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}