{"id":2800,"date":"2013-07-13T01:43:53","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=2800"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:43:53","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:43:53","slug":"93-bande-mataram-7-6-07-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\/93-bande-mataram-7-6-07-vol-06-07-bande-mataram","title":{"rendered":"-93_Bande Mataram 7-6-07.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, June 7th, 1907 }
\n\t<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n
\nDefying the Circular
\n<\/b>
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nIt will not be long now before
\nthe Colleges open and the students begin to return to Calcutta; the moment they
\ncome the struggle for the possession of the youth of the country must begin. The
\nbureaucracy has thrown out the challenge and there is every sign that it will be
\ntaken up. Men of all parties, except the party of Mr. N. N. Ghose which, as it
\nconsists of only one man, need not concern us, are agreed that to acquiesce in
\nthe Circular is out of the question. If there is any difference of opinion, it
\nis as to the best method of defying it, and that is not a matter of primary
\nimportance. For our own part, we have expressed ourselves in favour of an
\neducational strike, because that is the most straightforward, the most masculine
\nand the most aggressive form of passive resistance of which the occasion allows.
\nWe hold that in order to rise the nation must get into the habit of offering
\nchallenges rather than receiving them and when it is behind, it must take the
\nswiftest and most direct form of demonstration open to it. Passive resistance
\ncan be carried on in an inert and passive spirit of mechanical reaction against
\npressure from above, or it may be carried on in an active and creative spirit,
\nit may take the initiative instead of being driven; it may assail the citadels
\nof the enemy instead of merely defending its own. What India needs especially at
\nthis moment is the aggressive virtues, the spirit of soaring idealism, bold
\ncreation, fearless resistance, courageous attack; of the passive tamasic spirit
\nof inertia we have already too much. We need to cultivate another training and
\ntemperament, another habit of mind. We would apply to the present situation the
\nvigorous motto of Danton, that what we need, what we should learn above all
\nthings is to dare and    <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 487<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tagain to dare and still to
\n\tdare. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\tNevertheless we recognise
\n\t\tthat to leap at once from an overpoweringly tamasic condition of mind
\n\t\tinto the rajasic, the active, restless, bold and creative, is not easy
\n\t\tfor a nation and if we cannot have the best method, we will accept the
\n\t\tsecond best, so long as the principle of resistance is maintained. A
\n\t\tgeneral defiance of the Circular will obviously make it unworkable,
\n\t\tunless the Government is prepared to disaffiliate schools and Colleges
\n\t\tfreely and give up its control of education. It is possible, of course,
\n\t\tthat they may do so in the hope of bringing the country to its knees by
\n\t\tdrawing home the conviction that it cannot take in hand its own
\n\t\teducation. But this will be a dangerous game to play; for the only thing
\n\t\tthat is needed to make the institution of a widespread and comprehensive
\n\t\tsystem of national education possible and indeed eminently practicable,
\n\t\tis the generation of an enthusiasm such as was beginning to gather force
\n\t\tafter the Carlyle Circular. A stern and bitter struggle between the
\n\t\tpeople and the bureaucracy is the one thing that is likely to generate
\n\t\tsuch an enthusiasm. National education is by no means impracticable or
\n\t\teven difficult, it needs nothing but a resolute enthusiasm in the
\n\t\tcountry and the courage to take a leap into the unknown. This courage is
\n\t\tcommon in individuals but not in nations, least of all in subject
\n\t\tnations; and yet when the fire is lit, it is perhaps subject nations
\n\t\tmore than any other which are found ready to take the leap. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\tWe do not believe the
\n\t\tbureaucracy will be willing to drive matters to such a crisis. It is
\n\t\tmore likely that they will use the Circular to harass the opposition and
\n\t\tovercome our resistance by instituting measures of petty persecution
\n\t\twherever they can do it without upheaving the whole foundation of the
\n\t\teducational system in Bengal. All that is demanded from us is therefore
\n\t\ta persistent resolution to make the Circular unworkable regardless of
\n\t\tloss and sacrifice. We must take every opportunity of challenging the
\n\t\tCircular and testing the resolution of the bureaucracy and the campaign
\n\t\tmust be carried on simultaneously all over Bengal, if not in other parts
\n\t\tof India as well. But it is Calcutta which must give the signal. Indeed,
\n\t\tCalcutta has already given the signal. Meetings have been held in which
\n\t\tteachers and students have   <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 488<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tattended and taken an active
\n\tpart; more meetings of the kind will be held and when the Colleges reopen,
\n\tthere must be a general defiance of the ukase. Once Calcutta leads the way,
\n\tEast Bengal will respond and West Bengal follow the general example. The
\n\tRisley Circular must go the way of its predecessor. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\t__________<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tWhen Shall We Three Meet Again?
\n<\/b>
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Statesman<\/i>, which
\n\tseems now to be the mouthpiece of the bureaucracy, published a semi-official
\n\tcommunique to the effect that prosecutions are being launched against three
\n\tof the journals in Bengal which have been the most violent in their recent
\n\tutterances. This pleasant news opens the way to a most interesting line of
\n\tspeculation and we would suggest that one of our contemporaries, say, the
\n\tSandhya<\/i>, might start a plebiscite or a prize-competition for the correct
\n\tlist of the fortunate victims. The prize would of course be given to the
\n\tcompetitor who got the right names in the right order. It would be
\n\tinteresting to know whether the impressions of the people and of the Bengal
\n\tGovernment tallied on this knotty question. If we ourselves are to be one of
\n\tthe recipients of this Government distinction, we must petition the
\n\tauthorities beforehand\u2014 even at the sacrifice of our principles\u2014 that the
\n\tthree editors may be allowed to share the same cell and assist each other at
\n\tthe same oakum picking or other exhilarating occupation in store for us, so
\n\tthat we may support each other "under the burden of an honour into which we
\n\twere not born". Always provided that the editor of the Indian Nation
\n<\/i>is not one of the three. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Empire <\/i>is very
\n\tmuch hurt that the Indian papers have not taken any notice of the Viceroy’s
\n\tmagnanimous though somewhat belated refusal to sanction the Punjab
\n\tColonisation Bill.    <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 489<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tOur contemporary thinks that
\n\twe kept silent out of pure cussedness. This is unkind. Could not our dear
\n\twhite brother\u2014 or our dear green brother, we should say\u2014 realise that there
\n\twere other reasons, honourable or natural, for this unanimous hush. It might
\n\thave been out of sheer awe, it might have been out of a choked emotion. Some
\n\tscruples of delicacy, some feelings of the "sorrow rather than anger" sort,
\n\tperhaps even excessive loyalty may have stopped the flow of utterance. For
\n\tinstance, supposing in the rush of our gratitude one were to let slip
\n\tunpleasant hints about the relation between the Rawalpindi row and the
\n\tViceroy’s sudden and stupendous magnanimity! Who would like to hurt our
\n\tsympathetic Viceroy’s feelings by such ungracious truths! Or again supposing
\n\tthe Bengal papers were contrasting silently events in the Punjab and Bengal?
\n\tThey do present a remarkable contrast. In Bengal we have agitated for two
\n\tyears\u2014 first with repeated petitions, with countless protest meetings, with
\n\tinnumerable wails and entreaties from press and platform; but that could not
\n\thelp us, insult and ridicule were our only gain. Then we tried every lawful
\n\tmeans of concrete protest, every kind of passive resistance within the law
\n\tto show that we were in earnest. Result,\u2014 nil. But in Punjab they petitioned
\n\tand protested only for a few weeks and then\u2014 went for Europeans, their
\n\tpersons, their property and everything connected with them. Result\u2014 the
\n\twater tax postponed, the Colonisation Bill cancelled. Of course, as loyal
\n\tsubjects such as the
\nEmpire <\/i>wants us to be we must regard the contrast with sorrow rather than
\n\twith anger. But if we were publicly to mention these matters, might not our
\n\tfeelings and even our motives be misunderstood? Might it not even happen
\n\tthat Police-Constable Andrew would run us in, under his new-old powers for
\n\tsedition? And how could a loyal Press expose itself to such
\n\tmisunderstanding? The
\nEmpire <\/i>will surely agree with us, on reflection, that silence was best.
\n\t<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tIt is a new and gratifying
\n\tfeature of present-day politics to find the Englishman
\n<\/i>reporting Bengali meetings in the Calcutta squares with a full appreciation
\n\tof their importance. The meeting    <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 490<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tin College Square at which
\n\tSrijut Krishna Kumar Mitra presided has been favoured as well as Srijut
\n\tBipin Chandra Pal’s meeting at Beadon Square. As to the accuracy of the
\n\treports we have our doubts, for the Bengali gentleman who reports for our
\n\tcontemporary is afflicted with the idea that he is very humorous, and there
\n\tis nothing so fatal to accuracy as a sense of humour. We would not object to
\n\tthis amiable delusion, or the particular style of the reporter’s wit, if it
\n\tdid not so persistently recall to us the imperial citizen of the British
\n\tmetropolis out on a spree who thinks it a huge joke to tickle his fellow
\n\tcitizens with a peacock’s feather or to comment on their possession of hair
\n\tor the origin of their headgear with other light and cutting sarcasms.
\n\tHowever, we note with satisfaction that teachers and students attended the
\n\tmeeting, that a teacher presided, another spoke and a student seconded a
\n\tresolution. We too await with interest the action of the authorities in the
\n\tmatter. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tOur venerable friend the
\n\tIndian Mirror <\/i>has solemnly assured us that it should be understood that
\n\tno Government, Conservative or Liberal, will countenance violent methods,
\n\tsuch as the Extremists have hitherto employed. For this surprising
\n\tinformation, drawn no doubt from occult sources, much thanks. But still we
\n\tcannot help inquiring, who the devil ever asked them to? No one in his
\n\tsenses, or out of them, either, ever dreamed of calling upon any Englishman
\n\tto support the Extremist policy. We note with interest that the Mirror <\/i>
\n\tconsiders Boycott, Passive Resistance, National Education, Arbitration and
\n\tphysical training to be "violent" methods. On the other hand we find Srijut
\n\tNarendra Nath Sen’s signature affixed to the recently issued statement in
\n\twhich the use of violent methods in Bengal is denied. Hail, holy light,
\n\tdivine reflective
\nMirror<\/i>! <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\tThe breathless speed with
\n\twhich the Statesman <\/i>is legislating and administering the affairs of
\n\tthe nation, makes one’s head whirl. One day the Simla Government, no doubt
\n\tlaying heads together    <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 491<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\twith Mr. John Morley, issues
\n\ta notice handing the Press over to the tender mercies of the local
\n\tadministrations, but with a rider that this is in the nature of a warning to
\n\tthe Press to behave itself and the effect will be watched before action is
\n\ttaken. After watching the effect for the space of twenty-four hours the
\nStatesman <\/i>issues an order from Darjeeling to prosecute any three papers
\n\tout of the long list of English and vernacular publications in Bengal, the
\n\tselection to be made on the principle of the loudest first. Before the Press
\n\thas recovered from this shock, while everybody from the Englishman <\/i>
\n\tdown to the Mihir Sudhakar <\/i>is brooding over his past sins and
\n\tpreparing for the arrival of the police with handcuffs, while even the
\n\tMirror <\/i>and the Nation <\/i>are trying to banish uncomfortable memories
\n\tof an indiscreet article or two on the Jamalpur outrages, lo and behold, the
\n\tStatesman<\/i> in its Viceregal Council at Simla is forging a new Act which
\n\tshall provide for the gagging of the Press without the trouble of a
\n\tprosecution. We know that these are the days of the electric tram and the
\n\tmotor car, and telepathy and wireless telegraphy, but really this is
\n\toverdoing it. A little slower, please.    <\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t
\n\tPage \u2013 492<\/font><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bande Mataram { CALCUTTA, June 7th, 1907 }   Defying the Circular   It will not be long now before the Colleges open and the…<\/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-2800","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\/2800","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=2800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2800\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}