{"id":291,"date":"2013-07-13T01:27:08","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=291"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:27:08","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:27:08","slug":"100-the-nagpur-affair-and-true-unity-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\/100-the-nagpur-affair-and-true-unity-vol-01-bande-mataram-volume-01","title":{"rendered":"-100_The Nagpur Affair and True Unity.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n


\nThe Nagpur Affair and True Unity<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/b>          
\n<\/font>
\nT<\/font>HE<\/font><\/b> <\/span>Nagpur Nationalists are now being
\nrun down in every quarter for having failed to work in unison with the
\nModerates. The cause of rupture as disclosed by the Indian Social Reformer<\/i>,
\n<\/i>a hostile critic of the Nationalist Party, will convince every
\nright-thinking man that the Nationalists had ample provocation for what is being
\ndenounced as a highly reprehensible conduct on their part. They had a
\nNationalist majority in the Executive Committee and the Moderates were arranging
\nfor a fresh meeting of the Reception Committee to alter this state of things.
\nThis unconstitutional step led to the subsequent unpleasant development. It is
\nvery difficult to disentangle the truth from the apparently exaggerated reports
\nof "Nationalist rowdyism" of which so much has been heard of late. But we have a
\nsuspicion that it is the wonted game of the Moderates to have it all their own
\nway and then to try to discredit the opponents by making them responsible to the
\ncountry for the disunion and dissension in the camp. Why do they not adopt a
\nstraightforward course from the very beginning? It is they who stand in the way
\nof a united India by denying a fair representation to those who hold advanced
\npolitical views. They always want the Nationalists to compromise their principle
\nby an appeal in the name of unity. But their selfishness and autocracy never
\nallow them to reflect on the true way of achieving unity.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n            There is a cant phrase which
\nis always on our lips in season and out of season, and it is the cry for unity.
\nWe call it a cant phrase because those who use it, have not the slightest
\nconception of what they mean when they use it, but simply employ it as an
\neffective formula to discourage independence in thought and progressiveness in
\naction. It is not the reality of united thought and action which they desire, it
\nis merely the appearance of unity. "Do not let the Englishman think we are not
\nentirely at one on any and every question," that is the bottom idea underlying
\nthis formula. It is a habit of mind born of the spirit<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-566<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

of dependence and weakness. It is a fosterer of falsehood
\nand encourages cowardice and insincerity. "Be your views what they may, suppress
\nthem, for they will spoil our unity; swallow your principles, they will spoil
\nour unity; do not battle for what you think to be the right, it will spoil our
\nunity; leave necessary things undone, for the attempt to do them will spoil our
\nunity;" this is the cry. The prevalence of a dead and lifeless unity is the true
\nindex of national degradation, quite as much as the prevalence of a living unity
\nis the index of national greatness. So long as India was asleep and only talking
\nin its dreams, a show of unity was possible but the moment it awoke and began to
\nlive, this show was bound to be broken. So long as mendicancy was our method and
\nideal, the show was necessary, for a family of beggars must not vary in its
\nstatements or in the nature of its request to the prospective patron; they must
\ncringe and whine in a single key. Under other circumstances, the maintenance of
\nthe show becomes of less paramount importance.<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>
\nThere is another idea underlying the cry
\nfor unity and it is the utterly erroneous impression that nations have never
\nbeen able to liberate themselves and do great
\ndeeds unless they were <\/span>entirely and flawlessly united within. History
\nsupplies no justification for this specious theory. On the contrary when a
\nnation is living at high pressure and feelings are at white heat, opinions and
\nactions are bound to diverge far more strongly than at other times. In the
\nstrenuous times before the American War of Independence, the colony was divided
\ninto a powerful minority who were wholly for England, a great hesitating
\nmajority who were eager for internal autonomy but unwilling to use extreme
\nmethods, and a small but vigorous minority of extremists with men like John
\nAdams at their head who pushed the country into revolt and created a nation. The
\nhistory of the Italian revolution tens the same story. We are fond of quoting
\nthe instance of Japan, pointing to its magnificient unity and crying shame on
\nourselves for falling below that glorious standard; but those of us who talk
\nmost of Japan often betray a sovereign ignorance of its history. Nowhere was
\nthere a more keen, determined and murderous struggle between parties than in
\nJapan in the days of its preparation, and the struggle was not over the ultimate
\nideal or object<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-567<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\n— the freedom and greatness of Japan, on
\nwhich all parties were agreed, but on questions of method and internal
\norganisation. Until that question as between the moderate Shogun Party and the
\nextremist Mikado Party had been settled, it was felt by all that the approach to
\nthe ultimate ideal of all could not be seriously attempted.<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

            True national unity is the unity of
\nself-dedication to the country when the liberty and greatness of our motherland
\nis the paramount consideration to which all others must be subordinated. In
\nIndia at the present hour there are three conflicting ideals; one party set the
\nmaintenance of British supremacy above all other considerations; another would
\nmaintain that supremacy in a modified form; a third aspires to make India a free
\nand autonomous nation, connected with England, if it may be, but not dependent
\non her. Until one of these conflicting ideals is accepted by the majority of the
\nnation, it is idle to make a show of unity. That was possible formerly because
\nthe ideal of a modified British supremacy was the prevailing ideal, but now that
\nnew hopes and resolves are entering the national consciousness, these must
\neither be crushed or prevail, before true unity of a regenerated nation can
\nreplace the false unity of acquiescence in servitude.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\nBande Mataram<\/i>,
\n<\/i>
\n<\/font>October 23, 1907<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nPage-568<\/font><\/p>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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