{"id":404,"date":"2013-07-13T01:27:47","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=404"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:27:47","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:27:47","slug":"037-the-sutiation-in-east-bengal-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\/037-the-sutiation-in-east-bengal-vol-01-bande-mataram-volume-01","title":{"rendered":"-037_The Sutiation in East Bengal.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n


\nThe Situation in
\nEast Bengal<\/span><\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n   <\/span>             
\n<\/span> W<\/b><\/font>HILE<\/font><\/b>
\ncommenting on the proceedings of the Berhampur Conference, we expressed our
\nopinion that the leaders had been guilty of the most serious deficiency in
\nstatesmanship and courage in failing to understand and meet the situation
\ncreated by the occurrences in Tipperah. Leadership in this country has hitherto
\ngone with the fluent tongue, the sonorous voice, skill in dialectics and acute
\nadroitness in legal draftsmanship. The leader has not been called upon to
\nunderstand the great and urgent national needs or to meet the calls of a
\ndangerous crisis. In the opposition-cum- cooperation theory these were functions
\nof the alien Government, and the only duty of the popular leaders was to advise
\nor remonstrate and look on at the results. The present position in Bengal is
\nfull of the uncertainty and confusion of a transition period when circumstances
\nhave changed and demand new qualities, new ideas and a new spirit in the
\npeople’s chiefs; but the leadership still remains in the hands of the old type
\nof politicians. This would not have mattered if the old leaders had been men
\nof genius gifted with the adaptability to suit themselves to the new
\ncircumstances, — the vision to grasp them and the courage to act. But none of
\nthese qualities seems to be possessed either by Babu Surendranath, the one man
\nof genius among the older leaders, or by Mr. Gokhale, the one man of real
\npolitical ability, — much less by the
\nlesser heads. The country has still to seek for leaders who shall be worthy of
\nthe new age.
\n        The Comilla affair has revealed beyond all possible doubt the heart of the new
\nsituation. It ought now to be plain to the meanest intelligence that a struggle
\nhas begun between two great forces which must go on till one or the other is
\ncrushed or driven to surrender. Any attempt to disguise the fact is the merest
\nfutility. Our Moderate leaders thought when Fuller had been driven out of the
\ncountry and Morley had taken up the reins of<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\nPage-250
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nGovernment, the struggle need no longer be a struggle and could again be reduced
\nto the proportions of a public debate between the Congress and the Government.
\nNow again, they thought, a pleasant reversion to the old opposition-cum-cooperation
\npolitics may be gradually engineered. But the forces of reaction, opposed to
\nus, understand politics better; they have seen that the fire of the new spirit
\nis not a momentary blaze to be kindled and quenched at the will of individuals,
\nbut the beginning of an immense conflagration. Their policy is as astute as
\nmight be expected in such past masters of the art of politics. It is evidently
\nto isolate the struggle and fight it out in East Bengal; to oppose and put down
\nthe new spirit after it had taken hold of the whole nation would be a task so
\ndifficult as to be a practical impossibility; to meet it in a single part of
\nthe country and crush it before it had time to spread effectively over all
\nIndia, is obviously the wisest course. It is part of the policy also to attack
\nit by localities even in the affected area and not as a whole, to destroy it
\nbefore the defence has organised itself; and to use as instruments the
\nSallimullahi sect of Mahomedans, while the Police confine themselves to
\nkeeping the ring.
\n        The leaders may say that they thought the Comilla incident an unwelcome and
\ndeplorable outbreak which had happily been closed whether by the
\n"secret" efforts of Babu Surendranath Banerji or by other less
\nmiraculous means. That they did think so, is probable and nothing could more
\ndamningly convict them of want of insight and even the smallest measure of
\npolitical wisdom than such an inexcusable blunder. It was perfectly obvious
\nthat, as Comilla had not been the first incident of the kind, so also it would
\nnot be the last. Before the Conference met the disturbance at Mogra Hat was
\nalready in full course; and that details, reported in Babu Surendranath
\nBanerji’s own paper, were of the most glaringly unmistakable character. At
\nComilla there had been an outbreak of anti-national hooliganism coincident with
\nthe Nawab’s visit; the authorities had practically refused to help the Hindus
\nand had only interfered when the Hindus were getting the upper hand; and even
\nthen, the arrest and punishment of a few rioters was so casually and lightly
\ndone as to be absolutely<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\nPage-251<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

useless for
\nany deterrent effect while the might of the bureaucracy was centred upon the
\nprosecution of alleged Hindu culprits in the shooting case.
\n        Nevertheless, the Comilla incident ended in a national victory. At
\nMogra Hat
\nmeasures were taken to prevent a repetition of that victory. A Mahomedan
\nPolice official seems to have acted practically as the captain of the rioters;
\nthe Subdivisional Officer tried to deprive the Hindus of the means of self-defence; attempts were made to prevent organisation of defence by volunteers; a
\nPolice force held the station to exclude help from outside for the Hindus,
\nleaving the Mahomedan rioters a clear field for their operations. Finally when
\nin spite of all these obstructions the Hindus were again getting the upper hand,
\nthe higher authorities appeared on the scene, the disturbance was quelled, and
\narrests and prosecutions of Hindus are now in full swing. This is the substance
\nof the account given by the correspondents of the Bengalee<\/i> and the Patrika<\/i>, and not yet denied. If after this the leaders are still unable to understand
\nthe situation, the sooner they give up their leadership and attend to their
\nspiritual salvation, the better for themselves and the country.
\n        The situation in East Bengal puts three important questions to any intelligent
\nleadership. Is East Bengal to be left alone to fight out the battle of
\nnationalism while the rest of the country looks calmly on? Is reaction to be
\nallowed to persecute local and disorganised forces of nationalism or is mutual
\ndefence to be organised? What measures are to be taken to prevent the efforts of
\nthe officials to give the matter the appearance of a Hindu-Mahomedan quarrel?
\nWhat answer have the leaders to give to these questions? At Berhampur two
\nmeasures only were taken, — an empty and halting Resolution of
\n"sympathy" and a flamboyant call for a Defence Fund, to be utilised
\nfor we know not what purpose. It is not money that East Bengal needs, but
\npractical assistance, guidance and leadership. These the leaders have proved
\nthemselves unable or unwilling to give. They will say perhaps that they have
\nsecured the "sympathy" of Lord Minto as well as of the Conference, and
\nnothing further is necessary! It does not matter a jot whether the local
\nofficials are or are not acting on their own initiative in their singular
\nattitude in<\/font><\/p>\n

Page-252<\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\n
\nEast Bengal. The sympathy of Lord Minto has not prevented the repetition of the
\ndisturbances, and we have no confidence
\nthat it will prevent further repetitions which are now threatening. For
\neffectiveness it seems to be on a par with the sympathy of the Berhampur
\nConference. The people can expect no protection from the alien bureaucracy which
\nis interested in the extinction of nationalism. They can expect, it appears,
\nneither help nor guidance from their own leaders. They are left alone to find
\nout their own salvation. Be it so, then. Ourselves we will protect ourselves:
\nunled and unassisted pave for the country its hope and its future.<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/span>Bande Mataram<\/i>, <\/i>April 11, 1907<\/span><\/p>\n


\nThe
\nProverbial Offspring<\/a><\/span><\/font><\/b><\/p>\n


\nThe great Mr. Morley has received the Viceroy’s dispatch on the question of
\nwidening the powers of the Legislative Council. It is long and important and
\nrequires his mature consideration, and he cannot therefore have it discussed in
\nthe Parliament. It has been prepared in secret, will be matured in secret, and
\nthen the official Minerva will see the light of the day and panoply. It will be
\nborn a settled fact. Rejoice ye Moderates, the millennium is drawing nigh. The
\nheart of Mr. Gokhale must be beating a little faster in anxious expectation. The
\ntiresome voyages across the seas, his fervent appeals to the British public by
\nday, and his luminous conversations with Mr. Morley by night, are about to bear
\nfruit. The mountain is in labour and will in due course produce the proverbial offspring.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>Bande Mataram<\/i>, <\/i>April 12, 1907<\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\nBy The Way<\/font><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>
\nAdversity brings us strange bedfellows, says the poet, but surely it never
\nplayed as strange a freak as when it brought Babu Surendranath Banerji and Mr.
\nN.N. Ghose under the same political counterpane. Time was when the cryptic
\nsneering self-<\/font>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage-253<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

worshipper of
\nMetropolitan College and the flamboyant, brazen-throated Tribune of the people
\nwere polls apart in their politics. The Tribune <\/i>ignored with a splendid
\nscorn the armchair prosings of the Cynic and the unsuccessful Cynic was always
\ndigging his fang of cultured envy into the successful Tribune. How all has
\nchanged! Adversity has come upon both; the floods of extremism are washing
\nover the political world; and the literary recluse who would fain pose as a
\npolitician holds out his arm of succour from the select. little Ararat to the
\ngreat man in difficulties. The mouse protecting the lion and Mr. N. N. Ghose
\nchampioning the great Surendranath against the attacks of Extremists form
\ncompanion pictures in freaks of natural history. Whatever else Babu Surendranath may be, he is a great man, an orator, a genius, a personality which
\nwill live in history. And for him to be protected by Mr. N. N. Ghose! Really,
\nreally! Of all the humiliations to have recently overtaken our famous Tribune,
\nthis is surely the worst.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n<\/span>
\n   <\/font>    <\/span>
\nIf Mr. N. N. Ghose reminds us of the mouse that saved the lion, he still more
\nforcibly recalls Satan reproving sin. We cull a few choice epithets from this
\ngentle and cultured critic in which he described the new party with his usual
\nsweet and courteous reasonableness. "The men who glorify themselves and
\nsingularly enough are glorified by others." "The new school has
\nscarcely anything to distinguish itself except scurrility and
\nfactiousness." "Its politics are of the do-nothing sort."
\n"It is moved by the dog-in-the-manger spirit." "It seeks to
\nthrust itself into notoriety by abusing prominent men." "In the new school
\npersonal malice often did duty for patriotism." It is amazing with what
\naccuracy the sentences characterise the political attitude of Mr. N. N. Ghose
\nthrough all the years that he has been trying in vain to get the country to take
\nhim seriously as a politician. Irresponsible,
\ncaptious criticism, abuse of everyone more successful than himself, a
\ndo-nothing, fault-finding, factious dog-in-the-manger spirit, self-glorification
\nas the one wise man in India, — this is the compound labelled Mr. N. N. Ghose. Surely, those whom he now turns round to rend may well
\ncry, "Physician, heal thyself."<\/font><\/p>\n

Page-254<\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nWe can well understand why he has transferred his attentions from Babu
\nSurendranath to the new party. Envy of others’ success is the Alpha and Omega of
\nMr. N. N. Ghose’s politics. When the new party was still struggling for
\nrecognition, he extended to it a sort of contemptuous patronage; now that it is
\nrecognised as a force he cannot contain his bitterness and venom.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n*<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n        Mr. Ghose is in raptures over Rai Srinath Pal Bahadur’s pompous and wordy
\naddress — the Rai Bahadur was not successful in commanding approval and respect
\nby the speech, so our only N. N. stands forth as his solitary admirer. Sj.
\nDeepnarain’s splendid address revealed a new personality in our midst, — a man
\nwith a brain and a heart, not a cold and shallow joiner of choice literary
\nsentences; it commanded the admiration of all Bengal without distinction of
\nparties. After that it was inevitable that Mr. N. N. Ghose should be unable to
\nfind in it anything but words. Again we see the ruling passion at work.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\n        But Mr. Ghose has another cause of quarrel with Srijut Deepnarain. Has he not
\ndared to talk of the recent birth of Indian Nationalism in Bengal? What can he
\nmean? Has not Mr. Ghose been editing the Indian Nation <\/i>for years past?
\nWhat then is this new Indian Nation of which Mr. N. N. Ghose knows nothing or
\nthis new nationalism which for the life of him Mr. N. N. Ghose cannot
\nunderstand? Quite right, O sapient critic! Before you can understand it you must
\nchange your nature and get what you never possessed — a heart <\/i>that can
\nfeel for the sufferings of your fellow countrymen and beat higher at the prospect of making great sacrifices and facing strong perils for their deliverance.<\/font><\/p>\n


\n
\n*<\/font><\/p>\n

\n       <\/font><\/p>\n

\n      <\/font>
\n
\nWe are really struck by the infinite capacity for not understanding which Mr.
\nGhose possesses. This is his idea of the new<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage-255<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

politics.
\n"They have nothing to do. As they mean to ignore the Government, they will
\nnot discuss its measures or care to suggest reforms. They are waiting for that
\npolitical millennium, Swaraj. When Swaraj comes, they will assume functions; in
\nthe meantime they must only preach and abuse. A comfortable programme of
\npatriotism." Hardly so comfortable as the armchair from which do-nothing
\ncritics criticise do-nothingness. Whether the new school is doing something or
\nnothing, is not for him to judge but for the future. He thinks that national
\nschools and colleges are nothing, that the boycott is worse than nothing, that
\nto awake a new heart and a new spirit in a great and fallen nation is nothing;
\nthat to restore the habit of self-dependence and self-defence is nothing. What
\nthen is something in the eyes of this great man of action? To do something is to
\ndiscuss Government measures and "suggest" reforms. We are overwhelmed!
\nWe can only apostrophise the editor of the Nation<\/i> as the Greek General apostrophised his victorious adversary, "O thou man of mighty activity!
\n"<\/font><\/p>\n

\nBande Mataram<\/i>, <\/i>April 12, 1907<\/span><\/p>\n


\n
\n<\/span>
\n
\nBy The Way<\/a><\/span><\/font><\/b><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>
\nAn old and venerable friend of our<\/i> old and venerable friend the Indian
\nMirror<\/i>, weeps bitter tears over Raja Subodh Mallik. Subodh Mallik is a
\nlarge-hearted and generous man, laments our friend’s friend; but he is doing
\nimmense harm to himself and his country. Is he not partly responsible for the
\npublication of that pernicious sheet, Bande Mataram<\/i>, which attacks old
\nand venerable gentlemen and old and venerable journals and refuses to regard
\npolitics as a school for society manners? Has he not given a lakh of rupees to
\nthe National Council — an institution for
\nwhich the Indian Mirror<\/i> cherishes a lively want of sympathy? We call on
\nthe young gentleman to repent of his sins, fall weeping on the capacious bosom
\nof the Indian Mirror<\/i> and devote the rest of his possessions to founding a
\nSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to obsolete papers and out-of-date
\npoliticians.
\n     We will admit that much that was said and done at Berham-<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage-256<\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\npur on both sides was petulant and wanting in dignity. But was it worse than
\nwhat happens in European Parliaments and political meetings when men are
\nheated by conflict and passions run high? We trow not. Let us try to be
\nperfectly courteous and superior to other nations by all means; but if we
\ncannot, there is no reason for disingenuous concealment and a mere Pharisaic pretence<\/i>
\nof superiority. The Japanese have an excellent habit of
\nkeeping anger out of their speech and reserving all their strength for acts;
\nthey will express their disapproval of you with great plainness, indeed, but
\nalso with wonderful calmness and politeness. The Samurai used to rip up his
\nenemy very mercilessly, but also very politely; he did it as a duty, not out of
\npassion. But of our emotional, sentimental race, so long. accustomed to find its
\noutlet in speech, nothing so heroic can be expected.<\/font>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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

 <\/p>\n


\n   
\nStill we think the young men of the New Party would do well to follow the
\nexample of the Japanese as far as possible. We should be absolutely unsparing in
\nour attack on whatever obstructs the growth of the nation, and never be afraid to call a spade a spade.
\nExcessive good nature, chakshu lajja (the desire to be always pleasant
\nand polite), will. never do in serious politics. Respect of persons must always
\ngive place to truth and conscience; and the demand that we should be silent
\nbecause of the age or past services of our opponents, is politically immoral and
\nunsound. Open attack, unsparing criticism, the severest satire, the most
\nwounding irony, are all methods perfectly justifiable and indispensable in
\npolitics. We have strong things to say; let us say them strongly; we have stern
\nthings to do; let us do them sternly. But there is always a danger of strength
\ndegenerating into violence and sternness into ferocity, and that should be
\navoided so far as it is humanly possible.
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n*<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n       
\n<\/span>
\nBabu Bhupendranath Bose got little by his attempt to frown
\ndown the Government of Bengal in their own den over the bu-<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\nPage-257<\/span><\/p>\n

\n


\nreaucratic temper of their replies to his interpolations. It is to be feared
\nthat the Government have little appreciation for the opposition-cum-cooperation
\ngospel which their loyal subject not only preaches but practises with such
\nfidelity and vigour. They like their water without salutary bitters. Babu Bhupendranath, however, insists on dealing with Sir Andrew Fraser like a
\nfather, and when he makes wry faces at the medicine, treats him to a painful and
\npublic spanking, — whereupon Sir Andrew
\nresponds with a backhander in Bhupen Babu’s fatherly face. The whole affair was
\nmost exquisitely ludicrous and futile, but Sir Andrew’s was a nasty and stinging
\nbackhander!<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n       
\n "The Hon’ble member himself has not infrequently, either on my invitation
\nor of his own motion, discussed with me privately the propriety or wisdom of
\ncertain courses of action which he has followed. I have frankly given him my
\nadvice. He has sometimes taken it and he has sometimes rejected it. I should
\nhave considered it a grave
\n<\/span> breach of confidence, if, in either case, he had
\npublished it and had attributed his line of action to me."<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n        So it appears that often when we have been hanging on the wise words of the
\npopular and democratic leader, the influential adviser of Surendranath, the
\nsecret dictator of the Moderate caucus, it was really the Lieutenant-Governor of
\nBengal to whom we listened and by whose counsel we were guided. The voice was
\nthe voice of Bhupen, but the thought was the thought of Andrew. These be thy
\ngods, O Israel!<\/font><\/p>\n

\nBande Mataram<\/i>, <\/i>April
\n13, 1907<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\nPage-258<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Situation in East Bengal                    WHILE commenting on the proceedings of the Berhampur Conference, we expressed our opinion that the leaders had…<\/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-404","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\/404","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=404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}