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On the Bengali and the Mahratta
The relation of the Bengalis to other races of India Bengali & Mahratta creation & concentration traditions. weight of intellectual basis. Rajput. Islam. Bihar. resulting unerringness of tendency as illustrated by vernacular literature, preparatory light for religious & social reconstruction. tendency towards science & industry— failure in education & physical training. In England or India? Necessity of provincial before national development Literary reconstruction. Academy, its duties. Religious reconstruction Social reconstruction Educational reconstruction Science & Industry Political Reconstruction— the masses Elements in Bengal, Prince, pleader & peasant Possible expansion of Bengal
In England or India? Prior necessity of Provincial Union… let the Bengalis & Mahrattas organize themselves & spread their influence over the rest of India. the genius of the Bengalis is at present original, creative, moving towards development & acquisition, the genius of the Mahrattas critical, conservative, standing in the concentration of what it has already developed & acquired. Mahratta activity has been the most brilliant passage in our
Jottings on a loose sheet of paper; date uncertain.
Page – 73 history since the fall of Prithvi Raj & we may well look back to it with pride & admiration but it is to be feared that it did not proceed upon a sufficiently intellectual basis. Had the movement of thought & intelligence expressed in the writings of Ramdas, Tukaram, Moropunt been allowed first to fulfil itself & the Mahratta development refrained from transferring itself too hastily into the sphere of political action, the result might have been more sure, more lasting. The Bengali is not weighted in the race by traditions inconsistent with present necessities. That we should all act together, is a fine thing, but the question still remains what will that action come to? When all the limbs are themselves too weak & incoherent to effect anything, it is cold comfort to be told that they are learning to cohere with one another. Let them cohere among themselves first.
In a struggle between a strong Govt… & an organized nation, when that struggle is put to the arbitration of armed force, all the chances are with the Gavt.., & in nine cases out of ten it is morally sure of victory, but where the struggle is decided by the clash of social & intellectual agencies & under conditions of law, the relations are exactly reversed, & indeed they are more than reversed.
The India of today may be presented under the image of the Greek biga [incomplete]
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