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Bande Mataram { CALCUTTA, July 18th, 1907 }
Angelic Murmurs
There could hardly be a more moving instance of self-denying benevolence than the occasional anxiety of Anglo-Indian journals to point out the defects of Congress methods and teach us how to make our propaganda a success. The success of the Congress movement would mean the loss of all political and commercial preponderance to these grave mentors, but that is nothing to them. They will be benevolent. Buddha and Christ were not in it with these saintly Britishers. The Pioneer is the most persistent of these paper angels. It has recently been discoursing on Indian members of Parliament and Friends of India in Parliament. The enthusiastic anticipations of a millennium which the election of Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji to Parliament excited in the Congress bosom have yielded to sad disillusionment, and the Pioneer regrets it, for the presence of Indian members in the House would do no harm to the bureaucracy and it might help to prolong Indian delusions. Apparently it was all Mr. Naoroji’s fault that no more Indian members are elected. He would keep harping on Indian grievances, a thing no British constituency could be expected to stand. The Pioneer then points out that the Congress has been particularly unfortunate in attracting eccentrics and faddists to its side, while it has repelled great and rising statesmen like Mr. Rees. Omitting the Pioneer‘s little joke about Mr. Rees who would be more in place in a broad farce or musical comedy at the Gaiety than in the House, there is truth in the Pioneer‘s remarks. The Friends of India are men without weight or influence in English political life; for no man of importance would risk his career by going against the prominent British interests which would be offended by a support of
Page – 599 India’s claims to self-government. Finally our benevolent mentor warns us against any alliance with the Irish Nationalists, for that would bring the hostility of Britain upon us. Henceforth, therefore, the Congress has no excuse for not succeeding in its campaign in England. It has only to avoid bringing up Indian grievances in the House, to enlist the co-operation of those who are thorough-going champions of bureaucratic absolutism and to shun the assistance of the only party which has some community of interest with India, and we shall romp in winners next morning. The Angel of the Pioneer office has spoken.
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