For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

London Indian Society and Mahatma Gandhi

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail- dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net;

dr.yogendragandhi@gmail.com

Mailing Address- C- 29, Swaraj Nagar, Panki, Kanpur- 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India

London Indian Society and Mahatma Gandhi

Within a short time of his arrival in England, the whole country has been resounding with the speeches of Prof. Gokhale. The London Indian Society gave a dinner in honour of Prof. Gokhale and Dadabhai, the Grand Old Man of India. We give below the gist of Prof. Gokhale’s speech delivered on the occasion, as it is very instructive and deserves careful study. The main point it emphasizes is the spread of education in India. We have already written on the subject in our English Section. We hold that, even in South Africa, we shall not be happy without education. Education is the most potent means to happiness in the modern age. Prof. Gokhale has given 20 years of his life to the Fergusson College for a mere pittance, and is even now serving the country, without trying to amass wealth for himself. Even the monthly income of Rs. 1,000 which he gets as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, he does not use for himself, but for the country. In the course of his speech, he said: Twenty years ago, when I left the University and began to take an interest in public questions, the National Congress was held for the first time and you (Mr. Bonnerji) were called upon to take the chair on that occasion. Since that time down to the present day you have been active in the service of the country; and even today, though unwell, you are attending this gathering. The country can never forget the great services rendered by you.

I have no wish to make any lengthy speech this evening. What can I say on the Indian question in the presence of two such veteran leaders of our cause as Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji and Mr. Bonnerji? But I cannot help saying a few words to emphasize the lesson we can learn from the speech of Mr. Dadabhai. He has spoken with that over-mastering force of conviction which comes from a life-long and strenuous exertion on behalf of his countrymen. He is the one man in India who is entitled to speak in the terms in which he has addressed us. We of the younger generation have no right to speak as he has spoken. You all know our present condition. I would say that it might deteriorate still further. We must rely mainly upon ourselves. If our aspirations are ever to be fulfilled, we must realize the solemn responsibility which such aspirations impose on us. It is no use merely analyzing the difficulties of the situation, and then sitting still with folded hands. It is for the younger generation to plunge into the struggle. We need not be afraid though dark clouds threaten us. It is really when times are dark that good men and true are tested. There can be but one issue to this struggle, if only we are true to ourselves. We have to take a lesson from the events happening in Japan and Russia.

I think the time has now come when a number of our young men should give up everything in life in order to serve their country. If all of us are absorbed in our own pursuits, and look after our own interest mostly, we have no right to find fault with others if the condition of the country does not improve. The prime necessity of the country today is education. By education I do not mean the mere rudiments of primary education, but knowledge of our rights, and along with them of our responsibilities and our duties. It is not enough that such education is spread among a handful of us; it has to be spread amongst the crores of our people. How is this to be done? We cannot expect this education to be given to the masses by our rulers. For that we have ourselves to be ready and devote time to it. The number of young men coming forward should steadily increase. We shall have truly honoured Dadabhai if we learn this lesson from his life. It is no use simply praising his numerous virtues his humility, his simplicity, his earnestness, his sacrifice, his selflessness and his tireless hope we should try to emulate them. It should be our aspiration to die for the sake of our country. If a sufficient number of young men come forward to dedicate their lives to the service of the country, no power on earth can keep us back. Only then will the dark clouds hovering over us be dispelled. Only then shall we succeed, India will march forward, our pettiness disappear, our glory shine throughout the world, and the destiny of which we are dreaming today be realized. 1

At a well-attended meeting of the London Indian Society, on the 3rd November, at 84 and 85, Palace Chambers, Westminster, the Hon’ble Dadabhai Naoroji in the chair, Mr. James Godfrey of Natal, who is at present keeping his terms for the Bar and has passed his final examination, gave a paper under the above title. Below is given a condensation of the paper: Since my arrival here, I have had ample opportunities of studying these people and I hope to show you that there are very many valuable lessons to be learnt from them. Let us examine and analyze them and see what qualities have made them what they are and what are the potent factors which are securing for them the universal triumph which seems to be growing larger and larger every day, and which must command the admiration of even their bitterest enemies. I was led to make this examination myself owing to what I felt were unsatisfactory replies given to me by a large number of our countrymen when leaving this land for home. Invariably I put them the question: “What has England taught you or what improvements have you in mind to suggest to your people when you return?” And to such questions I received the painful and saddening reply to the effect that they had been too much occupied with their immediate studies and occupations to devote any time to or concern themselves about the people or things surrounding them.

As to improvements at home, that is a question which affects local interests and, therefore, must necessarily need local consideration, etc. Now gentlemen, I put it to you that such replies are anything but satisfactory. Whether this is the frame of mind of the majority who go back, I will not take upon myself the responsibility of stating. I hope I shall be told I am mistaken. Be that as it may, the knowledge of the fact of even one of us returning home in this mood of utter indifference and doubt, I feel, amply justifies a reference to the subject in a paper of this kind. The Englishman abroad is one person and the Englishman at home is quite another. In the first case he proves himself to be a veritable tyrant and a despot, but in the second case, i.e., in England, few will say that he is not a desirable person. From this you will see, therefore, that we actually arrive in this country with more or less prejudiced views and ideas, and apparently some never seem to get beyond that stage, and can never see or appreciate any good in the Englishman. We never seem to realize that we have come all the way from home in order to benefit ourselves and secure that experience and status which it is somewhat difficult for us to secure in our own land. We come, not with the intention of merely qualifying in some particular profession, but of simultaneously gaining that wider experience of the world and its ways which can only be had by travelling in foreign countries. We defeat the very object of our visit to this country if we do not carry away with us some of the multifarious benefits derived by our sojourn here. We want, after our staying here, to go back with the very best that the place can give us... If we don’t, the loss is ours and we are not doing our duty to ourselves, much less to our country.

The success of the Japanese is admitted on all hands to have been due chiefly to their having, for the last 40 years or more, sent out students and specialists for the express purpose of eliciting the best information, learning the newest and latest inventions and carrying back the cream of Europe’s learning, advancement and ideas of progress, all for the benefit of their country. Mark you, they did not only carry this knowledge and ideas back, but they actually applied them with a result and success which have astonished the whole world. Let us try and reckon up some of their good points only and see if they are worth copying. The bad points we leave aside. Throughout their whole history, we find that they have displayed a remarkable spirit of love for freedom and independence. Did they not have to fight for this bit of land which they now proudly call England? Did they not have both internal and external foes and that through many centuries? The wonderful genius of the race seems to have conspired with the strengthening influence of the place itself in securing a sure, certain and steady progress onward. The great American writer, R. W. Emerson, says: ‘These Saxons are the hands of mankind. They have the taste for toil, distaste for pleasure or repose and the telescopic appreciation of distant gain.

They are the wealth-makers and by dint of mental faculty which has its own conditions and terms. The Saxon works after liking or only for himself and to set him at work and begin to draw his monstrous values out of barren Britain, all dishonor, fret and barrier must be removed and then his energies begin to play.’ We see then that the whole mind of the race, so to say, has been expanding proportionately. They have persevered in it and kept up an even game. The English game appears to be one of main force to main force, the planting of foot to foot, fair play and open field, a rough tug without trick or dodging. One cannot entertain any reasonable doubt of their ability and energy. Just realize for one moment the nature of the lightly artificial construction of the whole fabric here. The very climate and geography are in themselves matters which are contrary to such conditions as would enhance a natural existence. Bacon says: ‘Rome was a state not subject to paradoxes, but England subsists by antagonisms and contradictions and is a perfect museum of anomalies.’ Is it not true, though it has been humorously said, that ‘no fruits ripen in England but a baked apple’, and, again, is it not equally true that no indigenous animal worth the mention has ever before flourished in this country in comparison with other countries? Yet in spite of these natural difficulties they have, owing to their dogged perseverance, tact, zeal and energy, driven all before them and are now at the top of the tree. There seems to be some secret power which permeates the whole nation and makes for progress. They have pride and affection for their race.

Do we not hear everyone of them boasting and priding him on the fact of his being an Englishman? Does he not flout it to your face at every turn that because he is an Englishman therefore he rules? They have solidarity or responsibility and trust in each other. It has been said of the Englishmen that ‘they embrace their cause with more tenacity than their lives’. The paper was very well received. Messrs B. J. Wadia, M.A., Parameshwar Lall, M.A., J. Gowrieshanker, M.A., Nathuram, Dwarka Das and several other gentlemen who took part in the discussion congratulated the lecturer on his broad-mindedness and the ability with which he had written his paper. Some of the speakers thought that Mr. Godfrey had over-drawn-the picture in favour of the Englishman, but Mr. Godfrey in his reply, whilst thanking the members for their sympathetic reception, said that he had purposely left out the other side of the Englishman’s character, but he wanted to place before the members of the Society what he considered was best in his character and what was worthy of imitation. A vote of thanks to the lecturer and to the Chair brought the proceedings to a close. 2

Mr. M. Shakir Ali, Secretary of the London Indian Society, writes: The London Indian Society compliments you on what you and your co-workers have achieved in the Transvaal. The people of India will never forget the invaluable work that you have been doing for your fellow-countrymen or the Satyagraha movement that you have conducted against the law in the Transvaal. The commendable courage shown by you and your co-workers, the manner in which you have faced hardships and the excellent example that you set by yourself going to jail are all exceedingly admirable. You have proved that you were fighting for truth and convinced the Imperial Government that, whenever the honour of Indians is at stake, they will fight as one man, however weak and helpless they may otherwise be. Please convey these sentiments of the Society to your fellow-sufferers. 3

After the struggle was closed, it was my intention to send to England someone from among a band of young Indians who had proved themselves capable warriors. A friend had offered the needful funds. The choice, for a variety of reasons, fell upon Mr. Sorabji. It was a question, whether having abandoned the life of a student for over eight years; he could take to it again. He was, however, determined. His ambition was to become a barrister and fit himself for fuller service. To England he went. He had come in close touch with Mr. Gokhale when he was in South Africa. He came in closer touch in London. And I knew that Mr. Gokhale had the highest opinion of Mr. Sorabji worth. He had invited him to become a member of his Society. The deceased took an active part in all the leading movements among Indians in London. He was for some time Secretary of the London Indian Society. He was the first to join the Indian Ambulance Corps that was formed in London at the inauguration of the war and served at Netley, nursing the sick and the wounded. After being called to the Bar, he proceeded to South Africa, where he intended to practise the profession and return to India after he had given a number of years to South Africa and found a substitute. But alas! Fate has willed it otherwise and a career full of promise had to come to an abrupt end. The deceased was only 35 when he died. 4

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