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diff --git a/41897-8.txt b/41897-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 811072a..0000000 --- a/41897-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2650 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Chitta Ranjan, by Sukumar Ranjan Das - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Chitta Ranjan - -Author: Sukumar Ranjan Das - -Release Date: January 22, 2013 [EBook #41897] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHITTA RANJAN *** - - - - -Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, sp1nd, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - CHITTA RANJAN - - - Sukumar Ranjan Das - - - - - - _Price--12 annas._ - - Printed by the METCALFE PRESS 72, Boloram Ds St., Calcutta. - - * * * * * - - - - -Dedication - - -To The Sacred Memory of - -Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, - -The Prophet of Nationalism - in India, - -This Life of a Noble son of - Mother India - -is - -humbly dedicated - - - -CALCUTTA, } -_December, 1921_. } SUKUMAR RANJAN DAS. - - * * * * * - - - - -CONTENTS - - - - Page -CHAPTER I. -Family connections and early life, 1 - -CHAPTER II. -Choice of profession and career as a lawyer, 9 - -CHAPTER III. -Chitta Ranjan's contributions to Bengali Literature, 16 - -CHAPTER IV. -Chitta Ranjan in his private life, 19 - -CHAPTER V. -Chitta Ranjan as a symbol of Neo-Hinduism, 26 - -CHAPTER VI. -Chitta Ranjan's patriotism, 30 - -CHAPTER VII. -Chitta Ranjan as a politician, 46 - -CHAPTER VIII. -Chitta Ranjan's part in the Non-co-operation, 55 - - * * * * * - - - - -CHITTA RANJAN - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -Family Connections and Early Life. - - -Encircled by the rivers Padma and Meghna lies the famous land of -Bikrampur, once the pride of Eastern Bengal and the cynasure of the -whole of Hindusthan. In its days of prosperity it not only supplied -many fashionable articles of fine taste to the people of the East but -also attracted scholars from all parts of India as it was then one of -the greatest centres of culture of the Hindus. Round the land of -Bikrampur sailed down the river Padma many a vessel loaded with -merchandise when in its palmy days it carried on trade with Ceylon, -Sumatra and Arabia. - - * * * * * - -In this land of learning and culture was born the great Brahmin prince -Silavadra who was the teacher of the Chinese traveller Hiant-Chuang. -It is this Bikrampur which can claim to be the birth-place of Dipankar -Srignan, the great teacher of atheism. Here was also born Biravadra, -the highest prelate of the famous Buddhist Temple at Nalanda. Lastly -towards the beginning and end of the nineteenth century many a noble -son of Bikrampur played a great part in the religious reform of the -Brahmo Samaj and in the national awakening of the Swadeshi days. - -In this land of Bikrampur there is a small village called Telirbag -which is the ancestral home of Srijut Chitta Ranjan Das. He comes of -a respectable Vaidya-family of Eastern Bengal. His great-grand-father -Babu Ratan Krishna Das was highly respected for his charity and -benevolence. Chitta Ranjan's grand-father, Babu Jagadbandhu Das was -the eldest son of Ratan Krishna. Jagadbandhu was the senior Government -pleader of Rajshahi and had an extensive practice. He earned a good -deal but spent even the last farthing in allaying the distress of his -poor relations and neighbours. His charity was proverbial in -Bikrampur. He maintained a guest-house in his village and was very -keen about its proper management. There runs a very interesting story -of his unique zeal about this guest-house. One day it occurred to him -that he should see if his servants of the guest-house performed their -duties regularly. He at once set out in a boat and reached his native -village just at midnight. He then sent a man to the manager of the -guest-house to enquire if there would be board and lodging for a -fatigued stranger. The servants in charge of the house were much -annoyed as they were just then going to sleep after their usual hard -work and did not care to entertain a guest at such a late hour. At -this Jagadbandhu's anger knew no bounds, he came there immediately and -severely scolded his servants warning them for the future. Jagadbandhu -was also very kind-hearted. There are many instances of his goodness -of which we shall here relate only one. In his old age one day -Jagadbandhu was going to a distant village in a palanquin; on the way -he noticed an old worn-out Brahmin trudging along the road barefooted. -Jagadbandhu was much moved, he got down and asked the Brahmin to take -his seat in the palanquin. Thereupon he himself walked the whole -distance covering over three miles. Besides, Jagadbandhu was a poet -and a patron of learning. His verses on some of the sacramental rites -are still read with admiration in every Hindu house of Eastern -Bengal; their pathos and sentiment are no less admired by all lovers -of poetry. These noble qualities of the grand-father--his hospitality, -benevolence and poetic endowment came down to Chitta Ranjan as a -natural heritage. - -[Illustration] - -Chitta Ranjan's father Babu Bhuban Mohan Das, was a well-known -Attorney of the Calcutta High Court. For a great part of his life he -was connected with Bengali journalism. As editor, first, of the Brahmo -Public Opinion and subsequently of the Bengal Public opinion, he made -a very high position for himself among Bengalee journalists. His style -was simple and lucid, and his manner of exposition was so forcible -that it was rare even in more successful periodicals of those days. -His courage and truthfulness were exemplary. Once in his capacity as -editor of the Bengal Public Opinion he severely criticised in his -paper a judgment delivered by one of the Judges of the Calcutta High -Court. As luck would have it, shortly after this, Bhuban Mohan had to -file an appeal before the same Judge on behalf of an accused on whom -the sentence of death was passed by the Sessions Court. The Honourable -Judge showed signs of indifference for the appeal. Bhuban Mohan with -his high sense of duty had the courage to remind the Judge that even -if His Lordship had any personal feeling against him, he still hoped -to get adequate justice for a poor accused whose life was trembling in -the balance. These spirited words had the desired effect. The Judge -was highly pleased and acquitted the accused after an impartial review -of the case. - -Bhuban Mohan was a sincere patriot and had always the welfare of his -country at heart. Like many English-educated Bengalees of his -generation, he threw himself heart and soul into the Brahmo Samaj -movement. - -Bhuban Mohan's Brahmo faith was but the development of the -monotheistic element in Hinduism. His Brahmoism was but a spiritual -form of the religion taught by the Hindu Sastras. He did not believe -in Idolatry it is true, but he was no less a Hindu than the followers -of the Sastras. He showed in word and act, that his Theism was not an -exotic, planted and watered by the licentiousness of European -influences, but a plant of native growth rescued out by the men of his -school from the thorns and thistles of popular Hinduism that choked -it. - -His personal life and more particularly in his dealings with his Hindu -relatives, he belonged to the old Hindu type. His sincerity, -generosity and modesty were things very rare in this selfish world. As -an attorney he earned a good deal, but spent whatever he earned for -the support of his poorer relatives. Indeed he spent upon them more -than his finance allowed and consequently got involved in heavy -liabilities. He was not a slave to fashion nor did he spend his -earnings recklessly. Yet he was forced, during the closing years of -his professional life, to take refuge in the Insolvency Court. This -was mostly due to the treacherous way of the world. There are some -people amongst us who find delight in deceiving others in any way -possible. Bhuban Mohan was not in want of such lip-deep friends who -were good enough to relieve him of much of his earnings as a return -for the many benefits they derived from Bhuban Mohan. His elder -brother Babu Durga Mohan Das who was one of the leading Vakils of the -Calcutta High Court, spent his all to free him from heavy debts. But -as fate would have it, he had to get himself declared as an Insolvent. -This turn of fortune weighed heavily on Bhuban Mohan's mind and caused -the break down of his health. - -Bhuban Mohan's eldest brother, Babu Kali Mohan Das, was noted for his -courage and uprightness. In his most brilliant career at the Bar which -was unfortunately cut short by death, we get an unique account of his -spirited championship for truth and justice. We shall here give only -one instance from among many. Once in a civil suit before Justice -Louis Jackson who was known to be a man of an irritable temper Kali -Mohan was arguing some law-points which the learned Judge failed to be -convinced of. Kali Mohan was annoyed and remarked that he was -surprised to see that His Lordship could not understand in two hours -what any of his first year law-students would in half an hour. His -Lordship was highly offended and said in a fury that he would refer -Kali Mohan's conduct to the Chief Justice and if his argument was -considered to be wrong, his Lordship would disbar Kali Mohan. His many -friends at the bar advised him to make an apology but Kali Mohan was -firm and if it was his fate to be disbarred he would rather earn his -livelihood by serving as a school-master than submit to the ignominy -of an apology. Sir Charles Barnes Peacock, the then Chief Justice of -the Calcutta High Court, gave his verdict in favour of Kali Mohan when -the case was referred to him and Kali Mohan came out honourably -acquitted. The noble example of Bhuban Mohan's liberality, Durga -Mohan's self-less philanthropy and Kali Mohan's uprightness went a -great way towards shaping the future character of Chitta Ranjan. - -Chitta Ranjan was born at Calcutta on the 5th of November 1870. -Shortly afterwards Bhuban Mohan came to stay at Bhowanipur and Chitta -Ranjan was admitted into the London Missionary Society School whence -he passed the Entrance Examination in 1886. He was subsequently -educated in the Presidency College and took his degree in 1890. He was -much disappointed with the result as he narrowly missed Honours in the -B. A. Examination. However he sailed for England to qualify himself -for the Indian Civil Service. From his boyhood he was rather -deficient in Mathematics and therefore with all his proficiency in -literature he could not secure high position in the University -examinations. But Chitta Ranjan gave considerable promise of -exceptional literary and oratorical gifts even when he was a student -in the Presidency College. The habit of making speeches grew upon him -even in his boyhood when he would gather his friends and playmates in -his house and begin to deliver a speech imitating the voice and -posture of an orator to the great amusement of his people. Professors -and fellow-students at college all hoped that he would one day turn -out as one of the most powerful speakers of India. This hope has amply -been justified. - -Chitta Ranjan went to England and began to prepare for the Indian -Civil Service. At that time the late Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji was trying -to get himself elected a member of Parliament from Finsbury so that he -might personally state Indian grievances before the British -Parliament. Chitta Ranjan had then just appeared in the Civil Service -Examination, but the result was not yet out. He came to Dadabhai's -assistance and made some political speeches in connection with the -Electioneering Campaign. Some of the speeches were very favourably -noticed by the English and the Indian press. - -While in England, deeply versed in the literature of western -countries, Chitta Ranjan grew a thorough-bred Englishman in dress and -manners. But not-with-standing all this he was a true Indian at heart. -A single instance from Chitta Ranjan's life in England would justify -this remark. In 1892 when Chitta Ranjan was still in England one Mr. -James Maclean, a member of Parliament, while delivering a lecture, -passingly remarked that Indian Mahammadans were slaves and the Hindus -were indentured slaves. This offensive remark wounded the feelings of -young Chitta Ranjan. He at once set about in convening a meeting of -all the Indians in England. The Indians assembled in Exeter Hall where -Chitta Ranjan made a powerful speech protesting against the conduct of -Mr. Maclean. The city of London was in a state of excitement over this -matter and the leading journals of London in commenting on the speech -of Chitta Ranjan gave a prominent place to the subject of the meeting. -The Liberals in London convened a huge meeting at Oldham under the -Presidentship of Gladstone where Chitta Ranjan was invited to make a -speech on Indian affairs. In a speech on "Indian Agitation" he gave a -powerful display of his oratorical gifts and love of mother-land. In -that huge assembly he stood erect and boldly said:-- - -"Gentlemen, I was sorry to find it given expression to in -Parliamentary speeches on more than one occasion that England -conquered India by the sword and by the sword must she keep it! -(shame) England, Gentlemen! did no such thing, it was not her swords -and bayonet that won for her this vast and glorious empire; it was not -her military valour that achieved this triumph; it was in the main a -moral victory or a moral triumph. (cheers) England might well be proud -of it. But to attribute all this to the sword and then to argue that -the policy of sword is the only policy that ought to be pursued in -India is to my mind absolutely base and quite unworthy of an -Englishman." (Hear, hear) - -In the same speech he also remarked:-- - -"We now find the base Anglo-Indian policy of tyranny; the policy of -irritation and more irritation, of repression and more repression; the -policy which has been beautifully described by one of its advocates as -the policy of pure and unmitigated force." - -The result of this agitation was that Mr. James Maclean had to submit -an apology and was forced to resign his seat in Parliament. - -But all this opened the eyes of the Bureaucratic Government by whom -Chitta Ranjan was not considered fit for the Civil Service and though -he came out successful in the open competitive examination, his name -was chucked off from the list of probationers. Even now in many a -table talk he speaks of this event and says with a smile--"I came out -first in the unsuccessful list." Chitta Ranjan's near relations were -mortified at his failure, for at that time his father was involved in -heavy liabilities and was passing his days in mental agony. During -Chitta Ranjan's stay in England the whole family were put in such -pecuniary embarrassments that for want of proper allowance from home -he had to live upon hot water and a piece of bread for a couple of -days together. For this reason his well-wishers thought that it would -have been a great help to his family if he could secure a lucrative -post under Government, on the other hand it required patient waiting -even for a brilliant scholar to make a name at the bar. However Chitta -Ranjan joined the Inner Temple and was called to the Bar in the early -nineties. - -It was no doubt a great gain for the country that Chitta Ranjan could -not get into the "Heaven-Born service". For once a Civilian, he would -have exerted all his powers to reach the highest rung of the ladder -and could have found no opportunity of ever mixing with his countrymen -and of working for their welfare. Happily, Providence wished it, and -mother India was not deprived of the services of a patriotic son who -would in future lay his all at her feet. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -Choice of profession and career as a lawyer. - - -In the year 1893 Chitta Ranjan came back to India and joined the -Calcutta Bar. The profession of law was not to his taste, for his -literary talents dictated him to take up the role of a teacher. But -the consideration of the heavy liabilities of his father left him no -other alternative. He thought that in the legal profession alone was -there any chance of clearing off his paternal debts. To choose a -profession is always a perplexing business and it was doubly so in the -case of Chitta Ranjan. It is especially perplexing if to choose a -profession means to discover one's own capability and to do the work -one is fitted to undertake in life. "How unfold one's little bit of -talent; and live, and not lie sleeping while it is called To-day." -That is the great problem. But it occurs only to those who are -troubled with a sense of duty and not to those whose ambition is to -"get on". It was therefore no small embarrassment for Chitta Ranjan to -choose the legal profession. - -Within a short time of his joining the Calcutta Bar, Chitta Ranjan -took upon himself the responsibility of all his father's debts; but as -a newly enrolled Barrister, he earned very little and therefore could -not hope to clear the heavy debts of his father immediately. This -forced him at the very commencement of his professional career to join -his father in seeking the protection of the Insolvency court. It was -not because he wished to get rid of the liabilities but in the absence -of any other alternative he declared himself as an Insolvent which act -weighed heavily on his mind and was the source of much uneasiness. -However it was not only a filial duty, but a point of honour with -Chitta Ranjan to share the indignity with his father. This was the -first instance of Chitta Ranjan's honesty and uprightness during his -professional career. - -The first stage of a professional career is very tormenting. There -lies all around only palpable darkness where occasionally beams forth -the flickering light of hope. At that time the whole future life -appears to be a desert where the faint ray of hope glimmers like a -mirage. But it is almost unconceivable how tormenting must have been -the state of mind when over and above this uncertainty there was the -uneasiness arising from heavy liabilities and consequent loss of -social prestige. But one thing haunted his mind day and night and -caused him the greatest pain. By his insolvency he was very seriously -handicapped not only in his professional but also in his public life. -But for it, Chitta Ranjan would have long ago thrown himself into all -political and patriotic movements of his country and won the position -of leadership which has now fallen upon him and to which he was -entitled by his capacity, patriotism and uncommon talents. - -Though his exceptional abilities were universally recognised, from the -very beginning of his career, as a member of the High Court Bar, he -could not secure adequate scope for them for a good many years; -pecuniary struggles forced him to abandon the chances of a successful -practice in the High Court for the mofussil practice which is more -profitable to a junior Barrister. Indeed at that time he was put into -such pecuniary difficulties that he could not even meet his house-hold -expenses with all his exertions and on many an occasion he had to walk -the whole way to the court for want of tramfare. But his was a spirit -which the frowns of adversity could not daunt. By dint of energy and -perseverance he pushed on and on till at last he became one of the -most prominent and honoured members of the Bar. True genius does not -long remain concealed, it waits for an opportune moment to reveal -itself. Chitta Ranjan's genius as a lawyer waited for such an -opportunity and in no time manifested itself before the admiring gaze -or the public. - -The years 1907 and 1908 are ever memorable in the history of Bengal. -The current of a new spirit had flowed in, inundating every nook and -corner of the province. The soul of the nation became awake. A divine -touch had just broken the eternal sleep of the nation. Lashed into -action by the high-handed measures of Lord Curzon, the lethargy of the -people died away, they tried for the first time to stand upon their -own legs and boldly face the world without fear of death. In an evil -moment Lord Curzon sanctioned the partition of Bengal against the -united voice of the people. This led to the manifestation of a new -spirit in Bengal. A heavy out-burst of Anti-European feeling followed; -a strong hatred against every form of Europeanism, a revengeful -attitude to their commerce and industry, a growing apathy to -everything associated with them, led to the repudiation or abandoning -immediate Anglicised past, and a new spirit entered into politics and -created a mighty and dynamic yearning towards a truly national future. -This had for its realisation at its basis Swaraj, National Education -and Boycott. - -Persecutions were inaugurated by the Bureaucratic Government. On the -third of May 1908 in the still hours of night Srijut Aravinda Ghosh, -the leader of the national movement of Bengal, along with other -brilliant young men were arrested on a charge of being implicated in a -conspiracy against the established government. Evidence of all sorts -was piled up by the prosecuting counsel. At this critical moment -Providence sent Chitta Ranjan to take up the case in defence of -Aravinda and other accused. The prosecution dragged on for more than -a year. For this long period Chitta Ranjan conducted the defence case -at a great personal sacrifice. This celebrated conspiracy case pushed -Chitta Ranjan into the fore front of the Calcutta Bar. For more than -six months he was engaged in this case, and even for his house-hold -expenses during these months, he had to incur a large debt. The -acquittal of Aravinda at once raised the reputation of Chitta Ranjan -in the eyes of his countrymen. After this he took up the defence of -the famous Dacca Conspiracy case without charging any fees at a great -personal loss and also volunteered to defend the boycott cases of -Bengal earning thereby the lasting gratitude of the whole nation. -Providence also rewarded him amply for his good work and from the very -day that he came back to take up the broken threads of his High Court -practice, he found himself on the high road to both fame and wealth. - -We have already said that under peculiar circumstances Chitta Ranjan -was forced to take shelter in the Insolvency Court. But it was never -his intention to deceive his creditors and no one could with propriety -ascribe this motive to Chitta Ranjan who spent his earnings right and -left for allaying the distress of the needy and the poor. Consequently -as soon as he found his position in the legal profession secure, -Chitta Ranjan's first thought was to remove the stain of insolvency -from his father's name and his own and he started to pay off every pie -of those old debts. "This is the first time", said Mr. Justice -Fletcher, "that a discharged insolvent publicly accepted his old -liabilities and applied for a formal discharge of his insolvency." -This unusual act of strict uprightness raised Chitta Ranjan Das to the -position of a great moral hero. - -During his professional career Chitta Ranjan conducted many cases. -Since the release of Aravinda he was engaged in almost all the -note-worthy cases of the High Court and of the mofussil on one side -or the other, his daily fees exceeding a thousand rupees. His -reputation as a profound lawyer spread even outside Bengal. In the -long-drawn Dumraon Raj case he has all along been engaged on the side -of the Dumraon Raj. When Mr. Vaidya, the then secretary of the Home -Rule League in the Central Provinces was sentenced to eighteen months' -rigorous imprisonment, Chitta Ranjan went to Nagpur to defend him. Mr. -Vaidya was acquitted and Chitta Ranjan became very popular in the -Central Provinces. On the acquittal of Mr. Vaidya, Chitta Ranjan -addressed many meetings on Swaraj and although he earned nothing in -the case, he gave a large donation to the local Home Rule League. The -citizens of Nagpur as a mark of deep gratitude and respect presented -to him an address in a silver casket. After a few months of this case -Chitta Ranjan went to Rangoon to defend Dr. Mehta and his co-workers -in the national cause who were convicted under the Defence of India -Act. Mr. Das addressed the court on the illegality of the Act itself -securing thereby the release of Dr. Mehta and others. Shortly after -this he was engaged by the Kutubdia Internees at Chittagong. Those -young men were kept in a house infested with serpents and they were -compelled to fly away for fear of death. But this was a grave offence -in the eyes of the Government. - -In all these cases Chitta Ranjan charged no fees, but conducted them -with the utmost zeal. Whenever he was engaged in a case he made it a -point to bring all his intelligence and capacity to bear on it. It was -not rare in his life that he meditated on a case for hours together -before coming to any conclusion. He would then be so deeply immersed -in contemplation that he lost all external consciousness like a _Yogi_ -wrapt in meditation upon something serene and divine. - -He had often returned briefs of cases to which he thought he would not -be able to give proper attention. Legally he was not bound to return -the fees but moral scruples dictated him this course. For such acts of -honesty he was much respected by the litigants. Often he had taken up -the cases of the poor without charging them any fees and thereby -earned the lasting gratitude of his countrymen. It was for his honesty -and integrity apart from his legal acumen that the Government of India -selected Chitta Ranjan from among the leading counsels of India to -conduct the Munition Board case even when they knew him to be the -leader of the extremist party in Bengal. At first Chitta Ranjan -hesitated to represent the Crown and told the Government that unless -he was allowed to follow the dictates of his conscience to the best -interests of his country he would not accept the brief. When the -Government agreed in all these conditions he gave his consent to the -contract. The accused party knew that Chitta Ranjan had not yet -received brief for the Crown, they came to his house, placed before -him a cheque of several lacs and entreated him again and again to come -to their defence. But Chitta Ranjan, true to his words, said with a -smile, "Gentlemen, I am sorry I cannot comply with your request, when -I have once given the Government my words of consent, I am morally -bound to take up their case." The greedy merchants were taken aback at -such indifference to money and faithfulness to his promise; they could -not but admire this act of Chitta Ranjan, though they had to go away -disappointed. - -Throughout his professional career he showed courage and independence. -We shall here cite an instance of his uprightness. In a case at -Noakhali one Mr. Cargil, the local magistrate, was an witness for the -Crown. He was given a special seat in the Court. Chitta Ranjan was on -the defence-side, his searching cross examinations annoyed Mr. Cargil -who in an insulting tone called him "Babu." Chitta Ranjan would not -tolerate this. He said with a retort "Mr. Cargil, you know that out -of courtesy I have allowed you a special seat instead of making you -stand in the witness box. I hope you will not fail to return the same -courtesy to others." Chitta Ranjan was not made of such stuff as to -bear any insult. Whenever there was any injustice done in a court, he -would protest against it fearlessly and if it was not rectified he -would leave the court unhesitatingly. It was for this reason that -Chitta Ranjan left the court in the Dacca Conspiracy case when in -spite of his protests the court was not just to his cause. - -As a lawyer Chitta Ranjan earned a good deal. For the last three years -his income was about fifty thousand rupees a month. Many are of -opinion that no lawyer of India had ever earned so much. More over -there is no doubt that his income would have been much enhanced if he -could exclusively engage all his time in the legal profession. He took -up the political cases almost without any fees and also served on the -Punjab Enquiry Committee for more than four months at a great personal -sacrifice. This unrivalled practice he has given up unhesitatingly at -the call of his mother country. - -Such was the career of Chitta Ranjan at the Bar for about a quarter of -a century, rich in details, famous for acuteness and noble in -uprightness. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -Chitta Ranjan's Contributions to Bengali Literature. - - -Long before Chitta Ranjan was able to take an active part in politics -his genius was revealing itself in literature. In 1895 he published a -volume of lyrics, "Malancha", which introduced a new element of -freedom and realism into the modern literature of Bengal. Some poems -of Malancha support atheism and this made Chitta Ranjan very unpopular -in the Brahmo Samaj. Many Brahmos headed by the late Pandit Shivanath -Sastri did not even attend the marriage ceremony of Chitta Ranjan -which took place in 1897 shortly after the publication of "Malancha". -After this he published four more volumes of Lyrics__Mala, Antaryami, -Kishore-Kishori and Sagar Sangit. The first three volumes contain -poems inspired by the Vaishnava cult which is the special heritage of -Bengal. Chitta Ranjan's lyrical talent is sufficiently prominent in -these four volumes, some of the poems are in matter and form gems of -perfect beauty, the charm is much enhanced by the pathos with which -the poet describes his yearning for God whom he seeks with the -enthusiasm of a lover. - -But most popular of Chitta Ranjan's lyrical volumes is his Sagar -Sangit (or songs of the sea). In this work the poet has woven in -lyrics the high sentiments which stole into his heart as they came -dancing on the waves of the sea. Here he has touched a new chord of -his musical lyre which sang out emotionally:-- - - Straining my ear - I listen to thy chanting - O sea, in the midst of this - Light--encircled dawn! - What words, what tune! - My heart is full even to over-flowing! - Yet do I not understand - What is it that sounds - Amidst this morning - So resonant with this music. - -Enchanted by the sublime beauty playing upon the waves the poet -addresses the sea and sings:-- - - What hast thou made me to-day? - My mind is like a harp of hundred strings! - With the touch of thy finger it trembles and quivers - It bursts out in music in pride and in glory! - -The closing song of Sagar Sangit is indeed very charming, full of -pathos and wrapt in high sentiment it leaves behind a serene harmony-- - - Full of dumb weeping with no tears to ease - To-day my heart is mad for thee, O soul; - I have sought thee within thy million waves - And wherever the sound of thy song resounds - In the wonderous light and shades which to thee belong, - I have sought thee every night and every day! - O my friend Eternal; unknown to me my friend! - O pilot of my soul! - Take me away to-day, O take me thither - Where thou art shoreless indeed! - -In order to spread the Vaishnava culture and to give a healthy tone to -modern Bengali literature, Chitta Ranjan started a new Bengali monthly -the Narayana which secured for its contributors some of the highest -litterateurs of Bengal. In recognition of his literary services the -Literary Conference of Bengal which had its annual session at -Bankipore in 1915 elected him to be the President of the Literary -section where he read a paper on the lyrics of Bengal. Next year he -was elected the chairman of the Reception committee of the Literary -Conference in its annual session at Dacca. In the Narayana he wrote -many articles on the nature of Bengali poetry which show his intimate -acquaintance with the Vaishnava literature. It is necessary to mention -here that Chitta Ranjan's whole life is influenced by the ennobling -ideal of the Vaishnava poets; even his patriotism and love of country -are to a great extent modelled on that ideal. To understand Chitta -Ranjan one must know his poetry and to understand his poetry one must -be acquainted with the Vaishnava Culture of Bengal. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -Chitta Ranjan in his private life. - - -The unfolding of a man's character depends to a great extent on the -atmosphere created by his family. Brought up by an ideal mother Chitta -Ranjan came to regard his country as the other self of his mother. The -sweet remembrance of his dear mother brings tears to his eyes and -gives him strength to suffer for his country. His mother was a noble -lady whose sense of duty was exceptional, whose piety exemplary and -fortitude unique. During the evil days of her husband when she could -not even meet her house-hold expenses and had no servants to wait on -her, she did every house-hold work with her own hands and prepared the -meals of her husband and children and other members of the house, -while she herself had to fast now and then for want of food; but all -this time a sweet smile played on her lips. Of her generosity and -liberality we shall here cite an instance. In her house at that time -there lived a poor relation of her husband. This man was a habituated -drunkard. Almost every day whenever he lost his sobriety he used -abusive language to Chitta Ranjan's mother. Bhuban Babu was much -annoyed and wanted to turn him out of the house, but his wife -prevented him by saying that the poor man would then die of starvation -and as for herself she did never mind the man's conduct. She was an -incarnation as it were of sincerity and generosity, to her could -justly be applied the maxim of "weeping with them that weep." In fact -the knowledge of other men's distress drew a flood of tears to her -eyes. She was a fountain of affection which was not reserved only for -her children. One of her husband's friends lost his wife on -child-birth. Chitta Ranjan's mother took charge of the newly-born baby -but unfortunately it did not live long. A few months before her death -at Purulia a poor maid servant of her house fell seriously ill and was -dying for want of diet, she arranged everything for the proper -treatment of the servant and saved the life of the poor woman. She was -always at the bed-side of the poor, was ready to give a helping hand -to the needy and tried her utmost to allay the distress of the -afflicted. No beggar went away disappointed from her door. She never -desired for luxury. She gladly parted with all her ornaments to repay -her husband's debts. - -But in the midst of all these softer feelings she had a very strong -element in her composition. She was very sensitive. She would not -tolerate any injustice done to her. She was equally noted for her -liberality and uprightness. Chitta Ranjan's character was moulded to a -great extent on her mother's ideal. He was much devoted to his mother -who also loved him very dearly. But unfortunately she could not see -her dearest son at the time of her death. She laid on her breast -Chitta Ranjan's famous work "Sagar-Sangit" and privately told her -husband before she breathed her last that if she was to be born a -woman again she would like to have such a son. Just at the time of his -mother's expiry when Chitta Ranjan was coming from Bombay, he saw in a -dream in the train his mother appearing before him. Was it a -presentiment? - -About six months after the death of his mother Chitta Ranjan lost his -father. He performed the Sradh ceremony with great eclat, the chief -feature of the celebration was the feeding of the poor. Chitta Ranjan -was personally present to see the hungry beggars take various sorts -of rich food to their entire satisfaction. It was his explicit order -that the poor should be given all that was liked by his father. It was -even a treat for the gods to see the poor beggars ring the sky with -loud shouts of applause and for many months it was a general talk in -the localities how Chitta Ranjan had fed the poor. - -In his private life Chitta Ranjan had to pass through many tests. He -was the eldest son of his father and as such since his father's -illness the burden of maintaining and educating his brothers and -sisters fell upon him. He gladly took up this charge and the result is -well-known. - -His youngest brother, Basanta Ranjan was a rising Barrister of the -Calcutta High Court when his career was cut short by death. His only -brother now living is Srijut Profulla Ranjan Das who is a puisne Judge -of the Patna High Court, Profulla Ranjan is a renowned writer of -English verses some of which are inserted in Mr. Dunn's Bengali Book -of English verse. His sister Srijukta Amala Devi was famous throughout -India as a singer of songs, even the other day at the Besant session -of the Indian National Congress at Calcutta she thrilled the audience -with her charming voice when she sang the famous song "Bande Mataram." -A few years ago Amala Devi started an orphanage at Purulia where with -the financial help of her eldest brother she gave shelter to the -blind, lame and the suffering. While engaged in this noble work Amala -Devi passed away after a short but active career. Chitta Ranjan's -eldest sister lost her husband at an early age and Chitta Ranjan had -to look after her children. Another of his sisters died very young. -Chitta Ranjan's another sister Srijukta Urmila Devi who has recently -lost her husband has dedicated her life and energy to the services of -her country and has started an ideal institution for educating -Bengali girls on national lines. - -In 1897 Chitta Ranjan married Srijukta Basanti Devi, the beautiful and -accomplished daughter of the late Babu Barada Halder, Dewan of the -Bijni estate. In her Chitta Ranjan has found an ideal house-wife and a -noble partner in life. She is the best consoler in her husband's -distress, the most impartial critic of his poetry and now the constant -companion in his patriotic activities. Her face always beams with a -holy light of virtue and her eyes smile with a pure lusture. She is -highly educated though without any degree. In 1919 the ladies of -Amritasar in the annual session of the All-India Ladies' Conference -nominated her as their President. Basanti Devi naturally fought shy of -public appearance but she could not disregard the request of her -sisters of the Punjab in the hour of their trial and suffering. In her -address she greatly dwelt upon the building-up of the Indian womanhood -on Eastern lines. "Remember" she said, "the ideal of Indian womanhood -is Sati, Sabitri and Sita. If our experience so requires it, reform -Indian ideal to suit the present times but seek not to destroy the -eternal ideal of India. Our home shall always be the Indian home." - -Chitta Ranjan earned a good deal in his life, but spent his all for -the cause of the suffering humanity. Charity gives him unmixed -pleasure. He who takes is blest but thrice blessed is he that gives. -For that pleasure consists in the fulfilment of one's life-mission. So -unlimited was his charity that when in this non-cooperation movement -he gave up his practice to serve his mother country he had no standing -income but a debt of about three lacs of rupees. For he never cared to -provide for the future. Had he wished it, he could have now become -one of the richest Zamindars of Bengal. But wealth has no charm for -those whose heart is moved by the sufferings of others. Even now when -he himself has taken the bowl of a beggar for the cause of his -country, the poor never return from his door disappointed. It reminds -us of a story we heard in our childhood that there lived once in our -locality a poor beggar, he was so kind-hearted that he used to give -away his day's earning to any of his fasting neighbours, while he -himself had to fast the whole day. - -Christ once said to his disciples that their right hand should not -know what their left hand does. This is also true of Chitta Ranjan's -private charity. His charities have been many though the general -public know very little of them. He has a fine heart, which is ever -ready to help a fellow in distress. We shall here cite an instance -which though of a trifling nature compared with his public donations, -yet goes a great way in indicating the natural bent of his mind. About -five years back a poor boy who was a candidate for the Matriculation -Examination was going from door to door collecting money for his fees. -Accidentally he came to the house of a near relation of Chitta Ranjan. -This gentleman advised the boy to see Chitta Ranjan who would pay his -fees for the mere asking. The boy acted accordingly. Now Chitta Ranjan -rises late from his bed in the morning and the boy being impatient -asked a servant of the house if he could have an interview with Chitta -Ranjan. The servant was not in a happy mood and accordingly to get rid -of him answered him in the negative. The boy came back disappointed -and reported the matter to the former gentleman who then advised him -to go again and wait on the staircase without asking the favour of any -servant till Chitta Ranjan would come down and hear everything from -him personally. It was easy for the boy to act up to this advice for -no surly durwan ever blocks the door-way of Chitta Ranjan and the -custom of presenting visiting cards is unknown in his house. The boy -succeeded in getting an opportunity of telling his story to Chitta -Ranjan. He at once ordered to give the boy the whole amount of his -fees and also made an arrangement for his stay at Calcutta till the -examination was over. This is one of the many instances of Chitta -Ranjan's private charity which have never been known to the public. - -Chitta Ranjan possesses a very tender heart which ever feels pained at -the suffering of others. As a devotee of Sri Krishna and Sri Gouranga -sympathy for the poor and the distressed is naturally a part and -parcel of his life. As we have already mentioned that he started an -orphanage at Purulia which was managed under the supervision of his -sister and was a boon to the suffering humanity till she was snatched -away by the cruel hands of death. He has spent a good deal in the -upkeeping of many orphanages and is now the president of the -Bhowanipur Orphanage which is managed by a band of self-less workers. - -Chitta Ranjan is a great patron of learning. He has financially helped -many litterateurs and has borne the expenses of publishing their -works. For this act alone Bengali Literature will ever remain grateful -to him. He also gave pecuniary assistance to many educational -institutions; he was one of the special donors to the building fund of -the Belgachia Medical College. He also financed to a great extent the -literary conferences which were annually held for the cultivation of -Bengali Literature. The other day he presented about 350 rare -manuscripts of old Bengali literature to the Bangiya Sahitya -Parishad. In fact Chitta Ranjan has always been connected with almost -all the literary activities of this country which owed much to his -pecuniary assistance. - -In concluding this chapter we should mention here that as a human -being Chitta Ranjan had some frailties in his private life, some -blemishes in his character; but an impartial review of his whole -private life would justify the remark:-- - - "Take him for all in all - We shall not look upon his like again." - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -Chitta Ranjan as a symbol of Neo-Hinduism. - - -The study of western Philosophy led Chitta Ranjan to believe in -atheism. This revolting note has found expression in some of his -poems. But providentially the light of Vaishnava Philosophy came to -dispel this atheistic gloom from his mind. Chitta Ranjan gradually -understood the lofty ideals of Vaishnavism, the sublimity of Hindu -theism. This Religion of Love and Sacrifice became a part and parcel -of Chitta Ranjan's life. For this transformation in him his mother's -teachings were to a great extent responsible, for they had a great -deal to do in fostering and developing the germs of excellence with -which he was born. He came to believe in the religious rites of -Hinduism and on the death of his mother he performed the Sradh -ceremony according to the Hindu rites. He is very fond of Vaishnava -Sankirtana which he held now and then in his house. Chitta Ranjan -gradually became a zealous devotee of Hinduism and had his name struck -off from the role of members of the Brahmo Samaj. - -But Vedantism which is the source of the Brahmo faith in Bengal left -its marks on Chitta Ranjan's mind. The key-note of the Vedanta is its -doctrine of Oneness. One reigns everywhere,--in the rippling of the -waters of the ocean,--in the murmuring of the leaves,--in the melody -of the birds,--in the charming beauty of blooming flowers,--and in the -effulgence of the moon and the sun. This one is the Self. There is -nothing but this self. For this reason, though a Hindu in the true -sense of the term, Chitta Ranjan is an avowed opponent of the -caste-distinction prevalent in our society. He has two daughters and a -son. His elder daughter was married to a member of the Kayastha -community and he married his only son to a Vaidya girl of Western -Bengal. These marriages he celebrated according to the Hindu rites -with the sanction of great Sanskrit scholars. But as usual the whole -orthodox Hindu society was in a state of tumult over the inter-caste -marriage of Chitta Ranjan's elder daughter. The bigoted leaders of -society who sacrifice even their conscience for the so-called social -prestige got very nervous and tried to create a scene but Chitta -Ranjan was firm. He was at first not in favour of even appointing a -Brahmin priest to conduct the ceremony. He argued as he had no -caste-prejudice he should not prefer a Brahmin. He should rather -select a Vaidya scholar deeply versed in the Sastras to conduct the -marriage ceremony of his daughter. For days together Chitta Ranjan and -his wife had long discussions over this matter but could not arrive at -any final conclusion. One evening about a fortnight before the -celebration, his wife, who was in favour of appointing a Brahmin -priest left the room, when she failed to convince her husband. She did -not come back till a late hour at night and found her husband alone in -the room and in great mental agony tears were rolling down his cheeks. -She approached him and said:--"Just consider a bit coolly. You want to -reform the present Hindu society but not to leave it altogether. Then -you should do it step by step. If you now do not even have a Brahmin -priest, no one will have the courage to follow you and your purpose -will not be served. On the other hand, if you try to introduce -inter-caste marriages only and do it now with the sanction of a -Brahmin priest, many will perhaps follow your lead. So that -considering everything you should now have a Brahmin priest to -conduct the marriage ceremony of our daughter". Chitta Ranjan was -convinced and exclaimed with deep emotion, "Oh! What light have you -shown me!" The matter was settled and Chitta Ranjan was relieved of -his mental agony. The marriage ceremony was also smoothly performed -according to Hindu rites by a Brahmin priest. In fact on every -critical occasion Chitta Ranjan has found in his wife a wise -counseller and a true friend. Many a Sastric scholar of India-wide -fame approved of this marriage, the list included men like -Mahamahopadhaya Pandit Haraprasad Sastri, late Mahamahopadhaya Dr. -Satish Chandra Vidyabhusan and Mahamahopadhaya Pandit Yadeveswar -Tarkaratna. We must mention here to Chitta Ranjan's credit that this -marriage took place long before Mr. Patel's Bill was introduced in the -Imperial Legislative Council. - -To purge the Hindu society of the thorns and thistles that have beset -it is a problem very dear to all true Hindu patriots. With this end in -view Chitta Ranjan never fails to protest against the degrading -customs of our society. Once in a table talk he remarked, "What a pity -that our society is not even now roused from its eternal sleep. Take -the instance of the present dowry system. Many a Snehalata has been -sacrificed in its burning flame, yet the parents of bride-grooms are -not brought to their senses. They are ever determined to make money by -selling their sons even at the cost of social well-being and family -happiness. But the parents of brides do never rise up against this -degrading custom, fearing lest they mar the future of their girls by -losing desirable bride-grooms. The parents should rather educate their -girls; if by chance they do not get married, they can earn their own -livelihood and may be so many Carpenters and Nightingales in our -society". Such is the view of Chitta Ranjan about the present Hindu -society. Generous, large-hearted and magnanimous as Chitta Ranjan is, -there is something in the texture of his mind that is above the -ordinary run. Few men who battle for the right, have the calm -fortitude, the cheerful equanimity with which Chitta Ranjan battles to -fulfil the burning aspirations of his soul. He stands high among those -who have been able to display - - "One equal temper of hearts, - To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield". - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -Chitta Ranjan's Patriotism. - - -In course of one of his lectures Chitta Ranjan once remarked, "Work -for my country is part and parcel of all the idealism of my life. I -find in the conception of my country, the expression also of -divinity." In fact the welfare of our country is very dear to his -heart, for this he has given his all ungrudgingly and spent his -valuable time selflessly whenever the occasion demanded it. Keenly has -he felt the unhealthy condition of our villages and the illiteracy of -the people, and long has he striven to convince our countrymen that -our national regeneration lies in the sanitary and educational reform -of our villages. Under his guidance and patronage there has been -started several years back a private society for the improvement of -the Bikrampur villages. It has for its main object the sanitation of -the villages and the education of the people of Bikrampur and last not -least it tries to make the poor villagers independent of others in -earning their livelihood. Chitta Ranjan has now and then given large -donations to its fund. About three or four years back he gave in the -hands of the workers of the society a large sum for digging a tank to -supply pure drinking water to the villagers. In the early part of the -year 1919 when with the visitation of a great famine in East Bengal -most people of the villages were in imminent danger of dying of -starvation, this society under the patronage of Chitta Ranjan and his -cousin Satish Ranjan started relief work in the villages. The distress -was no doubt acute but it was to a great extent being relieved. But -just towards the close of the year a heavy cyclone passed over East -Bengal and the ever-violent Padma as if to vie with the violence of -the wind ran inundating both her banks; the whole of Bikrampur -appeared desolate, and heaps of dead bodies were seen floating on the -river for several days together. Most of the villagers were left -houseless, their provision had also been swept away and they fell an -easy prey to imminent starvation and contagious epidemic. Chitta -Ranjan could no longer stay quiet at home. He himself appeared on the -scene at a great personal sacrifice. Under his guidance was started a -relief society called the "Bengal Relief Committee" of which Chitta -Ranjan was the Treasurer. He himself gave a donation of Rs. 10,000 and -persuaded many of the large-hearted Marwari Merchants of Bengal to -contribute a large sum to the fund. On this occasion Chitta Ranjan -visited almost all the villages of East Bengal in spite of all sorts -of difficulties on the way; he went to the villages and started -centres of relief work, each centre comprising three or four village -unions. The centres were entrusted with proper funds to feed and -clothe the distressed and homeless villagers. The relief committee -tried a new innovation in social service which was very commendable as -a means of removing poverty from the villages. It arranged to pay the -poor villagers each a small amount of money with which they were to -revive their home industries and thereby out of the sale-proceeds they -would be able to make themselves independent of any external pecuniary -help. For as regards the poor the great object should be to make them -independent; the great danger is of making them more dependent. It is -no doubt a good thing to make them comfortable, but in helping people -if we know that we love them and not pity them, we must try to form -their character, otherwise our charity will be cruel. We read a short -poem in our early years which throw some light on the nature of true -charity. - - "I gave a beggar from my little store - Of well-earned gold. He spent the shining ore - And came again, and yet again, still cold - And hungry as before. - I gave a thought, and through that thought of mine - He finds himself a man, supreme, divine, - Fed, clothed, and crowned with blessings manifold, - And now he begs no more." - -Such is the nature of Chitta Ranjan's charity which has aimed not -merely at alleviating want, but at creating independence. - -Patriotism is with Chitta Ranjan another name for socialism by which -we mean his ardent love for the suffering humanity. He loves this -country as it gives shelter to his poor brethren whom his religion has -taught him to look upon as incarnations of Narayana. - -When in April 1917 the political leaders of Bengal asked Chitta Ranjan -to preside over the annual session of the Provincial Conference, he -delivered a speech in Bengali which was unique in character and form -and in which Chitta Ranjan stated that socialism and patriotism were -almost identical so far as our country was concerned. He said in -course of this speech:-- - -"Some people might say: 'This conference is for political discussion; -what has talk about Bengal to do with it?' Such a question would be -symptomatic of our disease. To look upon life not as a comprehensive -whole but as divided among many compartments was no part of our -national culture and civilisation.... Must we not view our political -discussions from the stand-point of the whole of our countrymen? And -how shall we find truth, unless we view life thus comprehensively and -as a whole?... After all, what are the ultimate object and -significance of this political thought and endeavour? If we wish to -express it in one word, we shall have to say--what has been said so -often--that the object of our politics will be to build up the -Bengalees into a nation of men.... It is therefore that we shall have -to ascertain what our present condition is, and in order to ascertain -this we shall have to take first into consideration the material -circumstances of our people. This again will require that we shall -have to enquire into the condition of our peasantry--whether -agricultural wealth is increasing or decreasing and whether -agriculture is flourishing or otherwise. This in its turn will lead us -to a further enquiry still, viz, as to why our people are leaving -their villages in increasing numbers and are coming to settle within -towns. Is it because the villages are insanitary or is there any other -reason for that? Thus we find that an adequate discussion of politics -will involve a consideration of agricultural questions as well as the -questions of village-sanitation. At the same time we shall have to -consider whether we can improve our material condition even by -bringing under tillage all the available culturable land of the -country. If we can't, then we shall have to consider the question of -industry and trade as well." - -But why do we fail to enquire into the condition of our country in -this way? We never look to our country, never think of our countrymen, -of our past national history, or our present material condition, for -the vanity arising from false education has rendered us blind and -callous. Chitta Ranjan has truly remarked in the same paper. - -"We boast of being educated; but how many are we? What room do we -occupy in the country? What is our relation to the vast masses of our -countrymen? Do they think our thoughts and speak our speech? I am -bound to confess that our countrymen have little faith in us. - -... Besides, we seem to look upon them with contempt. Do we invite -them to our assemblies and our conferences? Perhaps we do when we want -their signatures to some petition to be submitted before the -Government; but do we associate with them heartily in any of our -endeavours? Is the peasant a member in any of our committees or -conferences?" - -By the grace of God this mentality has now been changed. The masses -and the classes of our country have associated themselves in the -present national movement. The peasant delegates are now honoured -members of even the Indian National Congress. The note of warning that -Chitta Ranjan struck was very opportune. This set our leaders to feel -the heart-throbbing of our mother country. But what led us astray? -Chitta Ranjan has justly remarked:-- - -"Mimic Anglicism has become an obsession with us: we find its black -foot-print in every walk and endeavour of life. We substitute meeting -houses for temples; we perform stage-plays and sell pleasures in order -to help charities. We hold lotteries in aid of our orphanages; we give -up the national and healthful games of our country and introduce all -sorts of foreign importations. We have become hybrid in dress, in -thought, in sentiment, and culture and are making frantic attempts -even to be hybrids in blood. What wonder, then, that in this new -pursuit of western ideals we should forget that money is only a means -to an end and not an end in itself?" - -What has made us shallow; why have we, the so-called educated, become -strangers to our own countrymen? For like other ideals, our ideal of -education also has become mean and impoverished; and so what was easy -and natural--we have made it complex and difficult. We must even now -beware and listen to the wise warning of Bankim--a warning all too -unheeded when it was first uttered. But one thing is certain that -unless we change the whole organism of our educational system and make -it harmonise with our national ideals even our existence is -threatened. For this education has created a wide gulf between the -educated and the masses, which our national existence demands to -bridge over. About our present system of education Chitta Ranjan has -said:-- - - "It has imparted an element of unnecessary anglicism into - our manners and modes of life--so that in outer seeming it - might almost appear as if the educated Bengalee had little - organic touch with the heart of his countrymen. Then, again - this education has made us familiar not with things but with - words; it has made us clever but not men.... We have - acquired a despicable habit of looking down with contempt, - upon those who have not received this English Education of - ours; we call them "illiterate" and "uneducated" and sneer - at their ignorance. But these uneducated countrymen have - hearts and sympathies; they worship their gods, they are - hospitable to guests, they feel for the suffering and - distress of their neighbours.... To me it seems perfectly - clear that if we want to lead our newly-awakened national - consciousness in the paths of true knowledge, education - should be diffused through the medium of our own vernacular - and not through the unwholesome medium of English." - -The reason for this ghastly failure in our national life is palpable -from other points of view also. We the educated few, never co-operated -with the masses of our countrymen. We are not only proud of our -education, but also proud of our wealth and proud of our caste: and -this three-fold pride has so deadened and blinded our senses that, in -all our endeavours we leave quite out of account those who are the -flesh, blood and back-bone of the land. The gentry of our country are -mostly ill educated and therefore their pride springs from emptiness. -To speak the truth, the so-called educated have no right to mix with -their countrymen. They are narrow, callous and anglicised. They fail -even now to understand that in this crucial moment of Indian History, -the whole country should stand as one in working out her future -destiny. Here the Hindus and the Mohammedans should co-operate, the -Brahmins, the Vaidyas and the Kayasthas should come out hand in hand -with the peasants and the chandals. Chitta Ranjan harped upon the same -theme in his presidential address at the Provincial Conference:-- - -"Those who constitute 40 out of 46 millions of our countrymen,--those -who produce our bread by their labour--those who in their grinding -poverty have kept alive the torch of their ancient culture and ancient -polity--those whom our English civilization and English culture and -English law-courts have yet been powerless entirely to corrupt--those -whom the oppression of Zemindars and Mahajans have failed to -crush--are we,--a corrupt and effete handful--are we their betters and -superiors? We boast of our Hinduism; but with our false pride of -caste we are striking Hinduism at its very root. Even now while there -is time, let us perceive our fearful and heedless blunder. In our -oppressed and down-trodden fellow-brethren let us recognise the image -of Narayana: before that sacred and awful image, let us abandon all -false pride of birth and breed and let us bend our heads in reverence -and true humility. These seething millions of your land--be they -Christians or Mahomedans or Chandals--they are your brothers; embrace -them as such, co-operate with them and only then will your labours be -crowned with success." - -In taking a survey of our present condition, we have to think of the -poverty of the peasant-class, and closely connected with this question -of poverty is the question of village depopulation. The village is the -centre of our civilisation and culture; and hence the decay of -village-life is bound to cripple and enfeeble our body-politic. Now -the cause of this village depopulation is two-fold. In the first -place, there is the ravage of malaria and in the second place, there -is the temptation of city-life with its ease, luxury and commercial -and money-making facilities. Thus modern cities like some huge -reptiles are swallowing up the ancient village centres of our country; -and one of our chief duties will be to re-establish the health, -prosperity and welfare of the villages. In order to do this, we shall -have to improve the water-supply of our villages, to remove jungles, -to educate the common people in the laws of health and sanitation. -Also in order that agriculture may flourish, we shall have to -establish banking institutions upon a small scale. For this combined -and harmonious work we must have a plan. Chitta Ranjan has suggested -one in his presidential address at the Provincial Conference of -1917:-- - -Our first step will be to organise all the villages of each district -into a number of village groups or unions. Where one village is -sufficiently large and populous, that by itself will constitute one -union or group. In the case of smaller villages, several of them will -be combined to form one group or union. Then a census must be taken of -the adult males of each village-union: These will form the primary -village assemblies; and they will elect from among themselves a -panchayet or executive body of five members. This panchayet or -executive body will have the sole administration of the village-group -in its hands. It will look to sanitation; it will arrange for -water-supply; it will establish night-schools; it will arrange for -industrial and agricultural education; in short the domestic economy -of the village-group will be entirely in the hands of the Panchayet. -Besides, in each village-group there will be a public granary; each -agricultural proprietor will contribute to this granary according to -his quantity of land; and in years of drought and scarcity, the -resources of this public granary will be drawn upon to feed the -people. - -In case of petty disputes, civil or criminal the panchayet will be the -sole deciding authority, but in the case of larger disputes, they will -report to the district civil and criminal courts; and their reports -will be treated as the sole plaints or complaints in such cases. - -In the next place, the primary assembly of each group, will, according -to its population, select from five to twenty five members to the -district Assembly. These district assemblies will consist of members -numbering from 200 to 500 and will exercise the following powers:-- - -(1) It will exercise general supervision over the working of the -panchayets and the affairs of the village group. - -(2) It will devise ways and means of the better performance of the -functions of panchayets; and it will be directly responsible for the -education and sanitation of the district capital. - -(3) It will devise means for the improvement of agriculture and -cottage industries. - -(4) It will supervise the sanitation of the villages included in each -village-group: and will be directly responsible for the sanitation of -the district council. - -(5) It will start such industrial and business concerns as may be best -suited to further the resources of the district. - -(6) It will employ chowkidars and peace-officers for the villages. - -(7) It will have sole charge of the district police. - -(8) Each district assembly will elect its own President and will -appoint sub-committees for the discussion of different subjects. - -(9) For the provision of cheap capital, each district assembly will -open a bank: this bank will have branches in each village-group. - -(10) The district assemblies will have power to raise by taxation the -money necessary for its requirements. - -(11) The present local and district boards will be abolished. - -(12) Necessary laws will have to be passed to place the primary and -district assemblies on a legal basis. - -This out-line of work is very closely connected with Indian socialism. -This is what we now call Swaraj or self-government of the villages. -These institutions did actually exist in our country from very ancient -times; they grew and developed with our growth, and they have a -peculiar harmony with the genius of our national character. Chitta -Ranjan has therefore proposed only reversion to our older social -institutions. But life among us now is not so simple as it was before; -it has become complex, difficult and intricate. Hence what was -inchoate requires to be put into a system. The panchayet was a natural -out-growth of our ancient village community! It consisted of those -five persons who naturally and easily emerged into prominence by their -qualities of character and intellect. The authority of the panchayet -lasted only so long as the community at large tacitly accepted their -authority. Now the question arises, "Will the Government entrust so -much power to us?" Again there are the Anglo-Indian papers crying -themselves hoarse, "No no, there is so much of anarchism in the land, -it will lead to fearful abuses if the people are entrusted with any -large share of power." But the real fact is just the opposite, if the -people are given opportunities of serving their country on a larger -scale, the so-called anarchism will die out of itself. Of this Chitta -Ranjan says in his address:-- - -"Since the days of the swadeshi movement our young men have been -possessed with the ardent desire to serve their country. At the time -of the Ardhodoy yoga (the most auspicious moment for taking a bath in -the Ganges), and again at the time of the Damodar floods of 1913, this -desire for service found noble vent in action; and the help rendered -by our young men on these two occasions has been repeatedly -acknowledged even by high officials of the Government. But -unfortunately much of this noble energy and zeal goes utterly to -waste; there is no permanent channel through which it can be made to -flow; there is no work of durable utility to which we have been able -to apply it. Hence a feeling of impatience and despair has arisen in -the minds of our young men; and sedition is the outer manifestation -of this feeling of impatience and despair." - -It will be the part of wise statesmanship not simply to check the -symptom but to cure the disease--not simply punish sedition but to -root out the deep seated cause which gives rise to it. Our young men -labour under the impression that the bureaucracy will give them no -opportunity of doing real service to their country. This impression -must be removed and they must be given opportunities for larger -co-operation in the affairs of administration of the country. These -young men have hearts to feel and a burning zeal for service; they -think that instead of being utterly suppressed the activities of these -young enthusiasts ought to be given proper field and scope. The -English have no doubt done us immense deal of good and we are grateful -to them for that. By holding before our eyes the ideal of an alien -culture and civilization, the English have roused us from the stupor, -torpidity and lethargy of spirit into which we had gradually come to -sink. They have helped to awaken our national consciousness and to -re-establish our national vitality. We are no doubt grateful for these -manifold services. But are there no reasons for the English to be -grateful to India? Are they not in honour bound in return of the many -benefits they have derived from us to give us every scope of shaping -our national life? Chitta Ranjan has also harped upon this point in -his address at the Provincial Conference:-- - -"I am confident that the praise and gratitude which are their due for -these manifold services will flow forth in an abundant measure from -our hearts. But let us look to another aspect of the question. What -was England before her advent to India? What was her position in the -hierarchy of world powers? Can it be denied that the sovereignty of -India increased the power and prestige of England a hundred-fold and -more? If then India has reason to be grateful to England, is not -England also under a corresponding debt of immense gratitude to India? -Of the gratitude of India, proofs have been forth-coming again and -again. Of the gratitude of England, the proof is now to come; and if -you refuse to grant our legitimate prayer, we shall take it that your -gratitude is an empty and meaningless phrase." - -To a patriot when he goes to take a survey of the present condition of -India, the first thing that presents itself is the deplorable state of -the agriculturists; and that at once reminds us of our poverty. We all -know that in the absence of trade and commerce agriculture is the -chief means of our subsistence. In his address at the Bengal -Provincial Conference Chitta Ranjan has presented before us a pitiable -picture of our peasantry. The annual income of a peasant of our -country ranges from sixteen to twenty rupees. This amount is certainly -insufficient for a peasant even to keep his body and soul together. A -prisoner in a Government Jail in India gets Rs. 48 annually for his -subsistence. The comparison clearly shows that for bare subsistence -the peasants have to incur debts. There is not one single village in -Bengal where at least 75% of the inhabitants are not in debt; and -there are villages where this frightful indebtedness extends to the -whole of the population. Thus it appears, first, that the peasant by -tilling his land does not earn enough to give him an adequate -livelihood; and secondly, that out of the little that he earns a -portion finds its way into the pocket of the "Mahajan". And poverty is -the source of all corruption, in the case of the peasants poverty -grinds them in two ways. In the first place, it makes them weak, -feeble, spiritless, and in the second place it has become a frightful -source of theft and robbery. Thus from whatever point of view we -consider the matter, the removal of poverty seems to be one of our -chief and foremost problems. - -In order to fight out poverty agriculture will not be sufficient for -us. Without industry and commerce our poverty will never be removed. -We had commerce though not on European lines. Time was when we earned -our own bread and wove our own clothes. We had corn in our granaries; -our cattle gave us milk; our tanks supplied us with fish; and the eye -was smoothed and refreshed by the limpid blue of the sky and the green -foliage of the trees. All day long the peasant toiled in the fields; -and at eve returning to his lamp-lit home, he sang the song of his -heart. For six months the peasant toiled in the field: and for the -remaining six months of the year he worked at the spinning wheel and -distaff as was most consonant with the natural genius of his being. -To-day that peasant is gone--his very breed extinct; gone too is that -house-hold with its ordered and peaceful economy of life. The -granaries are empty of their golden wealth; the kine are dry and give -no milk; and the fields once so green are dry and parched with thirst. -The evening lamp is no more lighted; the house-hold gods are no longer -worshipped; even the plough cattle have to be sold in order to give us -some poor and meagre sustenance. The tanks have dried up; their water -has become unwholesome; and the peasant has lost his natural freshness -and gaiety of temperament. What will remedy this? Chitta Ranjan has -thus said in his address-- - -"Agriculture is not sufficient to give us our subsistence. Trade and -commerce we must adopt; only our road must not be the road of -Industrialism. In the days of old when our life was natural, normal, -we had our own fashion and method of trade--a fashion dictated by the -law of our being, by the genius of our soul. There we find that when -the season of agriculture was over, our peasants would weave their -clothes and prepare other articles of domestic use. They had not to -look forward to Manchester to clothe them. Our cottage industries -have perished; and the muslin-industry of Dacca and other parts of -Bengal, once so famous and prosperous--has practically vanished. So -also has vanished cotton cultivation--once conducted on an extensive -scale but the secret of which now seems to have died out. Why should -we not take to the spinning wheel as before and weave our own clothes? -The brass ware industry of Bengal--that also has practically -disappeared, chiefly for lack of patronage; for economic prudence -aside, even our æsthetic taste has grown so coarse and vile that we -prefer false and tawdry imitations to genuine and durable articles of -value. Thus all our national industries have vanished and with these -have vanished our wealth and prosperity." - -How to reconstruct these industries and restore a portion of our -ancient affluence? We must have no traffic with industrialism, for our -simple industries are powerless to cope with the dynamic force of -western industrialism. In the first place we have to give up our -luxury and licence. They have filtered down even to the cottage of the -cultivator. We must give them up if we wish to awaken the powers of -our latent self and so invigorate the whole of our social and national -life. Home-spun and coarse clothes should not prickle us. The -temperance and restraint which will be necessary in order to sacrifice -our luxury will be healthful and beneficent for our soul. Curtailment -of luxuries which means non-importation of foreign articles will -conserve our wealth and give a chance of new life to our dying -industries and starved handicrafts. - -As a true patriot Chitta Ranjan foresaw as early as the year 1917 that -our national regeneration lay in the curtailment of our luxuries. To -get rid of the materialism of Europe we must turn to our home -industries. He advised his countrymen to fall back upon the spinning -wheel and to weave their own clothes, be they coarse or fine. He has -often said that until we, as a nation, are purged of the impurities -consequent upon western license, all our healthy growth must become -impossible. For it is certain, that - - "Nation grown corrupt - Love bondage more than liberty-- - Bondage with ease than strenuous liberty." - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -Chitta Ranjan as a Politician. - - -Chitta Ranjan's life may well be compared to an Æolian harp which -gives out different notes as different gusts of feelings play on it. -With the internment of Mrs. Annie Besant it sounded a new note--a note -inspired by an ardent love of humanity. From this time dates his real -entry into practical politics. At a meeting held on the 25th July 1917 -to protest against the internment of Mrs. Annie Besant, Chitta Ranjan -delivered a speech in course of which he remarked:-- - -"The Prime-Minister said the other day--'The development of India is -not only an economic but a political necessity, the British Empire is -founded not only upon the freedom of the individual but upon autonomy -of its parts uniting in one common-wealth people differing immensely -from one another in race, language, religion and colour.' The -utterances of His Majesty's Ministers are at once a promise and a -hope. Every order of internment is a protest against the redemption of -that promise and the fulfilment of that hope. I protest against these -internment orders because whether any promises have been made or not -every order of internment is a violation of natural justice and an -outrage on humanity.... I do not think that the God of Humanity was -crucified only once. Tyrants and oppressors have crucified humanity -again and again and every outrage on humanity is a fresh nail driven -through His sacred flesh.... The Anglo-Indian Press is never tired of -saying to us: "Do not be impatient, there is plenty of time." There is -no nation on the face of the Earth more patient than the Indian -Nation. But there is a limit to human patience and I say to those -doubtful friends, 'As soon as you transgress that limit, you forfeit -the right of asking us to be patient.' When we find the utterances of -our officials are at variance with their action, have we not right to -say, "What is the good of your making promises?--You do not really -mean what you say."... What are we that we should say "peace, peace," -when there is none." - -In course of another speech delivered at a meeting on October 2nd -1917, Chitta Ranjan dwelt at length on the policy of internment and -demanded the release of the gentlemen who had been interned. He -said:-- - -"There is hardly a home in East Bengal from which one or more persons -have not been interned. Every home in East Bengal is filled with -sadness to-day because these people have been snatched away from their -homes and imprisoned without trial or without proof. I say this policy -is un-British, is opposed to all the time-honoured traditions upon -which the British Empire is based. It is opposed to all rules of -common sense and prudence and uprightness and the sooner this policy -is abrogated the better for the peace and prosperity of the empire. At -a time when the British Government in its wisdom has declared its -policy that Home Rule in some shape or other must be granted to this -country, that some sort of responsible Government is necessary for the -foundation and preservation of the empire; is it wise then to detain -these men against popular opinion, against the universal desire of the -Indian people?" - -On August 20, 1917, the Secretary of State made the most notable -utterance in the House of Commons:--"The policy of His Majesty's -Government, with which the Government of India are in complete accord, -is that of the increasing association of Indians in every branch of -the administration and the gradual development of self-governing -institutions with a view to the progressive realisation of responsible -government in India as an integral part of the British Empire." This -announcement gave rise to a new ray of hope in the minds of the people -who were growing dissatisfied with the existing system of government -and were demanding progressive reforms. The Anglo-Indians were mostly -against the policy of Self-Government in India. Some of them made very -angry speeches. One gentleman is reported to have said that if there -was a government by the people and for the people there would be no -security for life and prosperity. Chitta Ranjan gave a splendid -retort:-- - -"If the Anglo-Indians want to make India their home, let them do so -and we will work hand in hand with them in the interest of the Indian -Empire. But if they come here to make money, and all their interest -lies in how best to make it, they are no friends of India, they have -got no right to call themselves Indians, they have got no legitimate -right to oppose the granting of self-government to the people of -India." - -In a meeting of the Anglo-Indians one Mr. Arden Wood was reported to -have said: "If racial feeling is to be dominant in Indian politics the -time will come, when, we the British, will either have to leave India -or reconquer it." It is difficult to take this foolish speech -seriously. In course of one of his speeches Chitta Ranjan referred to -it and said:-- - -"They may leave India if they find it unprofitable to stay in India. -They may stay in India if they find it profitable to do so but the -tall talk of reconquering India is a comical statement. If this -gentleman does not know, he ought to know that India was never -conquered. India was won by love and by promise of good government. -India was never conquered and God willing, it will never be conquered -for all time to come. India will impress her ideal, her civilisation, -and her culture upon the whole world." - -Some of our countrymen believe that Chitta Ranjan bears an ill will -against the Europeans as a class. This belief has no basis at all. -Those Englishmen who had any opportunities of knowing him personally -would bear this out that much as he condemned the present system of -Bureaucratic Government he had no racial feeling against them. He has -many intimate friends among the Europeans. Sir Lawrence Jenkins, the -late Chief Justice of Bengal, who was on very good terms with Chitta -Ranjan, once enquired of him why he alone was not seen in the Calcutta -Club when many other respectable Indians graced it with their -presence. Chitta Ranjan openly spoke out his mind and said, "My Lord, -before answering your question, I should mention here a peculiar -custom of our country. Every Indian house-holder of the higher castes -has in his house a place fitted for religious discussions where -members of the lower castes are not admitted, but adjoining it he sets -apart another place where all are equally welcome. Your Bengal Club -and Calcutta Club can well be compared to the above two places. You do -not admit natives into your Bengal Club, but as if to show your -generosity you have fixed the Calcutta Club as a meeting place of the -Black and the White. But do you not think, my Lord, that when you make -this distinction you rather insult the Indians by admitting them to -the Calcutta Club?" Sir Lawrence Jenkins was much pleased with these -noble words of Chitta Ranjan and thence forward his respect for him -was enhanced in a hundred-fold degree. - -Again in 1916 when Mr. Montagu came to India Chitta Ranjan was for the -first time invited to the Government House. He went there and learnt -that he was invited at the suggestion of the Secretary of State -himself. The subject for discussion was the political condition of -India at that time. In course of the conversation the question arose -if India was just at that time fit for self-government and His -Excellency the Governor was of opinion that she was not. Chitta Ranjan -could not bear this unjustified remark; he said with a retort--"If -after bearing the responsibility of educating India for the last one -hundred and fifty years, you have failed to make us fit for -self-government, the fault is surely not ours." His Excellency became -red with anger at these fearless words of one of his subjects and -immediately left the place. But Mr. Montagu was much pleased with this -just remark of Chitta Ranjan and talked with him for hours together -over many important topics relating to the welfare of India. - -On another occasion when he was staying at England during the Puja -holidays one of his Bengali friends introduced him to Lord Morley. -After the formal introduction Lord Morley asked him, "Are you a -Native?" Chitta Ranjan replied with a smile, "Certainly I am." At this -frank reply Lord Morley was so very impressed that afterwards he -mentioned this fact to his friend Sir Lawrence Jenkins (who had just -then retired from the Chief-Justiceship of Bengal) and spoke very -highly of Chitta Ranjan. Sir Lawrence could not but then utter these -few words--"And this is the man your government wanted to deport." - -In fact Chitta Ranjan has never borne any racial feeling against the -Europeans but has only opposed the present system of Bureaucratic -Government. In course of one of his speeches he has remarked:-- - -"When I ask for Home-rule or Self-Government, I am not asking for -another Bureaucracy. In my opinion Bureaucracy is Bureaucracy, be that -Bureaucracy of Englishmen, or of Anglo-Indians or of Indians." - -When in accordance with the announcement of August 1917, Mr Montagu, -the Secretary of State came to India to learn at first hand what -reforms were actually wanted by the people themselves, the Nationalist -party of India thought it proper to convene meetings at different -places of the Provinces so as to advise the political associations of -the country to demand full responsible Self-Government at once. None -of the leading pleaders and barristers of Calcutta was ready to go to -the mufassil for that purpose at a great personal loss. But Chitta -Ranjan to whom the question of the welfare of his mother-country was -ever dearer than life itself could not but respond to this call of -duty. "Work for my country is part of my religion"--this is the motto -of his life. He left Calcutta, and visited different places and -educated the public in the question of national welfare on Indian -ideals. For though he obtained western education, he never forgot our -ancient ideals. Of this he spoke in a lecture at Mymensingh delivered -in October 1917:-- - -"Much as I venerate European culture, much as I love and much as I -acknowledge my indebtedness to the education which I had in Europe, I -cannot forget that our nationality must not rest content with -borrowing things from European Politics." - -In a lecture delivered on the 11th October 1917 at Dacca, Chitta -Ranjan dwelt on the nature of the Self-Government that India stands in -urgent need of:-- - -"There is one thing to which I desire to draw your attention and it is -this; that in framing the scheme you must not be swayed by a feeling -that the Government will not grant this or grant that. What the -Government will grant and what the Government will not grant, that is -the business of the Government, we have got only to consider what is -necessary for our national well-being, if you find that certain steps -are absolutely necessary for our national development, do not fail to -put that down in your scheme out of timidity." - -In course of another speech delivered on the 14th October 1917 he -added:-- - -"Our Self-Government does not mean the Self-Government of the Hindus, -the Self-Government of the Mahomedans; Self-Government does not mean -Self-Government of the land-holders; Self-Government means Government -by all the People of India in which all interests are to be -represented and if there are any classes who are depressed, they ought -to be told that the sooner Self-Government is introduced into this -country the better for them: they ought to be told that we have no -desire to restrict the franchise in any manner at all to the disregard -of any such interest, and if any kind of responsible government is -introduced into this country, which is made responsible to the people, -they will have the power in their hands to oppose any oppression or -injustice in every possible way." - -Lord Minto was undoubtedly responsible for the reign of terror in -India; it was he who first introduced repressive laws in this country. -They were directed against the natural aspirations of the Indians. -While protesting against these laws Chitta Ranjan had the courage to -tell the Bureaucratic Government--"That we are fighting for the ideal -expressed by the King's Ministers; we are fighting for carrying out -that very policy which has been declared in England by His Majesty's -Ministers". - -In 1918 the Congress and the Muslim League considered in a joint -meeting that Self-Government for India could be delayed no longer. -Otherwise the growth of Indian Nationality and the development of -Indian manhood would be impossible. The Bureaucracy in this country -would not grant it. Therefore it was necessary that Indian demands -should be carried across the seas to the great British Democracy. The -Indian National Congress and the Muslim League thought it proper to -send a deputation to England to tell the British Democracy that -Indians wanted the right to build up their own constitution--a -constitution which alone would enable us to secure the development of -Indian nationality and the development of Indian manhood. A public -meeting of the Citizens of Calcutta was held on the 18th March, 1918, -under the Presidency of Babu Motilal Ghose to support the Indian -Deputation to England, when Srijut Chitta Ranjan Das said:-- - -"It is plain that you may agitate as long as you like; you may demand -your right, as you have a right to demand, but you will not get the -Bureaucracy in this country to support you. You must, therefore, go to -their masters.... - -If we find that we are not to get Self-Government, we have at least -the right to get an honest answer. Let the British Democracy say, if -it likes, that this war is a war of liberation of humanity, but -liberation of humanity does not include the liberation of India. When -I consider the objections put forward to the grant of Self-Government, -I can hardly keep my patience. They say we are not educated enough to -get Self-Government. My answer is: whose fault is it? For the last 150 -years you have been governing this country and yet you have not -succeeded in educating the people of this country to such an extent -that they may be fit for governing themselves. Do we not know that -Japan was made only in 50 years? You have had 150 years. Why is it -that at the end of that period we are told that we are not fit to -govern ourselves? Nobody really believes that the time has not -come.... We are further told that we are divided between many sects. -We follow different religions, we have got different interests to -serve and so on. If you say that we are not fit for Self-Government, -because we are divided in our interests, and in our religions, my -answer is that Self-Government and Self-Government alone is the -remedy of that." - -It has in season and out of season, been dinned into our ears that a -subject people has no politics. It was therefore that political -discussions, had hitherto been carried on in the spirit of singing -laudation to the administration of Government, however palpable its -defects seemed to be. This mendicant spirit in politics has been -overthrown by the exertions of Chitta Ranjan and his compatriots in -the field of national work in this country. Chitta Ranjan's ideal of -political life was neither Utopian nor Quixotic. All that he demanded -was, that all men are entitled to have equal opportunities without -which the progress of human society and consequently the progress of a -nation comes to a stand-still. He wanted for his countrymen the -opportunities for self-realisation which would render pointless and -inappropriate at the present-day Matthew Arnold's remarks:-- - - "The East bowed low before the blast, - In patient deep disdain; - She heard the legions thunder past, - And plunged in thought again." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -Chitta Ranjan's Part in the Non-Co-operation Movement. - - -While on the cessation of all hostilities in Europe India stood on the -tip-toe of expectation for the new age of freedom that was about to -dawn and while men conjured rosy visions of the future, Lord -Chelmsford inaugurated in an evil moment a policy of depriving India -of even the elementary rights of personal freedom and free -speech--rights which are most valued in an enlightened democracy. -Towards the close of December 1917 Lord Chelmsford thought it fit to -appoint a Commission presided over by Mr. Justice Rowlatt of the -King's Bench Division to investigate and report on revolutionary -conspiracies in India and to advise the Government to frame such -legislation as might enable them to deal more effectively with the -reactionary movements. The Commission was appointed without any sort -of compelling necessity and, to say the least of it, at a most -inopportune moment. The Commission held its sittings at different -places of India and after an one-sided and unjudicial enquiry -published a long report towards the close of April 1918. The war -having just then successfully terminated in favour of the Allies, the -Defence of India Act and other war-time measures which could only last -so long as the war continued, would necessarily cease to be in force -any longer and therefore the Commission suggested certain penal laws -as a more effective and permanent safe-guard against the so-called -anarchists of India. The report was emphatically protested against by -every section of the Indian press but in spite of all popular -opposition, Government drafted a bill substantially embodying the -recommendations of the Rowlatt Committee and hurried it through the -Imperial Legislative Council within six months of the report. The bill -is generally known as the Rowlatt Bill. The effect of its provisions -was two-fold: the Provincial Governments would be vested with an -authority similar to that which was given to them by the Defence of -India Act, and every person accused of a revolutionary crime would be -summarily tried by the tribunals specially appointed for the purpose. - -Against such a cruel and tyrannical measure the whole of India -protested with one voice. Public feeling was in a state of high -ferment and yet in spite of all this, and in spite of the fact that -every Indian Non-official member of the Imperial Legislative Council -voted against the proposed measure, the Rowlatt Bill was passed into -Law in March 1919. The situation in India reached a state of very high -tension. Mahatma Gandhi advised his countrymen to take the Satyagraha -Pledge as the only means of securing redress for their grievances. The -pledge ran thus:-- - -"Being conscientiously of opinion that the Bills are unjust, -subversive of the principle of liberty and justice, and destructive of -the elementary rights of individuals, on which the safety of the -community as a whole and the state itself is based, we solemnly affirm -that in the event of these Bills becoming law and until they are -withdrawn, we shall refuse civilly to obey these laws and such other -laws as may be thought fit and further affirm that in this struggle we -will faithfully follow truth and refrain from violence to life, person -and property." - -Mahatma Gandhi further suggested that the second Sunday after the -publication of the Viceregal Assent to the Rowlatt Act should be -observed as a day of humiliation and prayer, a twenty-four hours' -fasting should be observed by all adults, all work should be suspended -for the day and public meetings should be held on that day in all -parts of India at which Resolutions praying for the withdrawal of the -measure should be passed. Indians gladly and freely took this pledge. -Of the leaders in Bengal Chitta Ranjan was the first to rally round -Mahatma Gandhi in preaching the Satyagraha vow. In March 1919 at a -huge meeting of the citizens of Calcutta he delivered a speech in -Bengali on Satyagraha in course of which he said:-- - -"To-day is Mahatma Gandhi's day. To-day is the day for us to express -the afflictions of our heart. In days of prosperity we forget -ourselves, but on evil days when fallen we realise ourselves and hear -the message of God. - -To-day at this national crisis we must search for the soul of the -nation. This soul is to be attained by strength. What is that -strength? It is not brute force, but the force of love. This is what -Mahatma teaches us and this is the message of all India. The -realisation of this message requires the abandonment of selfishness, -envy, malice, and hatred. Why do we protest against the Rowlatt Act? -We know it for certain that its enforcement means the dwarfing of our -national being. To avert this calamity we should abandon all envy and -malice and infuse into the hearts of our countrymen an ardent love for -mother-country. This is why Mahatma has said--"Do not hate even your -enemies, for the victory of love is ensured." This agitation, -therefore, springs from love and righteousness; it is the throbbing of -the heart of a nation. The only means to gain our object is -self-sacrifice--self-sacrifice inspired by love." - -The campaign of Satyagraha was started and what followed is written -large in characters of fire and blood in the pages of Indian History. -The Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer, did in an -evil moment start a counter-campaign of repression. Drs Kitchelew and -Satyapal, two popular leaders, were arrested and Mahatma Gandhi who -proceeded to the Punjab from Bombay was prohibited from entering the -province, was arrested and sent back to Bombay. A strong rumour to the -effect that Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned spread over all parts of -India and exasperated the populace. Disorder broke out at Calcutta, -Ahmedabad and many other places, but it took a serious form in the -Punjab where martial law was proclaimed, and scores of persons were -illegally hauled up before the martial law tribunals. Counsel for -defence was disallowed and the unfortunate victims were all sentenced -to death. In April 1919 the civil population of Amritasar convened a -public meeting at the Jallianwalla Bagh to protest against some of the -high-handed and tyrannous measures of the Punjab Government. The -military were ordered by their Commanding Officer, General Dyer, to -open fire on the harmless and defenceless crowd of men, women and -children. In the name of public peace aeroplanes bombed the civil -population from above and men were made to crawl on their bellies as a -sign of penitent submission. This conduct of the Punjab authorities -met with the full approval of Lord Chelmsford. - -Independent public opinion demanded a thorough and sifting enquiry -into the atrocities of the Punjab and in compliance with the insistent -public demand, Mr. Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, -appointed a Committee consisting of official and non-official members -and presided over by Lord Hunter to investigate and report on the -Punjab disorders. The Indian National Congress deputed a Committee -consisting of Mahatma Gandhi, Srijut Chitta Ranjan Das, and other -prominent leaders to conduct an independent enquiry of the -disturbances. Chitta Ranjan was not then keeping good health, but the -call of the mother-country was paramount with him. For about four -months he served on the Committee at a great personal sacrifice. The -report of the Committee which was published in due time contained a -severe denunciation of the most cold-blooded atrocities committed by -the authorities of the Punjab. The official report, though the -European members forming the majority attempted at whitewashing, -contained much evidence to show that there had been some excessive use -of military force. Both the reports astounded the world with -first-hand knowledge of the unparalleled atrocities of the Punjab. The -matter was agitated in Parliament and the staunch friends of India -there tried their best to get justice done to India. The Secretary of -State expressed his confidence in the Viceroy, the Viceroy his -confidence in Sir M. O'Dwyer, who in turn fully approved of the deeds -of General Dyer and this gentleman openly prided over his bloody -performances at Jallianwalla Bagh. But the most shameful termination -of the affair was the fact that the House of Lords hailed General Dyer -as the Saviour of India. However four things relating to the Punjab -event augmented the discontented feeling of the people bringing home -to them their utterly helpless condition. First, the minority report -of the Indian members of the Hunter committee and the shameless -whitewashing of the European members of the same committee; secondly, -the non-impeachment of General Dyer and Sir M. O'Dwyer; thirdly, the -heinous approbation of Dyer's conduct by the House of Lords; and -fourthly the large contributions to the Dyer Fund both in England and -India as a reward of his gallant deed. - -Simultaneously with these high handed and arbitrary proceedings in the -Indian administration a fresh wrong was done to every follower of the -Muslim faith. At the end of the European War, Mr. Lloyd George in -replying to Indian representations on behalf of Turkey, assured Islam -that Turkey would have full justice. But when peace was concluded, the -treatment meted out to Turkey was extremely derogatory to her -self-respect and dignity; the Khilafat, the supreme temporal and -spiritual power in Islam was most shamelessly handled. The Prime -Minister, when reminded of his previous promise, replied somewhat -ironically that Turkey had had justice done to her. - -At this moment Mahatma Gandhi came forward with his scheme of the -passive resistance movement now generally styled, Non-Co-operation as -the only means of rectifying the Punjab and Khilafat Wrongs. On the -4th of September 1920 at the Special Session of the Indian National -Congress at Calcutta, which was presided over by Lala Lajpat Rai, the -Non-Co-operation resolution of Mahatma Gandhi was adopted by an -overwhelming majority. It laid down the following steps to prepare the -country for non-violent Non-Co-operation: - - (_a_) National Education. - (_b_) Boycott of Law Courts. - (_c_) Boycott of Foreign Goods. - (_d_) Call for Self-Sacrifice. - (_e_) Organisation of the Indian National Service. - (_f_) The Swadeshi Vow. - (_g_) Tilak Memorial Swarajya Fund. - -At the Special Session of the Congress held at Calcutta Chitta Ranjan -was not in favour of withdrawing students from schools and colleges -and boycotting Law-courts. But at Nagpur a prolonged discussion with -Mahatma Gandhi about the details of the Non-Co-operation movement -convinced him of the necessity for adopting the whole programme and at -the session of the Nagpur Congress Chitta Ranjan himself moved the -Non-Co-operation Resolution. Some of the delegates who did not know -Chitta Ranjan well doubted his sincerity, but when he told them -bluntly that in his whole life he had never failed to practise what he -preached, the non-believers were silenced. In course of the speech he -said:-- - -"I ask you to remember, that when I say anything, I mean it, and in -my life on public questions, I have never said anything which I do not -believe in." - -Chitta Ranjan came back to Calcutta, gave up his unrivalled practice -at the call of his mother-country and devoted all his time and energy -to the attainment of Swaraj by the peaceful method of non-violent -Non-co-operation. The only thought which was uppermost in his mind -when he gave up his practice was his solicitude for his poor -countrymen. Some time after this one of his friends once asked him -what would be the fate of his enormous charities. Chitta Ranjan kept -quiet for a while and then replied with a deep sigh:--"What shall I -do? A greater call of duty has reached me, I must respond to it. Those -whom I have helped so long will be helped now by God Himself." - -About two years ago when Chitta Ranjan was engaged in the Dumraon Raj -case an ascetic once said to him:--"My child, this life of worldly -enjoyment you shall have to renounce very soon." None could at that -time have any faith in that prophecy. Who could have ever dreamt that -the time was so near? Mysterious indeed are the ways of God which the -limited intelligence of man fails to fathom. - -Chitta Ranjan's sacrifice in the Non-co-operation movement has -elicited admiration even from high-souled Englishmen. Sir Michael -Sadler, the late President of the Calcutta University Commission wrote -in the London Times:--"Chitta Ranjan's wonderful sacrifice is -unparalleled in the history of the world. Indians would do well to -follow him." - -As we have already said Chitta Ranjan is never a politician in the -true sense of the term; he possesses none of the diplomatic ways of a -thorough-bred politician. He is only a high-souled patriot led by -emotions. He has loved his country with all his heart from childhood; -in manhood through all activities he has striven hard to keep alive -its sacred image in his heart; and now on the threshhold of age that -image has became clearer and truer than ever. The late Lokamanya -Tilak once said of him, "I believe the time is not very far when -Chitta Ranjan will devote all his energy to the services of his -country and his love of mother-land will burn as a torch-light to -guide his countrymen in the right path." That hope has now been -realised. - -The People of India also as a mark of their heart-felt gratitude for -the noble sacrifice and selfless patriotism of Deshabandhu Chitta -Ranjan Das has unanimously elected him to be the President of the -Indian National Congress to be held at Ahmedabad in December 1921. For -some time he hesitated to preside over the most momentous session of -the Congress of this year, but at last in compliance with the united -request of his countrymen he accepted the honour--the highest they had -in their power to bestow. - -It is after all the great ideal of Chitta Ranjan's sacrifice that has -led the young men of Bengal to respond to the call of mother-country -when even Mahatma's appeal has failed to move them. The -student-community of Bengal came out in a body to rally round -Deshabandhu Chitta Ranjan in attaining the object for which we are all -fighting. In one of the students' meetings at Calcutta Mahatma Gandhi -while addressing the students said:--"I knew that you were waiting for -Srijut Chitta Ranjan's leadership and I hoped the time was not very -far when he would sacrifice his all at the call of his country." In an -appeal to the students of Calcutta he said:-- - -"I advocate the method of Non-Co-operation, as every other method has -failed. I want you to cling to this method, come what may. This is our -last chance and this, at least, will not be in vain. Do you know what -Non-Co-operation means? You must withdraw your help in moving the -powerful machinery of the Bureaucracy. Do you realise how you can move -this machinery? The Bureaucracy works its wicked will through the -pleaders, through doctors, through clerks, through their police -officers and through Magistrates and Judges. And you now see what the -Calcutta University contributes. It contributes all the strength upon -which the strength of the bureaucracy depends. - -The method that I advocate is the method of sacrifice. If you have to -destroy what you consider your chance of success in life, remember, it -is only to defeat the bureaucracy, and to attain Swaraj. How can -Swaraj be attained unless you realise your own right clearly, -unhesitatingly? How can you compel the bureaucracy to recognise that -which you yourself do not realise? - -I repeat, therefore,--wake up, wake up, wake up. We have slept too -long. Realise the sense of your bondage and stand out boldly and -firmly on the road to Freedom." - -In his Sagar Sangit Chitta Ranjan once sang this song:-- - - "As thou didst call with the roar of thy thunder - In the infinitely musical voice of thy soul, - My life over-flooded its banks - In the heart-churning torrents of thy sound." - -When actually this call came to him, he went forth from place to place -to preach the Swaraj mantra. Bengal was already prepared to adopt it. -Wherever he went, the local people responded in a splendid manner and -national institutions grew up simultaneously. After starting a -national college at Dacca when Chitta Ranjan proceeded to Mymensingh -in the beginning of March 1921, the Joint Magistrate prohibited him -from entering the town. As the Congress had not then sanctioned civil -disobedience, he did not break that order. But on that occasion the -noble message that he sent to his countrymen is even now vibrating in -the air:--"We are treated like helots in our country. Life is -unbearable without Swaraj." He then came to Tangail and in the large -compound of Mr. Wajed Ali Khan Pani's house a mass meeting was held -where the labourers and peasants were present in a large number; the -large-hearted Zaminder Mr. Khan Pani started a national school and for -the benefit of the peasants a granary was proposed. From Tangail -Chitta Ranjan came to Sylhet via Maulavi Bazar and Habigunj and -presided over the Assam Khilafat Conference. The local people accorded -him a splendid ovation, the town was lighted in honour of his visit. -In course of the speech at the Khilafat Conference he said:--"The dawn -of a new era has come. It is the dawn of unity among the different -sects of the Indian people. This unity is never to be broken. We are -all united to attain Swaraj. If in our own home, we cannot preserve -our self-respect, if in our own country we are treated like cats and -dogs, then where shall we get justice? We starve for want of food, we -are turned naked for want of clothing. Our wives and children suffer -humiliation at all times and we lose our lives like insects and worms. -To set this right we want Swaraj. This is needed not only for Hindus -and Musalmans but by every Indian, by every righteous man." - -After completing a long lecturing tour in the Eastern Bengal Chitta -Ranjan came to attend the Provincial Conference at Barisal. In one of -his lectures he said that Swaraj was urgently needed to get rid of the -cultural conquest of the West which has caused the denationalisation -of the Indian people. At the Barisal Provincial Conference he -delivered a very touching lecture on Swaraj in course of which he -said:-- - -"Swaraj is our birth right, it is a divine gift. When you realise -yourself by penances, you shall get freedom from within and without. -We look to others for our education, commerce and government; this is -bondage. We must get rid of that. We cannot even clothe our mothers -and sisters. What servility! We must be free men and not bondsmen as -we are at present. This yearning for Swaraj is meant for our -liberation. We are inimical to no body, ours is a peaceful struggle." - -Chitta Ranjan came back to Calcutta in April 1921 and shortly -afterwards went to Bezwada to attend the meeting of the All-India -Congress Committee held in the middle of April 1921 where it was -decided that as a first step towards the attainment of Swaraj three -things would be necessary:--(1) a crore of rupees to be contributed to -the Tilak Swarajya Fund, (2) a crore of persons to be enrolled as -members of the Indian National Congress and (3) twenty lacs of -spinning wheels to be distributed to the Indian Villages. This first -step was to be completed on or before the 30th June 1921. - -Chitta Ranjan came back and addressed many meetings at Calcutta and -the mufassil asking the people of Bengal to contribute Bengal's quota. -The Anglo-Indian Press and the Moderate Press with one voice declared -that it was beyond human power to work out the Bezwada programme -within such a short time. But when the soul of a nation is awakened, -everything is done in an unexpected manner. On the 1st of July 1921 -the All India Congress Committee declared that contributions to the -Tilak Swarjya Fund exceeded one crore of rupees and that the other two -parts of the Bezwada programme were also accomplished beyond dispute. - -In the mean-time a most deplorable event took place in Bengal. This -was the inhuman treatment of the Assam Tea-garden Coolies at Chandpur. -The tea-garden coolies had been for a long time smarting under acute -grievances. They did not get sufficient food, were now and then -brutally assaulted and even their wives and sisters were subjected to -occasional humiliation at the hands of the European managers. These -exasperated their feelings to such a pitch that they determined to go -back to their own country. In early May 1921 the Coolies of many -tea-gardens at Assam went on strike and in spite of many persuasions -from the Deputy Commissioner and the proprietors of the tea-gardens -they left the gardens for Karimganj. Coolies,--men, women and children -began to pour in from different tea-gardens. They were worn out, -shattered, half-naked and starving. In fact they presented a most -pitiable picture and the local people took charge of their feeding and -clothing. They were also making arrangements for the repatriation of -the Coolies. But the Railway authorities declined to issue tickets to -them. Perhaps they thought that the Coolies would of themselves return -to the gardens if they had to face starvation and were refused tickets -to go home. But the authorities were mistaken. The inhuman treatment -at the gardens had long overstepped the limits of their patience and -now they stood at all costs determined to leave the gardens once for -all. Even they suspected the Government of being implicated with the -managers of the gardens and refused to take food from them when -offered. At the request of the people of Karimganj Mr. J. M. Sen Gupta -went there and wired to the Traffic Manager to withdraw the -unjustifiable order of the local Station Master. The order was -withdrawn and the coolies came down to Chandpur in large numbers. The -Government declined to make any arrangement for their repatriation. - -The coolies were left to their own fate and as it could have been -expected epidemic broke out among them. About midnight on the 20th May -the most horrible tragedy that was ever enacted in Bengal was -witnessed at Chandpur. At the instigation of the local authorities a -band of savage Gurkhas fell upon the innocent men, women and children -who were starving and dying of epidemic. They butchered the coolies -right and left amidst the glee of the Local Magistrate and the -Commissioner. The people of Chandpur were so much agitated over this -matter, that had not the leaders come in an opportune moment to the -place of occurrence there would have ensued a riot of the severest -type. Chitta Ranjan was informed of this event and was wired to come -to Chandpur as early as possible. He at once sanctioned on behalf of -the Provincial Congress Committee 5000 rupees for the relief of the -distressed coolies. The Railway employees went on a sympathetic strike -and Chitta Ranjan started from Goalundo for Chandpur in a boat. The -violent Padma became turbulent and it was most unsafe to face the -waves in a boat. Many of Chitta Ranjan's friends tried to desist him -from such a rash step. But he was not to be stopped. His heart was -moved at the agony of the coolies and go he must to send them back to -their home. If it wished God that he would be drowned, he was ready to -court death at the call of duty. He was accompanied in this perilous -journey by his wife and constant companion Srijukta Basanti Devi. The -wind was raging high, the waves dashed against the boat; cheerfully -did Chitta Ranjan proceed on his journey with his wife. It was his -firm determination to go to Chandpur and arrange for the repatriation -of the coolies. For this he feared not death. After an eventful -journey in course of which he was once overtaken by a heavy storm and -narrowly escaped being drowned Chitta Ranjan reached Chandpur. There -he managed to send a large number of coolies in a special steamer to -Goalundo and arranged for the repatriation of the rest. He came back -to Calcutta with his wife in a cheerful spirit--cheerful, as he knew -that he had been able to do his duty as the leader of Bengal. - -Now when the first stage of the Non-Co-operation movement was so -successfully passed, the Working Committee of the Congress met at -Calcutta in the beginning of September to discuss the second step and -it was decided that the next step would be boycott of foreign cloth. -This step entailed a great difficulty as it would be necessary to make -the people self-reliant and independent of foreign cloth. It -necessitated that spinning should be introduced in every house and -Indians should be encouraged to weave their own clothes. Chitta Ranjan -proceeded on a lecturing tour all over Bengal to preach Swadeshi to -his countrymen and to make it clear to them that the salvation of -India lay in hand-spinning and weaving. In course of one of his -lectures he said:-- - -"At this commencement of a new era in the history of India, you must -take the Swadeshi vow. I know Indians can do everything only if they -_w_ish it. Their fortitude is unique and determination firm. Once take -the vow that you shall not use foreign cloth. If you cannot procure -sufficient country-made cloth, cut one cloth into two pieces and use -them separately. You have no reason to be ashamed of wearing a short -dress. On the other hand if you import fine cloth from Manchester, the -whole world will cry shame upon you. To-day at this dawn of national -consciousness take the vow that you shall wear only country-made -cloth, be it coarse or fine. With it is inter-woven the sweet -affection of your brothers and sisters. It will help you to develop -your manhood." - -In another lecture Chitta Ranjan has said:-- - -"Our national life has become stagnant. We must purify it. This -requires penance for our past sins, this means we should give up all -our luxuries and strive for the realisation of our national spirit." - -In course of one of his mufassil lectures he once remarked:--"Those -who still do not believe in Swaraj, must very soon change their minds. -For they also must strive to attain Swaraj as the only means of -developing their manhood. Swaraj is the birth right of a nation. It -comes to believers and non-believers as a divine blessing." - -When this speech was published in the form of an article, many took it -for a visionary statement; but the time was not very far when it was -actually verified. People who did never believe in Swaraj have -actually joined this movement all on a sudden as if led by Providence. - -While the country was being thus prepared step by step for the -attainment of its ultimate goal, the complete hartal on the 17th -November on the occasion of the Prince's arrival in India unnerved the -Europeans and the Anglo-Indians who saw that without any act of -violence or intimidation the whole of India obeyed the dictates of the -Indian National Congress. Not a murmur was heard, not a complaint -lodged. This produced a heart-burning in the Anglo-Indians whose -representatives urged the Government by saying that it was Gunda Raj -not British Raj on the 17th to take steps in striking the national -movement at its very root. The Bureaucratic Government of India, -misled by the Anglo-Indian Press thought it fit to crush the movement -and the Bengal Government in a fit of frenzy as it were, declared -towards the end of November that the Congress and Khilafat Volunteers -formed an unlawful association. The Working Committee of the Congress -met at Bombay and decided to continue the national service corps in -defiance of the Government notification and enjoined upon all -Congress-men to enlist themselves as Volunteers. Chitta Ranjan came -back to Calcutta from Bombay and convened a meeting of the Provincial -Congress Committee which delegated all its powers to him. In that -capacity Chitta Ranjan thought it proper to send volunteers who would -go from shop to shop requesting the shop-keepers to sell Swadeshi only -and to observe _hartal_ on the 24th December on which day His Royal -Highness the Prince of Wales would arrive at Calcutta. He knew that -the volunteers were to be arrested; yet he sent his only son Srijut -Chira Ranjan Das to lead a batch of volunteers. Chitta Ranjan is a -very affectionate father, his heart is all affection; yet the report -of Chira Ranjan's arrest and six months, rigorous imprisonment, nay, -the cruel assaults on his person did not move Chitta Ranjan in the -least for he knew that son was suffering in the cause of justice and -righteousness. He sent the following message to the persecuted:-- - -"What shall I say to those who have suffered, who are suffering, and -to those who are prepared to suffer for the cause of freedom? I repeat -the message which was delivered by a Persian Poet. - -Truth, love and courage:--that is all you need to learn, all that you -need to remember. "Faith, Fortitude, Firmness, will they falter and -fail and fade at the hour of trial, in the moment of despair", asked -the Saqi in a mournful strain, "Or will they, tried and tested emerge -from the fire of life radiant, strengthened, ennobled, purified?" - -"Not will I forsake them", answered the youth, "not even were the -heavens to fall." - -"Thine then" said the Saqi, "is the path of glory, thine a nation's -gratitude, thine the fadeless crown. - -Would that courage unbent, courage such as thine, be the proud -possession of all! - -For naught but courage winneth life's battle, naught but courage -secureth souls' freedom, man's noblest and highest prize. Let, -courage, then, be thy gift, O God, to this wondrous land of love and -light." - -The day following Chira Ranjan's arrest, Chitta Ranjan's worthy wife -Srijukta Basanti Devi and his noble sister Srijukta Urmila Devi along -with Srijukta Suniti Devi came out at the head of the volunteers. They -drove in a motor car up to the crossing of Harrison Road and College -Street. They got down from the car and walked by the foot path -requesting every one to wear khaddar, to discard foreign clothes and -to observe hartal on the 24th December. When they came back to the -crossing again, they were arrested and sent up to the Jorashanko -Police station. They were conveyed to the Presidency Jail from the -Lalbasar lock-up. Close upon midnight when they had already retired -to bed, they were released unconditionally. The splendid message which -they gave to their countrymen on their arrest is worth quoting here:-- - -"We came out fully prepared for arrest. It was torture for us as -mothers to stay away when our young boys were going to Jail -gloriously. We entreat all our sisters to take up the work left -unfinished. Let them not forget that their place is with their -brothers and sisters imprisoned. Let them realize that they are -practically living in prison, only a bigger one. It is more honourable -to live in a real prison than to breathe the polluted air of the -slave-land. We appeal to the students of Government institutions to -vacate the colleges in a body and take up the struggle for liberty. -Now or never is our last word. This noble struggle will lead us either -to victory or to death. Both are glorious. It must be life or death, -not this slavery any more." - -The arrest of the noble ladies produced a profound impression -throughout the city. Crowds of volunteers began to pour in, in order -to continue Congress and Khilafat work and to court arrest in the act -of doing that. The students of the Colleges struck and enrolled -themselves in hundreds and in thousands as National Volunteers. Even -low class people responded to the country's call. The national work -went on with a redoubled velocity. Srijut Das issued the following -appeal to the people of Bengal:-- - -"Fear of Jail, fear of assaults and fear of being shot down--these are -three fears which every worker must conquer before we can get Swaraj. -We have conquered the fear of Jail; we are about to conquer the fear -of assault. It depends on the Bureaucracy when we shall succeed in -conquering the fear of being shot down. In the mean-time I charge -every one to remember that our success can only depend on non-violence -so real and so perfect that all God-fearing men must come over to our -side." - -In the mean-time His Excellency the Governor invited Chitta Ranjan to -discuss with him the present political situation of Bengal. The points -of view of Chitta Ranjan and his party and also those of the -Government were freely discussed, and criticised but no actual result -came out of it. The Government decided to take the strictest possible -measures and arrest all the prominent leaders. Leaders of other places -outside Bengal--leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai, Pundit Motilal Nehru, -and others were arrested and tried summarily. On the 10th of December -at 4-30 P. M. two Deputy Commissioners went to the house of Srijut -Chitta Ranjan Das and there arrested him along with Srijut Birendra -Nath Sarmal, while they were taking tea. Srijut Das kept up a -dignified and smiling appearance all through. Srijuts Das and Sasmal -were taken to Lalbazar in two Motor-cars. The ladies commenced blowing -conches and crying _ulu_. A large crowd had assembled on the road and -shouts of "Bande-Mataram", "Gandhi Mahatmaki joy", "Deshabandhu Das's -joy" went up from them. The following is the last message sent to his -countrymen by Deshabandhu Chitta Ranjan Das, on the day of his -arrest:-- - -"This is my last message to you, men and women of India! Victory is in -sight, if you are prepared to win it by suffering. It is in such agony -as that through which we are passing that nations are born; but you -must bear this agony with fortitude, with courage and with perfect -self composure. Remember that so long as you follow the path of -non-violence, you put the Bureaucracy in the wrong; but move by a -hair-breadth from the path which Mahatma Gandhi has mapped out for -you, and give away the battle to the Bureaucracy. Swaraj is our goal, -Swaraj not in compartments not by installments; but Swaraj whole and -entire. Now it is for you men and women, to say whether we shall -attain the goal for which we are striving. - -To my Moderate friends I say this. Survey the history of the world -from the beginning of all times. Has any nation yet won freedom by -pursuing the path which you are pursuing? If the appeal should reach -any waverer amongst you, I ask him to consider whether he will now -stand on the side of India in her conflict with the Bureaucracy? There -may be compromise in the matter of details, but there can be no -compromise in the essential question that divides us from the -Bureaucracy. And if you do not stand for India, you assuredly stand -for the Bureaucracy. - -To the students, I say this:--You are at once the hope and the glory -of India. True education does not consist in learning to add two and -two make four; but it lies in the service which you are prepared to -give to the Mother of us all. 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