* ou ig RmmMIBCENcEs oF LOK. TAR [vou 4 ‘Tiink was ohary of disturbing the sootal idols which, he thought, had survived the shock of oeturies. Like most great men the ‘Lolamanya was conservative by instinct though in politics no ons oould run before him, Allthe same he was not impervions to the world movement for the emancipation of manand woman ~which had then only begun, It became a reality after it had undergone the baptism of the Grest War The Lokmanyn was then no more He had, however left a politloal testament sugust ing the formation of s Demooratio party In tho general alcotfons that followed I was returned to the firss Legislative Amsambly ond was I think, instruments! in bringing into existenos on organised opposition which was named the Democratic Party It is not for ‘Mo to oxpatiate on tho work of that body in the firs} Assembly but it strove to loyally carry out tha political policy of the late Lokmanya, Though I am neither o Brahmin nor a Maratha, I feel with the best of them the loss of Lokmanys Tilak, for to me the late Lokmanya was uelther a Brhmin nor a Morhatha but a trac Patriot, a fearless champlon of popular rights ond, above all, one of the stauncheat champions of the cause of Indis. VY O Chidambaram Pillay { Pleader Koilpatt: Mnrdras Preeidency ) Lokamanys Bal Gangadhar Tilak {8 my political Guru. From may Qist year that is from 1892, I was closely following his writ Angs and speeches on politics, They made me feck that Indin was my country that the British wero wrongfully retafning ft and that it must be got back from them, Then I considered and discussed ‘with my friens oll tho ways and means to get Jt back from them, Bat I found that none of those ways and means muited tho condi tion of my countrymen. I wanted to mect my political Gurn and© ye 159 III] V. C, CHIDAMBARAM PILLAY discuss with him about those ways and means, The Session of the Indian National Congress that was to be held at Surat in 1907 was fasily approaching then. I made up my mind to mest my politi- cal Guru at Surat and discuss with him about those ways and means. Just then our great Patmot Smyut Lala Lajapat Rai, was released from his deported destination It struck me and some of my Madras friends that Lala Laypat Rai was the proper person to preside over the Congress at Surat. I corresponded by wire with my political Gura and with Babu Arabindo Ghose of Bengal about the matter. We three agreed that Lalay: must be made to preside over the Congress. Then we wired about tho matter to Lalap. Although he was not willng at first to accept the piesidentship of the Congress, he finally yielded to our repeated telegraphic requests. Meanwhile our moderated friends nominated our great countryman Dr Rash Bihan Ghose of Bengal to preside over the Congress We three agreed by telegraphic correspondence that we should propose an amendment in the open Session of the Congress that Lalaji should occupy the chair and that we must, for our support, arrange to have with us a large number of nationahst delogatos from all provinces, Accordingly we wired to the nationalist leaders of other provinces and they brought a large number of nationalist delegates to Surat We also took a great number of nationalist delegates with us to Surat What all took place at the Congress Pandal and out- side of 16 at Surat have been correctly stated by Mr G.S Khaparde in Ins letters of 23rd December 1907 to 28th December 1907 that have been published at pages 45, 47 of tho “Remumsconces of Lokamanya Tilak” volume II I noed not repeat them here. In Surat two meidents took place, one at the upper story at which my Guru halted and the other at the nationalists’ conference that we hadin the Ghee Kanta Wadi At the first mentioned place our noon meal was wartmg for us for a very long tame as my Guru was not able to leave the crowds that wore coming by thou-160 N REMOWISOENOES OF Lox. TAK (Vou, fands to kiss hia feat. At shout 3 p m. one of our Surat friends akked the crowds to walt for afew minutes and took my Guru, Babu Arabindo myself and a few others ton back room to have our meals. Having known that we belonged to different castes, and creeds and thinking thas my Garn might not like to ali and take his food with us, that Surat friend asked my Gurn “ May I arrange to servo you the meal in the next room ?” By Guru prompt ly replied “ All patriota are of ono and the same caste and areed ” and eat amidst us and took his food with us That is hia go called Orthodoxy! At the nationaliss Delegates conferenco a delegato asked my Gorn Should we not consider the private character of & person who wanta to join our party? At once my Guru replied * As long as his privato character docs not affect his public work, wo need not look into his private character That was his tolerant spirit! After the conference was over tho delegates of each provinoes aseambled there elected their provinein! sceretary and dispersed also went away with them having forgot all about Tay desire to havo 9 discussion with my Guru about the ways and means to get back our country from the British os the eplit in the Oongress waa foremost in my mind. In the middle of 1908 I was convicted for sedition and was Sentenced to transportation for life After somo months my Gura also wna convicted for sedition and was sentenced to transportation for six years, On appeal my sentence was reduced to transportation for six years, I was detained in the Oontral Jnils at Coimbatore and wos released in 1912 My Gara waa detained at Mandahy and wna relented in 1914 Then we wero corresponding with each other about the current political topics of the day However my desire to discuss with him nbont tho ways and means to obtain Swaraj was growing in my heart day by day and I wns waiting only for an opportunity to meet him. About a week prior to the death of Mr G K. Gokhale f received a lettcr from my Gura directing mato goto Poona stWL] YV. 0. CHIDAMBARAM PILLAI 161 once. I reached Poona on the mght on which Mr. Gokhale died, one tame my Guru was on the Sinhagad Hills Nest morning sot. of his followers went to the lulls to bring him to Poona. He reached Ins residonce at about 9 a.m. At once he went to my room and had a short talk with me about my welfare etc, Then he referred to the death of Mr. Gokhale, mentioned to mo all his good services to tho country and felt vory sorry for lis death. He wanted to go to Mr. Gokhale’s residence and asked mo if I liked to go with him there. Isaidno. He and somo of lus followers went to Mr. Gokhalo’s residence and returned home only in the night. He narrated to mo what all took placo in Mr. Gokhale’s residence and also in the cremation ground. Next mormng at about 5 O’clock my Guru went to my slecp- ing room and took me to Ins private chambors, Ho had a talk with me about the European War that was then going on and about a message that he recerved from some of the Indian Patriots, who were then in Germany. The message was to tho offect that cortam occasions would arise during the course of the War and that Indians should do such and such things on those occassions, We discussed for two-_or threo days about the advisabihty, possibihty and the probable result of our carrying out the terms of the mes. sage. Here my Guru predicted that the occasions referred to m tho message might not arise as there were several complications in Burope in connection with the War. I questioned my Guru about the ways and means to attain Swaraj to our country. He rephed to the followmg effect — Our country 18 a vast one. In ii there are men of different Innds of tendencies and temperaments, Some say that Swaray can be ob- tamed by petitions, prayers and protests, while some others say that Swaraj cannot be obtamed by all these means. Some say that Swaray can be obtamed by domg away with the heads of the Executive Government, while some others say that only persecu- R...18162" . REMIMIEOENORS OF Lox. TAK [Vou Hon would follow such acta. Some say that Swaraj oan be obtain- ed by asimultantous revolution throughout the country while some others say that anarchy would be the result, Bome say that Swarej oem be obtained by a war with the help of another country while some others aay that the country would continue to ba a slave under that another conntry even if it comes out suocesfal in the war T said “You, It istrue that different men in our country have different views sbont the matter But what are we to do?” He replied in the following terms —- Let each patriot do what he deems best for his country Let not others put obstacles in his way There is room in our country for different kinds of men and for different kinds of activities. One need not clash with the other Let ell acts of oonstractlon go on, whatever they and their forms may be. Let not others obstroct those acta, Let no ane be disheartened by his failures or sufferings in the course of his work to attain Gwaraj Failures will bring kmowledge and snooom,’ LT asked him to give me his opinion of the social roform movement, He eaid that it was avery good movement, If it was so Jasked him, why did he not tsko any eotlvs part in that movement, He replied thn ono should have one object in view and that he should concentrate all his attention and energy to attain that one object. If he allows himself to have more objects than one in view his sttentlon and energy will be diffused and consequently he cannot acoomplish any one of those object. Insked him if the preeent caste system does not stand in the way of unity among the peoplo ofthe country He replied “Yes It does stand, Several men Including those that are In Government services ore working to root out the ovilain tho present caste system. Why ehould we interfere in their work, when wo have more than enoagh work to do in another direction?” T asked him os to the advisability of tha patriots nccopting Governmont services. Hereplied “Yes. Iwant all GovernmentTII.] VY. O, CHIDAMBARAM PILLAI . 463 ‘Offices, both Crvil and Mihtary, to be occupied by real Patriots. If all the Governors and the Governors-in-General are real patriotic Indians, we have then attamed Swaraj. I asked him if Patriots «an enter Legislative Councils?, Herephed “Yes I want real Patriots to occupy not only all the seats in all the Legislative Coun- cils but also all the seats and offices in all the stitutions of the country, which will bring power, influence or money.” I stayed with my Guru forabout a week In each of those days he used to take me to his private chambers early mormng at about 5 O’clock and to talk tome and to discuss with me there till 10 O’clock in the mght When visitors came to see lnm, I used to retire to my room As soon as the visitors left him, he would come to my room and would take me again to his private chambers. In his talk and discussions with me for about a week, he gave me not even a single occasion to say “ Beg your pardon”, “I don’t follow you” or “Once more please,” 80 clear and so plain and go straight was his talk. I fear I will be wanting in gratitude if I do not express a word about treatment that was accorded to me durmg my stay with my Guru Fora few days m the beginning he used to sit with me durmg my morning and evening tea and durmg my noon and might meals and to take his drmk and diet with me His drink and diet were those of diabetic patients Although I did not hke their flavour and taste, he used to ask me to taste a hitle of them every time he drank and ate with me. When I got acquainted with his relations and friends 1n his house, I prefered to go, sit and take my noon and mght meals with them Even then he used to go to me and ask me how I hked the meals etc Neither he nor any of his realations or friends ever asked me to what caste or ere6AI belonged In short, every one of the mates of my Gurw’s house including my Guru treated mo as the master of the house, I have not recerved such kind and respectable treatment even in my father-mn-law’s house, For entertaming me he arranged for a164 ‘ RmONIsCRNOES OF LOK. TILAK (You. aitualo party on a certain evening in his house and also for a mock Indien warfare on another evening in 2 certain theatre. Whart I wos about to leave him, how he embraced moJ cannot expres exoopt by tears from my eyes. Dr Harold H Mann ( Formerly Prinapal Agricultural College Poona; Ex- Director of the Agricultural Department Bombay Presidency } I went to Poona in the year 1907 Before I went thero the name of Mr B,G Tilak was very familiar as one of the more advanced of the national leaders, but I first came in contact with him during the intensive temperanos agitation in the early part of 1908. Then we eat togethar on the committee of the Poons Tem pernnos Association, and from the first it wos the magnetic quality of Mr Tilak’s personality that specially impressed me. If he came into a room, even though I had not sean him, his presenco was evident at once and {t is by the strongth of his personality that I shall always remember him, even more than by his wisdom in discussion or the wide knowledgo of public affairs that he ehowtd, Next to this, {t was the unbending courage which he exhibited which impressed mo very much indeed for during tho whole of the agitation, when geome others stood aside Mr Tilak never budged from the position which we had taken at the beginning of the pickotting movement. A fow months lator came the arrest of Mr = Tilak in Bombay ‘The news was received like a thunderbolt in Poona, I was at that time Principal of the Agricultural Collego at Poonn butass per Sonal friond of Mr Tilnk I felt his arrest very intensely The students of ell the Poonn colleges made signs of striking work to show their focling fn tho matter nnd among them tho students of my own college realising that I wos feeling matters ns Leenly 99