Now gentlemen, I desire to point out one thing clearly here. It has
been said by Anglo-Indian newspapers and Anglo-Indian agitators that
our politics consist in abusing the Government. Well I deny that
charge in toto. Our politics consists in this that we want some
kind of Government which may be described as responsible Government
according to the principles of constitutional law. We want some sort
of Government in which the Government officials will be responsible to
the people whom they govern. We have no quarrel with individuals. If
a civilian official does some wrong in some place we feel we have to
criticise his actions. But my objection will not be met by replacing
the whole of the Civil Service by Bengalees. My quarrel is not with
individuals, my quarrel is with the system--it is an evil system. It
might have been necessary at one time. It has done its work and is no
longer necessary. It hampers our growth at the present moment--anything
which stands against our growing nationality, I have no hesitation in
describing that as an evil. The time has come when this system should
be cast away as a 'creed outworn.'