I now pass on to another phase of this national history, that is, the
great Swadeshi movement. It really began in 1902. It was intensified in
1905; it went on and I believe, it is still going on. That movement was
inaugurated by the same spirit of nationalism made broader, perhaps a
little selfish--all national claims begin in national selfishness but
made more real. Bengal, for the first time, in those days, realised the
great soul within her. At that time we became fully conscious so far
as Bengal is concerned. We turned to the country, the whole of Bengal
became to us the symbol of the soul of Bengal. Many of you, gentlemen,
must have lived through that period, must have taken part in the many
activities of that period and I ask you to say if you ever felt the
pulse of the people of Bengal beat so clearly as you did in those days.
(Hear, hear) I say before that movement all other movements were more
or less borrowed because before that the soul of Bengal was hidden from
us. For the first time in the history of our national life that soul
began to reveal herself and we were struck with the glory and majesty
of it. This period of our national life is remarkable for the writings
of Rabindra Nath Tagore (Cheers) and of Bepin Chandra Pal, of D. L. Roy
(Cheers) and many others. But at that time our idea of nationalism was
centred in Bengal. We never looked beyond Bengal, we were looking at
Bengal, we were drinking of Bengal, as it were; and of course, we were
enraptured, as all lovers are.
Now, gentlemen, the nationalism of to-day is wider than that. We have
lived to grow and we discover that although the soul of Bengal must
direct all our activities that although the soul of Bengal must find
its fullest expression in every work in which we engage yet there is a
wider outlook which cannot be neglected.