_Under the Presidency of Mr. Chakravarty a largely attended meeting of
the citizens of Calcutta was held in April 1918, when Mr. C. R. Das
spoke:--_
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen,--the resolution which has been entrusted
to me is in these words (Mr. Das read the resolution). It is hardly
necessary to commend this resolution to your acceptance by any lengthy
speech. The resolution speaks for itself. It is only because I have
heard of objections in some quarters that I have to say a few words in
support of the resolution. There are people amongst us who think that
it is not gracious at this time, in the face of the great danger which
besets us, to trouble the Government by asking for political rights
and privileges. Gentlemen, it is for the very success of the measure
that I am asking the Government to consider the resolution. My answer
to those critics is this: Do you think that a country where the people
have been fighting for political rights for so many years and where
every time their petitions and prayers have been rejected with scorn,
do you think that in such a country you will get a very large army in
Bengal to come forward unless you can create among them an enthusiasm,
unless you can make them feel that they are fighting their own battle
(hear, hear). Is it reasonable to ask the people of this country to
join the army when you have made it impossible for them to feel that
this is their country, when you have made it impossible for them to
feel that empire you speak of is their empire? Have they any share
in that empire? Is it possible for the people of this country under
these circumstances to respond to the call which you have made to-day?
After all, what are we asking for--is it an unreasonable request to
make to the Government--here are these young men, members of many
families of Bengal, whom you have interned, kept under imprisonment
and in custody--is it so much unreasonable to ask Government now, in
the face of a great danger, which threatens you and which threatens
us, also, to release them and make them feel that after all it is
their country, that there is a Government which feel for them (hear,
hear)--that they have a Government also which care for their rights
and privileges--is it an unreasonable request at this juncture to ask
the Government to consider this resolution? Call to arms has been
sounded--it is our duty--it is the duty of every one of us to respond
to that call; and I do say this, because I feel it my duty to tell
the Government, at this juncture that in order that that response may
be real--in order that that response may be fruitful that you ought
to consider the position of these prisoners who are detained in jail
and kept in custody without trial. I am not raising the question as to
whether they are innocent or guilty,--let that question wait till the
danger is over, I am asking the Government to release them, so that
they may respond to this call to arms. With these people interned, do
you think you can get thousands and tens of thousands in the army in
this country? Release them. What army do you want, which Bengal cannot
furnish? I take upon myself to give up my profession for six months
(loud cheers) and go over the whole of this country asking the people
to join the army in their thousands (cheers). I ask the Government to
make it possible for us to raise this army. Gentlemen, when I think of
our present position, while the danger is before us, and the attitude
and the relation, if I may call it, between the Government, I mean
the Bureaucracy, on the one hand, and the people on the other, I must
confess, I look upon this as a tragedy. The Bureaucracy suspects the
people.--Often and often have we told them, we have cried ourselves
hoarse--and I repeat this again--I know these people--I have defended
their cases--there is not one among the revolutionaries who wants to
bring a foreign power in this country--be that foreign power Germany
or Japan. I am prepared to prove it, if there is an enquiry--a proper
enquiry by impartial men. But all those requests have fallen on deaf
ears. Why? Because the Government distrusts the people. The result is
they misunderstand us and misinterpret our statements and utterances.
In the same way, we, the people mistrust them because they mistrust us.
(hear, hear). I am free to confess that we very often misunderstand
their declarations and mistrust them unjustly but the fact that we
misunderstand each other is there, and I say it is a tragedy. I can
assure the Government that I can prove it to demonstration, to whatever
political party an individual in this country may belong, there is not
one man in Bengal, who really desires that the English people should
lose all connection with India and that some other foreign power should
be brought here (loud cheers and hear, hear.) You do not believe that.
We want to justify ourselves and want to become ourselves. We want
to feel that this country really belongs to us--we want to feel that
we are a nation--that we have got our specialities. We want to give
expression to our ideals and we want to stand side by side with the
different nations of the world and we do believe that with the English
connection, it would be easier for us to do so than if we tried to
make the English connection cease. That is the real attitude of the
people. But the pity is, they will not believe us, with the result
that whatever they say on many occasions, we do not believe. That is
why I think it is a tragedy. I appeal to the Government again to come
forward. The Prime Minister has sounded the call to arms. It is not
only a call to arms but it is a call to duty (hear, hear). We are
here prepared to discharge our duty. Do you do your duty, in the same
spirit--come forward and forget your racial prejudices, forget your
sense of prestige.--Stand side by side with us.--Hold us by your hands
and you will find between the two of us we will raise such an army
in Bengal which will beat back all foreign aggression (loud cheers.)
If the thing were possible, I say to the Government again, if you
really think you can raise a large army in this country, if you can
show us that it is probable, though I am a Nationalist, I say, that
I am prepared to postpone our struggle for political privileges till
the war is over. If it were possible, do it by any means. Call for
any sacrifice and the people of Bengal will not be slow to respond to
that. If in the face of this great danger, I ask you to release the
political prisoners, it is because I feel that if you do that, that
which you want will be secured. If you think you can secure what you
want without releasing the political prisoners, do so. You will not
find me slow to do my part of the duty (cheers.) I am prepared to wait
if I see that the Government with our help can raise a large army in
Bengal to-day to face a great danger--if I see that and if I find that
such a course is likely to succeed, I am prepared to wait till the war
is over for the fulfilment of those broken pledges. I will be prepared
to wait and dream of to-morrow, of the future, when our ambitions will
be satisfied--and satisfied they must be--I will forget the history of
broken pledges, of dead hopes and crushed aspirations. I will wait in
silence and in patience. Do make it possible. Call for any sacrifice
and here we are at your service. We will wait till the war is over.--We
will look forward to a later date for the fulfilment of broken pledges
and the resurrection of our dead hopes and our crushed aspirations,
(loud cheers.)