Sri Aurobindo
Karmayogin
Political Writings and Speeches — 1909-1910
Karmayogin: A Weekly Review
Saturday 24th July 1909 — No.5
Facts and Opinions
What Co-operation?
The delusion under which the Government labours that the Terrorist activities have a great organisation at their back, is the source of its most fatal mistakes.
Everyone who knows anything of this country is aware that this theory is a fabrication.
If it were a fact, the conspiracy would by this time have been exposed and destroyed.
The assassinations have in all instances, except the yet doubtful Maniktola conspiracy now under judicial consideration, been the act of isolated individuals, and even in the Maniktola instance, if we accept the finding of the Sessions Court, it has been shown by judicial investigation that the group of young men was small and so secret in their operations that only a few even of those who lived in their headquarters knew anything of the contemplated terrorism.
Under such circumstances we fail to see either any justification for so passionate a call for co-operation or any possibility of an answer from the public.
All that the public can do is to express disapprobation of the methods used by these isolated youths.
It cannot turn itself into a huge Criminal Investigation Department to ferret out the half-dozen men here and there who possibly contemplate assassination and leave its other occupations and duties after the pattern of the police who in many quarters are so busy with suppressing fancied Swadeshi outrages that real outrage and dacoity go unpunished.
We do not suppose that Sir Edward Baker himself would make such a demand, but if he has any other co-operation in view it would be well if he would define it before he proceeds with his strenuous proposal to strike out right and left at the innocent and 
the guilty without discrimination.
On the other hand the Anglo-Indian papers are at no loss for the definite method of co-operation which they demand from the country on peril of “stern and relentless repression”.
They demand that we shall cease to practise or preach1 patriotism and patriotic self-sacrifice and submit unconditionally to the eternally unalterable absolutism which is the only system of government Lord Morley will tolerate in India.
That demand has only to be mentioned to be scouted.