Sri Aurobindo
Karmayogin
Political Writings and Speeches — 1909-1910
Karmayogin: A Weekly Review
Saturday 11th September 1909 — No.12
Facts and Opinions
Impatient Idealists
The President of the Hughly Conference, in reference to the formal statement by Sj. Aurobindo Ghose of the adherence of the Nationalist Party to the policy of self-help and passive resistance in spite of their concessions to the Moderate minority, advised the party of the future under the name of impatient idealists to wait.
The reproach of idealism has always been brought against those who work with their eye on the future by the politicians wise in their own estimation who look only to the present.
The reproach of impatience is levelled with equal ease and readiness against those who in great and critical times have the strength and skill to build with rapidity the foundations or the structure of the future.
The advice to wait is valueless unless we know what it is that we have to wait for and why it is compulsory on us to put off the effort which might be made at the present.
If we can progress quickly there must be adequate reasons given us for preferring to progress slowly or to stand still.
We have not yet heard those adequate reasons.
As far as we have gone, the only reason we have been able to find is that the fears and hesitations of our Moderate countrymen stand in our way.
The whole Asiatic world is moving forward with enormous rapidity.
In Persia, in Turkey, in Japan the impatient idealists have by means suited to the conditions of the country effected the freedom and are now busy building up the dignity and strength of their motherland.
Constitutional Government has been everywhere established or is being prepared for consciously and with a steady eye to its establishment in the immediate future.
Even in Russia a Duma has been established with however restricted an electorate.
Of all the great nations of the world India alone is bidden to wait.
It is bidden by Lord Morley and Anglo-India to wait for ever.
It is bidden by its own leaders to wait till the rulers are induced by prayers and petitions to concede a 
constitutional government and we have been told by those rulers when that will be — never.
We have been told not by conservative statesmen but by the chief teacher of Radicalism and Democracy.
Under the circumstances, which is the more unpractical and idealistic, the impatience of the Nationalist or the supine and trustful patience of the President of the Hughly Conference?