Sri Aurobindo
Bande Mataram
Calcutta, September 11th, 1906
Part Two. Bande Mataram under the Editorship of Bipin Chandra Pal (6 August – 15 October 1906)
By the Way
Babu Bhupendranath Bose has, it appears, been writing to the Mofussil laying down the policy of the nation.
Babu Bhupendranath is not going to allow Mr. Tilak to be President, because the said Tilak does not know navigation.
Babu Bhupendranath is 
going to telegraph to Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji asking him to dance to Babu Bhupendranath’s fiddling.
Babu Bhupendranath is not going to allow the nation to act in opposition to the Government.
Babu Bhupendranath as a loyal Legislative Councillor, will compel the people to act in association with the bureaucracy.
Long live Babu Bhupendranath Bose, ally of England and Dictator of Bengal!
It is very natural for the Comilla people to enquire whether this remarkable pronouncement is Babu Bhupendranath’s own particular balloon, or Babu Surendranath Banerji also is tempting the airy heights in his company. The mysteries of the secret conclave which attempts to direct the destinies of the national movement are carefully veiled from profane eyes, but it is generally understood that Babu Bhupendranath wields there a marvellous influence, the source of which it is difficult to understand. He is a successful attorney, a conspicuous figure in Calcutta society, a man of the world gifted with consummate business ability, a member of the Bengal Legislative Council, who aspires, it is believed, to the cool heights of Simla. In all this there is nothing which gives him a claim to lead in a great patriotic upheaval. Yet he is the power behind the throne.
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Curiously yoked is this grey leader with the flying mane, thunderous neigh and stamping hooves of our great veteran war-steed. The one would gallop on with the national chariot, the other hangs back. The eye of the one is thrown forward, his ear pricks to the noise of the battle, his heart is in the future with the destiny of his nation. The eye of the other is cast backward, his ear pricks to the dulcet voices of Minto and Morley, his heart is in the past, in the august peace of the Legislative Council. But it is the slow horse that sets the pace. And hence we have Babu Bhupendranath Bose figuring as President-maker and policy-maker to His Majesty the lately awakened Democracy of Bengal.
*
The question is, will the people sanction the appointment of 
Babu Bhupendranath by himself to this important office?
To the spirit of autocracy and government from behind the curtain, we shall always be opposed whether in the bureaucracy or in our own leaders.
But if there is to be an autocrat, let him at least be one whose heart is wholly with the people.
This work was not included in SABCL, vol.1 and it was not compared with other editions.