Sri Aurobindo

Bande Mataram

Calcutta, April 9^th, 1907

Part Three. Bande Mataram under the Editorship of of Sri Aurobindo (24 October 1906 – 27 May 1907)

A Nil-admirari Admirer

The splendid speech of Srinath Paul¹ has at last found an admirer in the nil-admirari editor of the Indian Nation. What is more wonderful still is that the veteran cynic who had up to now directed all his energies in running down Surendranath has now suddenly discovered that “Surendranath is the most prominent man on this side of the country.”

The poor President of the Conference, who had committed² the unpardonable sin of differing from the omniscient editor of the Indian Nation in his ideas of nationalism, has come in for a liberal share of abuse.

He does not understand the difference in the ideals of the two parties; he fails to find wherein Mr. Tilak’s nationalism differs from that of Mr. Gokhale. He fancies he had been cherishing and nursing the national spirit – and this disgust at the very name of the nation is the result. Even Homer nods; and the wise editor of the Indian Nation and his other compatriots have to be told that the supreme test of nationalism is a belief in the future of the nation and a love for it – with all its weaknesses.

As for the scurrility of the New Party organs we beg to remind this English scholar that even the genial smile of Addison cut the offending section of the public to the bone.

Earlier edition of this work: Sri Aurobindo Birth Century Library: Set in  30  volumes.- Volume 1.- Bande Mataram: Early Political Writings. 1890 - May 1908.- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1973.- 920 p.

¹ 1973 ed. SABCL, vol.1: Pal

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² 1973 ed. SABCL, vol.1: who committed

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