Sri Aurobindo
Karmayogin
Political Writings and Speeches — 1909-1910
Karmayogin: A Weekly Review
Saturday 25th September 1909 — No.14
Facts and Opinions
Mr. Lalmohan Ghose
The death of Mr. Lalmohan Ghose removes from the scene a distinguished figure commemorative of the past rather than representative of any living force in the present.
His interventions in politics have for many years past been of great rarity and, since the Calcutta Congress, had entirely ceased.
It cannot therefore be said that his demise leaves a gap in the ranks of our active workers.
He was the survivor of a generation talented in politics rather than great, and, among them, he was one of the few who could lay claim to the possession of real genius.
That genius was literary, oratorical and forensic rather than political but as these were the gifts which then commanded success in the political arena, he ought to have stood forward far ahead of the mass of his contemporaries.
It was the lack of steadiness and persistence common enough in men of brilliant gifts, which kept him back in the race.
His brother Mr. Manmohan Ghose, a much less variously and richly gifted intellect but a stronger character, commanded by the possession of these very qualities a much weightier influence and a more highly and widely honoured name.
In eloquence we doubt whether any orator of the past or present1 generation has possessed the same felicity of style and charm of manner and elocution.
Mr. Gokhale has something of the same debating gift, but it is marred by the dryness of his delivery and the colourlessness of his manner.
Mr. Lalmohan Ghose possessed the requisite warmth, glow and agreeableness of speech and manner without those defects of excess and exaggeration which sometimes mar Bengali oratory.
We hope that his literary remains will be published, especially2 the translation of the Meghnad Badh3, which, from such capable hands, ought to introduce favourably a Bengali masterpiece to a wider than Indian audience.