Sri Aurobindo
Karmayogin
Political Writings and Speeches — 1909-1910
Karmayogin: A Weekly Review
Saturday 18th December 1909 — No.24
Facts and Opinions
The Council Elections
The elections for the Reformed Councils, so far as they have proceeded, entirely justify the description of the new bodies which we gave in our article on the Reforms.
The elections for the United Provinces give a fair sample of the results which are sure to obtain all over India.
With the exception of two or three gentlemen of the type of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, there is none on the Council to represent the educated wealthy, much 
less the people at large; all the rest are Europeans, Mahomedans and grandees.
It is a Council of Notables, not a reformed Legislative Council representing both the Government and the people.
In Bengal two gentlemen have been elected who represent the most lukewarm element in the popular party, for Sj. Baikunthanath Sen and Mr. K. B. Dutt stand not for the new movement in Bengal so much as for the old antiquated Congress politics which Bengal, even in its Moderate element, has left far behind.
Behar sends one independent man in Mr. Deepnarain1 Singh.
All the rest are of the dignified classes who either have no patriotic feelings or dare not express them.
It is possible that Sir Edward Baker, in order to remove the stigma of unrepresentative subserviency from his Council, may try to nominate two or three who will help to keep Sj. Baikunthanath and his friend in countenance, but that purely personal grace will not mend matters.
The Bengal Council is likely to be an even more select and unrepresentative body than we expected.
We counted the District Boards as possible constituencies for representatives of opposition and independent opinion, but, for the most part, they might almost as well have been preserves for the aristocracy.
In East Bengal it is evident that the Councils will be a Mahomedan and European body.