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Vol. 1.
,
KARMAYOGIN
FACTS AND OPINIONS.
A WEEKLY REVIEW
National Religion, Literature, Science, Philosophy, &c.,
000
The Convention President.
The nomination of Sir Pherozshah Mehta as the President of the three men's Convention at Lahore is not an event that is of any direct interest to Nationalists. Just ns the thrco tailors of Tooley Street represented themselves A8 the British public, so the three egregions mediorities of the Punjab
pose as the people of their province anl, in defiance of the great weight af opinion among the leading men and the still strenger force of feeling among the people against the holding of A Convention Congress at Lahore, are inviting the representatives of the Moderate party to a Rossion of what is still called, even under these discourag ing circumstances, tho Indian National Congress. It is of small importance to us when these three gentlemen elect as their President. The nomination was in lend a foregone conclusion. Sir Phonesh Mehta, having got rid of ais Nationalist adversaries, now rules the Convention with as absolute a sway As he ruled the Corporation before the European element combined against him and showed that, servile as Bombay respectability might be to the Corporation lion, it was still more servile to the ruling class. Indirectly, however, the election
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9th ASHWIN 1316.
is of some importance to Bengal owing to the desire of the people of this province for an United Congress. It is no longer a secret that. in Bengal Moderato circles the feel ing against Sir Pherozshah is almost as strong as it is in the Nationalist party. It has even been threatened. that, if Sir Pherozshah becomes the President, Bengal will not attend the session at Lahore. This has
since been qualified by the proviso that Bengal as a province will not attend, although some individuals may overcome their feelings or their scruples. Bengal as a province would in no case attend the sittings of a mutilated Congress. Even the whole Moderate party were not likely to attend unless their objections on the score of constitutional procedure were properly considered. All that the threat can mean is that, even of those would otherwire have gono, most will not attend. This is, after all, a fecole menace. Neither Sj. Surendranath nor Sj. Bhupendranath nor the Chaudhuri brothers are likely to forego attendance, and, for all practical purposes, these gentlemen are the Moderate party do co to Lahore, they are certain to in Bengal. If the Bengal leaders bey taeekly the dictates of Sir Pherozshah Mehta; for there is not one of them who has sufficient strength of character to stand up to the roarings of the Fombay
No. 14.
lion. of
They were in the habit obeying him even when he had no official authority, and it can woll be imagined how the strong,arrogant and overbearing man will demean himself as President. and how utterly impossible it will be even to suggest, either in Subjects Committee or in full meeting. any idea which will not be wholly palatable to the autocrat. Sj. Surendranath Banerji at Hughly advanced the strangely reactionary conception of the President of a Congress or Conference as by right not less absolute than the Czar of all the Russias,bound by no law and no principle and entitled to exact from the Conference or Congress implicit obedience to his most arbitrary and unconstitutional whims and caprices. This absolutist conception is likely to be carried out to the letter at the Lahore Convention. If ever there was any hope that the Lahore session of the Convention might be utilised for bringing about an United Congress, that has now disappeared. The hope was cherished by some, but it was from the first eu idle expectation. A firm combination of all, whethor Moderates or Nationalists, who are in favour of union, and the holding of a freely elected Congress at Calcutta bringing about union. whs along the only chance of Presidential Autocracy.
The conception of the President, a a Rubion autocrat and th
