revive their home industries and thereby out of the sale-proceeds they
would be able to make themselves independent of any external pecuniary
help. For as regards the poor the great object should be to make them
independent; the great danger is of making them more dependent. It is
no doubt a good thing to make them comfortable, but in helping people
if we know that we love them and not pity them, we must try to form
their character, otherwise our charity will be cruel. We read a short
poem in our early years which throw some light on the nature of true
charity.
"I gave a beggar from my little store
Of well-earned gold. He spent the shining ore
And came again, and yet again, still cold
And hungry as before.
I gave a thought, and through that thought of mine
He finds himself a man, supreme, divine,
Fed, clothed, and crowned with blessings manifold,
And now he begs no more."
Such is the nature of Chitta Ranjan's charity which has aimed not
merely at alleviating want, but at creating independence.
Patriotism is with Chitta Ranjan another name for socialism by which
we mean his ardent love for the suffering humanity. He loves this
country as it gives shelter to his poor brethren whom his religion has
taught him to look upon as incarnations of Narayana.
When in April 1917 the political leaders of Bengal asked Chitta Ranjan
to preside over the annual session of the Provincial Conference, he
delivered a speech in Bengali which was unique in character and form
and in which Chitta Ranjan stated that socialism and patriotism were
almost identical so far as our country was concerned. He said in
course of this speech:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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