While in England, deeply versed in the literature of western
countries, Chitta Ranjan grew a thorough-bred Englishman in dress and
manners. But not-with-standing all this he was a true Indian at heart.
A single instance from Chitta Ranjan's life in England would justify
this remark. In 1892 when Chitta Ranjan was still in England one Mr.
James Maclean, a member of Parliament, while delivering a lecture,
passingly remarked that Indian Mahammadans were slaves and the Hindus
were indentured slaves. This offensive remark wounded the feelings of
young Chitta Ranjan. He at once set about in convening a meeting of
all the Indians in England. The Indians assembled in Exeter Hall where
Chitta Ranjan made a powerful speech protesting against the conduct of
Mr. Maclean. The city of London was in a state of excitement over this
matter and the leading journals of London in commenting on the speech
of Chitta Ranjan gave a prominent place to the subject of the meeting.
The Liberals in London convened a huge meeting at Oldham under the
Presidentship of Gladstone where Chitta Ranjan was invited to make a
speech on Indian affairs. In a speech on "Indian Agitation" he gave a
powerful display of his oratorical gifts and love of mother-land. In
that huge assembly he stood erect and boldly said:--
"Gentlemen, I was sorry to find it given expression to in
Parliamentary speeches on more than one occasion that England
conquered India by the sword and by the sword must she keep it!
(shame) England, Gentlemen! did no such thing, it was not her swords
and bayonet that won for her this vast and glorious empire; it was not
her military valour that achieved this triumph; it was in the main a
moral victory or a moral triumph. (cheers) England might well be proud
of it. But to attribute all this to the sword and then to argue that
the policy of sword is the only policy that ought to be pursued in
India is to my mind absolutely base and quite unworthy of an
Englishman." (Hear, hear)
In the same speech he also remarked:--
"We now find the base Anglo-Indian policy of tyranny; the policy of
irritation and more irritation, of repression and more repression; the
policy which has been beautifully described by one of its advocates as
the policy of pure and unmitigated force."
The result of this agitation was that Mr. James Maclean had to submit
an apology and was forced to resign his seat in Parliament.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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