Towards Swarajya | Maharashtra State PSC (MPSC): Preparation - MPSC (Maharastra) PDF Download

 Page 1


TOWARDS SWARAJY A
  
The memory that their ancestors had wielded political authority
over most part of the country was still fresh in the minds of the people of
Maharashtra. Their forefathers had fought for the ‘ Hindvi Swarajya’.
This motivated leaders like G .K.Gokhale and B.G .Tilak to lead the nation
towards self government. Their goal was the same but their methods
differed. Gokhale wanted to pursue constitutional methods. Tilak while
remaining within the constitutional framework wanted to expose the
defects in the system of Government and defy oppressive measures.
His activities inspired revolutionary nationalism among young leaders.
We shall now discuss the efforts of these men with different political
views to attain the goal of Swarajya.
GOPAL KRISHNA GOKHALE (1866-1915) :
Like Ranade he was also born in Kokanastha Brahman family.
Ranade was born in Nasik District whereas Gopal Krishna Gokhale
INTRODUCTION :
Page 2


TOWARDS SWARAJY A
  
The memory that their ancestors had wielded political authority
over most part of the country was still fresh in the minds of the people of
Maharashtra. Their forefathers had fought for the ‘ Hindvi Swarajya’.
This motivated leaders like G .K.Gokhale and B.G .Tilak to lead the nation
towards self government. Their goal was the same but their methods
differed. Gokhale wanted to pursue constitutional methods. Tilak while
remaining within the constitutional framework wanted to expose the
defects in the system of Government and defy oppressive measures.
His activities inspired revolutionary nationalism among young leaders.
We shall now discuss the efforts of these men with different political
views to attain the goal of Swarajya.
GOPAL KRISHNA GOKHALE (1866-1915) :
Like Ranade he was also born in Kokanastha Brahman family.
Ranade was born in Nasik District whereas Gopal Krishna Gokhale
INTRODUCTION :
was born in ChipIun in Ratnagiri District in 1866. He was educated at
Kolhapur, Pune and Bombay. He had also the privilege of studying at
the Elphistone College like Ranade and Dadabhal Naoroji. He was
appointed Professor at the age of twenty in the Fergusan College, Pune.
He was elected life member of the Deccan Education Society on June
7, 1886. He was welcomed to the Fergusan College by Lokmanya Tilak
and the great social reformer Agarkar. The cordial relations between
Agarkar and Gokhale were strengthened with the passage of time but
Tilak’s social and political views were too strong for Gokhale, the disciple
of Ranade to accept.  Tilak and GokhaIe clashed in the Deccan Society
over the policy matters and Tilak resigned his life membership of the
society  in 1890.  The hostility between Gokhale and Tilak was to cloud
their political and social vision and create impediments in the progress
towards their identical goal with different approaches.
Gokhale regarded Ranade as his Guru (Preceptor) and always
sought his advise on many important matters political, social and
economic. The Manifesto of the Deccan Sabha which Ranade had
drafted moulded Gokhale’s liberalism and moderation in pubic life.
Extended view of Liberalism
He had spelled out his ideas of constitutional means for achieving
any political goal. In one of his speeches he said that all means, are
constitutional except three They are :-
(a) Rebellion against the established authority.
(b) Lending support to foreign invasion and
(c) Committing atrocities on the people.
 Moderates
The first Congress President, W.C.Bannerjee had made a special
plea for, ‘Consolidation of National Unity. The second President
Dadabhai Naoroji in December 1886 inc session at Calcutta set the
pattern of moderation and restraint. “What is it for which we are now
met?’’ he asked. “Is this Congress a nursery for sedition and rebellion
against the British Government ?(Cries of ‘No! No!’) Is it another stone
in the foundation of the stability of the government? (Cries of ‘Y es! Y es !)
.... Let us speak out like men and proclaim that we are loyal to the
backbone”. This will give us an outline of the policies and programme
followed by the Congress till the partition of Bengal. As this concerns
the national history in general we shall restrict our attention to Maharashtra
and see what the ‘Prince of Indian Liberalism’ Gopal Krishna Gokhale,
said and did to promote nationalism in Maharashtra.
Page 3


TOWARDS SWARAJY A
  
The memory that their ancestors had wielded political authority
over most part of the country was still fresh in the minds of the people of
Maharashtra. Their forefathers had fought for the ‘ Hindvi Swarajya’.
This motivated leaders like G .K.Gokhale and B.G .Tilak to lead the nation
towards self government. Their goal was the same but their methods
differed. Gokhale wanted to pursue constitutional methods. Tilak while
remaining within the constitutional framework wanted to expose the
defects in the system of Government and defy oppressive measures.
His activities inspired revolutionary nationalism among young leaders.
We shall now discuss the efforts of these men with different political
views to attain the goal of Swarajya.
GOPAL KRISHNA GOKHALE (1866-1915) :
Like Ranade he was also born in Kokanastha Brahman family.
Ranade was born in Nasik District whereas Gopal Krishna Gokhale
INTRODUCTION :
was born in ChipIun in Ratnagiri District in 1866. He was educated at
Kolhapur, Pune and Bombay. He had also the privilege of studying at
the Elphistone College like Ranade and Dadabhal Naoroji. He was
appointed Professor at the age of twenty in the Fergusan College, Pune.
He was elected life member of the Deccan Education Society on June
7, 1886. He was welcomed to the Fergusan College by Lokmanya Tilak
and the great social reformer Agarkar. The cordial relations between
Agarkar and Gokhale were strengthened with the passage of time but
Tilak’s social and political views were too strong for Gokhale, the disciple
of Ranade to accept.  Tilak and GokhaIe clashed in the Deccan Society
over the policy matters and Tilak resigned his life membership of the
society  in 1890.  The hostility between Gokhale and Tilak was to cloud
their political and social vision and create impediments in the progress
towards their identical goal with different approaches.
Gokhale regarded Ranade as his Guru (Preceptor) and always
sought his advise on many important matters political, social and
economic. The Manifesto of the Deccan Sabha which Ranade had
drafted moulded Gokhale’s liberalism and moderation in pubic life.
Extended view of Liberalism
He had spelled out his ideas of constitutional means for achieving
any political goal. In one of his speeches he said that all means, are
constitutional except three They are :-
(a) Rebellion against the established authority.
(b) Lending support to foreign invasion and
(c) Committing atrocities on the people.
 Moderates
The first Congress President, W.C.Bannerjee had made a special
plea for, ‘Consolidation of National Unity. The second President
Dadabhai Naoroji in December 1886 inc session at Calcutta set the
pattern of moderation and restraint. “What is it for which we are now
met?’’ he asked. “Is this Congress a nursery for sedition and rebellion
against the British Government ?(Cries of ‘No! No!’) Is it another stone
in the foundation of the stability of the government? (Cries of ‘Y es! Y es !)
.... Let us speak out like men and proclaim that we are loyal to the
backbone”. This will give us an outline of the policies and programme
followed by the Congress till the partition of Bengal. As this concerns
the national history in general we shall restrict our attention to Maharashtra
and see what the ‘Prince of Indian Liberalism’ Gopal Krishna Gokhale,
said and did to promote nationalism in Maharashtra.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale and the Moderates
Ranade, Gokhale’s guru, Dadabhai Naoroji and Phirozeshah
Mehta were very much impressed by the English Liberal tradition.
Gokhale had established close contacts with these stalwarts of the
nineteenth century. He was also in personal contact with English liberals
and had imbibed the humanism and liberalism from the writings of
Edmund Burke and John Stuart Mill. Gokhale was inspired for social
and public life by the examples of LokmanyaTilak and Gopal Ganesh
Agarkar. He was associated with Mahadev Govind Ranade during his
professorship at the Ferguson College, Pune.
Gokhale like other liberals believed in agitating for pieceineal
reforms. He wanted reform in the administration; representative
Legislature, separation of the executive and judicial function. The
programme of the moderates who led the Congress was primarily
conceived in the interest of the upper and middle classes.
The moderates desired gradual refoms of’ the councils, Indian Civil
services, local bodies and the Defense forces. They reposed their faith
in constitutional method Gokhale laid great stress on representing the
grievances of the people to the government. He thought that if the British
rulers were convinced of the justice of their demand, the British had the
sense of justice and fair play to grant them their legitimate demands. He
conceived his role as a mediator between the people and the
government.
Gokhale like Ranade had somehow or other uncritically placed
his faith in the British justice. These moderates believed that the British
rule was for the good of the Indian people. It was a Divine Providence
that the British were sent to India at the right time. Indian people should
be grateful for the blessings of peace and stability of their government.
They wished to forget the bad dream of 1857 and wanted to focus the
attention of the people on the English literature, the systems of education
and justice; the improvements in transport and communications and the
rule of law which they retarded as blessings of the British Rule.
The test of their legitimate belief in the political wisdom of the rulers
came when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was passed. The moderates
had entertained high hopes about the reform and expansion of the
supreme and existing Provincial legislative Councils. The first session
of the Indian National Congress had passed a resolution containing such
aspiration as admission of a considerable proportion of elected
members and the granting of right to the members to interpolate the
executive in regard to all branches of the administration. They were sadly
let down by the British Rulers when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was
Page 4


TOWARDS SWARAJY A
  
The memory that their ancestors had wielded political authority
over most part of the country was still fresh in the minds of the people of
Maharashtra. Their forefathers had fought for the ‘ Hindvi Swarajya’.
This motivated leaders like G .K.Gokhale and B.G .Tilak to lead the nation
towards self government. Their goal was the same but their methods
differed. Gokhale wanted to pursue constitutional methods. Tilak while
remaining within the constitutional framework wanted to expose the
defects in the system of Government and defy oppressive measures.
His activities inspired revolutionary nationalism among young leaders.
We shall now discuss the efforts of these men with different political
views to attain the goal of Swarajya.
GOPAL KRISHNA GOKHALE (1866-1915) :
Like Ranade he was also born in Kokanastha Brahman family.
Ranade was born in Nasik District whereas Gopal Krishna Gokhale
INTRODUCTION :
was born in ChipIun in Ratnagiri District in 1866. He was educated at
Kolhapur, Pune and Bombay. He had also the privilege of studying at
the Elphistone College like Ranade and Dadabhal Naoroji. He was
appointed Professor at the age of twenty in the Fergusan College, Pune.
He was elected life member of the Deccan Education Society on June
7, 1886. He was welcomed to the Fergusan College by Lokmanya Tilak
and the great social reformer Agarkar. The cordial relations between
Agarkar and Gokhale were strengthened with the passage of time but
Tilak’s social and political views were too strong for Gokhale, the disciple
of Ranade to accept.  Tilak and GokhaIe clashed in the Deccan Society
over the policy matters and Tilak resigned his life membership of the
society  in 1890.  The hostility between Gokhale and Tilak was to cloud
their political and social vision and create impediments in the progress
towards their identical goal with different approaches.
Gokhale regarded Ranade as his Guru (Preceptor) and always
sought his advise on many important matters political, social and
economic. The Manifesto of the Deccan Sabha which Ranade had
drafted moulded Gokhale’s liberalism and moderation in pubic life.
Extended view of Liberalism
He had spelled out his ideas of constitutional means for achieving
any political goal. In one of his speeches he said that all means, are
constitutional except three They are :-
(a) Rebellion against the established authority.
(b) Lending support to foreign invasion and
(c) Committing atrocities on the people.
 Moderates
The first Congress President, W.C.Bannerjee had made a special
plea for, ‘Consolidation of National Unity. The second President
Dadabhai Naoroji in December 1886 inc session at Calcutta set the
pattern of moderation and restraint. “What is it for which we are now
met?’’ he asked. “Is this Congress a nursery for sedition and rebellion
against the British Government ?(Cries of ‘No! No!’) Is it another stone
in the foundation of the stability of the government? (Cries of ‘Y es! Y es !)
.... Let us speak out like men and proclaim that we are loyal to the
backbone”. This will give us an outline of the policies and programme
followed by the Congress till the partition of Bengal. As this concerns
the national history in general we shall restrict our attention to Maharashtra
and see what the ‘Prince of Indian Liberalism’ Gopal Krishna Gokhale,
said and did to promote nationalism in Maharashtra.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale and the Moderates
Ranade, Gokhale’s guru, Dadabhai Naoroji and Phirozeshah
Mehta were very much impressed by the English Liberal tradition.
Gokhale had established close contacts with these stalwarts of the
nineteenth century. He was also in personal contact with English liberals
and had imbibed the humanism and liberalism from the writings of
Edmund Burke and John Stuart Mill. Gokhale was inspired for social
and public life by the examples of LokmanyaTilak and Gopal Ganesh
Agarkar. He was associated with Mahadev Govind Ranade during his
professorship at the Ferguson College, Pune.
Gokhale like other liberals believed in agitating for pieceineal
reforms. He wanted reform in the administration; representative
Legislature, separation of the executive and judicial function. The
programme of the moderates who led the Congress was primarily
conceived in the interest of the upper and middle classes.
The moderates desired gradual refoms of’ the councils, Indian Civil
services, local bodies and the Defense forces. They reposed their faith
in constitutional method Gokhale laid great stress on representing the
grievances of the people to the government. He thought that if the British
rulers were convinced of the justice of their demand, the British had the
sense of justice and fair play to grant them their legitimate demands. He
conceived his role as a mediator between the people and the
government.
Gokhale like Ranade had somehow or other uncritically placed
his faith in the British justice. These moderates believed that the British
rule was for the good of the Indian people. It was a Divine Providence
that the British were sent to India at the right time. Indian people should
be grateful for the blessings of peace and stability of their government.
They wished to forget the bad dream of 1857 and wanted to focus the
attention of the people on the English literature, the systems of education
and justice; the improvements in transport and communications and the
rule of law which they retarded as blessings of the British Rule.
The test of their legitimate belief in the political wisdom of the rulers
came when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was passed. The moderates
had entertained high hopes about the reform and expansion of the
supreme and existing Provincial legislative Councils. The first session
of the Indian National Congress had passed a resolution containing such
aspiration as admission of a considerable proportion of elected
members and the granting of right to the members to interpolate the
executive in regard to all branches of the administration. They were sadly
let down by the British Rulers when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was
published. There were too many limitations on the power and functions
of the councils. The constitutional methods of Prayers and Petition did
not bear any fruit. The people’s faith in the sense of justice of the
Englishman received a great jolt.
A group of young men began to look inwards and explore the
glories of ancient India. The Hindu revivalist movements began. Gokhale
however was firm in his belief in the good intentions of the British.
 Gokhale And The Indian Expenditure Commission
A Royal Commission to inquire into the India expenditure was
appointed on May 24, 1895 under the chairmanship of Lord Welby. The
commission began its enquiries about financial administration in 1896.
In that year monsoon failed in the Deccan which resulted in a serious
famine. The Deccan Sabha was founded by Ranade during that year to
undertake the relief and other social work and render social service as
the Sarvajanik Sabha had done before.
The Welby commission consisted of all seasoned statesman and
there were Wedderburn and Caine with Dadabhai Naoroji to present
the Indian point of view. The witnesses were to be called from India to
give evidence before the commission and as Ranade could not be
released by the Bombay Govemment, Gokhale was chosen in his place
to go to England with Wachha. This was a great breakthrough for
Gokhale. Wachha held Gokhale in high esteem and was happy that
Gokhale came forward to shoulder the responsibility. Ranade coached
Gokhale rigorously for weeks to show him the nuances of Indian finance.
Ranade gave a letter of introduction to Wedderburn asking him to guide
the young man on the right lines. Gokhale presented the Indian point of
view with great authority and confidence. Wedderburn was frank enough
to praise the young man in these words ‘‘Y our evidence will be much the
best on our side. Let me congratulate you on the signal service which
you have rendered to your country. Our minority report will be based
practically on your evidence’’ .
 The Plague And Famine Administration 1897
In 1896 there was a famine, and in the next year bubonic plague
broke out in Bombay and Pune. Schools and businesses were, closed
and the Government appointed W.C. Rand as plague Commissioner
for Pune. He was keen on enforcing health regulations and had ordered
police to inspect homes harboring victims. All those who were infected
by the disease were removed to the quarantine hospitals. The authorities
also sent a band of officials to take measures to prevent the spread of
the epidemic. There were protest by the local people regarding the
quarantine hospitals as death hospitals. The rumours began to spread
Page 5


TOWARDS SWARAJY A
  
The memory that their ancestors had wielded political authority
over most part of the country was still fresh in the minds of the people of
Maharashtra. Their forefathers had fought for the ‘ Hindvi Swarajya’.
This motivated leaders like G .K.Gokhale and B.G .Tilak to lead the nation
towards self government. Their goal was the same but their methods
differed. Gokhale wanted to pursue constitutional methods. Tilak while
remaining within the constitutional framework wanted to expose the
defects in the system of Government and defy oppressive measures.
His activities inspired revolutionary nationalism among young leaders.
We shall now discuss the efforts of these men with different political
views to attain the goal of Swarajya.
GOPAL KRISHNA GOKHALE (1866-1915) :
Like Ranade he was also born in Kokanastha Brahman family.
Ranade was born in Nasik District whereas Gopal Krishna Gokhale
INTRODUCTION :
was born in ChipIun in Ratnagiri District in 1866. He was educated at
Kolhapur, Pune and Bombay. He had also the privilege of studying at
the Elphistone College like Ranade and Dadabhal Naoroji. He was
appointed Professor at the age of twenty in the Fergusan College, Pune.
He was elected life member of the Deccan Education Society on June
7, 1886. He was welcomed to the Fergusan College by Lokmanya Tilak
and the great social reformer Agarkar. The cordial relations between
Agarkar and Gokhale were strengthened with the passage of time but
Tilak’s social and political views were too strong for Gokhale, the disciple
of Ranade to accept.  Tilak and GokhaIe clashed in the Deccan Society
over the policy matters and Tilak resigned his life membership of the
society  in 1890.  The hostility between Gokhale and Tilak was to cloud
their political and social vision and create impediments in the progress
towards their identical goal with different approaches.
Gokhale regarded Ranade as his Guru (Preceptor) and always
sought his advise on many important matters political, social and
economic. The Manifesto of the Deccan Sabha which Ranade had
drafted moulded Gokhale’s liberalism and moderation in pubic life.
Extended view of Liberalism
He had spelled out his ideas of constitutional means for achieving
any political goal. In one of his speeches he said that all means, are
constitutional except three They are :-
(a) Rebellion against the established authority.
(b) Lending support to foreign invasion and
(c) Committing atrocities on the people.
 Moderates
The first Congress President, W.C.Bannerjee had made a special
plea for, ‘Consolidation of National Unity. The second President
Dadabhai Naoroji in December 1886 inc session at Calcutta set the
pattern of moderation and restraint. “What is it for which we are now
met?’’ he asked. “Is this Congress a nursery for sedition and rebellion
against the British Government ?(Cries of ‘No! No!’) Is it another stone
in the foundation of the stability of the government? (Cries of ‘Y es! Y es !)
.... Let us speak out like men and proclaim that we are loyal to the
backbone”. This will give us an outline of the policies and programme
followed by the Congress till the partition of Bengal. As this concerns
the national history in general we shall restrict our attention to Maharashtra
and see what the ‘Prince of Indian Liberalism’ Gopal Krishna Gokhale,
said and did to promote nationalism in Maharashtra.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale and the Moderates
Ranade, Gokhale’s guru, Dadabhai Naoroji and Phirozeshah
Mehta were very much impressed by the English Liberal tradition.
Gokhale had established close contacts with these stalwarts of the
nineteenth century. He was also in personal contact with English liberals
and had imbibed the humanism and liberalism from the writings of
Edmund Burke and John Stuart Mill. Gokhale was inspired for social
and public life by the examples of LokmanyaTilak and Gopal Ganesh
Agarkar. He was associated with Mahadev Govind Ranade during his
professorship at the Ferguson College, Pune.
Gokhale like other liberals believed in agitating for pieceineal
reforms. He wanted reform in the administration; representative
Legislature, separation of the executive and judicial function. The
programme of the moderates who led the Congress was primarily
conceived in the interest of the upper and middle classes.
The moderates desired gradual refoms of’ the councils, Indian Civil
services, local bodies and the Defense forces. They reposed their faith
in constitutional method Gokhale laid great stress on representing the
grievances of the people to the government. He thought that if the British
rulers were convinced of the justice of their demand, the British had the
sense of justice and fair play to grant them their legitimate demands. He
conceived his role as a mediator between the people and the
government.
Gokhale like Ranade had somehow or other uncritically placed
his faith in the British justice. These moderates believed that the British
rule was for the good of the Indian people. It was a Divine Providence
that the British were sent to India at the right time. Indian people should
be grateful for the blessings of peace and stability of their government.
They wished to forget the bad dream of 1857 and wanted to focus the
attention of the people on the English literature, the systems of education
and justice; the improvements in transport and communications and the
rule of law which they retarded as blessings of the British Rule.
The test of their legitimate belief in the political wisdom of the rulers
came when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was passed. The moderates
had entertained high hopes about the reform and expansion of the
supreme and existing Provincial legislative Councils. The first session
of the Indian National Congress had passed a resolution containing such
aspiration as admission of a considerable proportion of elected
members and the granting of right to the members to interpolate the
executive in regard to all branches of the administration. They were sadly
let down by the British Rulers when the Indian Councils Act of 1892 was
published. There were too many limitations on the power and functions
of the councils. The constitutional methods of Prayers and Petition did
not bear any fruit. The people’s faith in the sense of justice of the
Englishman received a great jolt.
A group of young men began to look inwards and explore the
glories of ancient India. The Hindu revivalist movements began. Gokhale
however was firm in his belief in the good intentions of the British.
 Gokhale And The Indian Expenditure Commission
A Royal Commission to inquire into the India expenditure was
appointed on May 24, 1895 under the chairmanship of Lord Welby. The
commission began its enquiries about financial administration in 1896.
In that year monsoon failed in the Deccan which resulted in a serious
famine. The Deccan Sabha was founded by Ranade during that year to
undertake the relief and other social work and render social service as
the Sarvajanik Sabha had done before.
The Welby commission consisted of all seasoned statesman and
there were Wedderburn and Caine with Dadabhai Naoroji to present
the Indian point of view. The witnesses were to be called from India to
give evidence before the commission and as Ranade could not be
released by the Bombay Govemment, Gokhale was chosen in his place
to go to England with Wachha. This was a great breakthrough for
Gokhale. Wachha held Gokhale in high esteem and was happy that
Gokhale came forward to shoulder the responsibility. Ranade coached
Gokhale rigorously for weeks to show him the nuances of Indian finance.
Ranade gave a letter of introduction to Wedderburn asking him to guide
the young man on the right lines. Gokhale presented the Indian point of
view with great authority and confidence. Wedderburn was frank enough
to praise the young man in these words ‘‘Y our evidence will be much the
best on our side. Let me congratulate you on the signal service which
you have rendered to your country. Our minority report will be based
practically on your evidence’’ .
 The Plague And Famine Administration 1897
In 1896 there was a famine, and in the next year bubonic plague
broke out in Bombay and Pune. Schools and businesses were, closed
and the Government appointed W.C. Rand as plague Commissioner
for Pune. He was keen on enforcing health regulations and had ordered
police to inspect homes harboring victims. All those who were infected
by the disease were removed to the quarantine hospitals. The authorities
also sent a band of officials to take measures to prevent the spread of
the epidemic. There were protest by the local people regarding the
quarantine hospitals as death hospitals. The rumours began to spread
that the police were violating the sanctity of women’s quarters. A series
of. memorials was sent to the Bombay Government under the leadership
of Lokmanya Tilak. They denounced police oppression.
The criticism of the Plague Administration and its Commissioner
Rand became more bitter. Gokhale who was in England in connection
with the Welby Commission received letters from his friends in Pune
reporting excesses by the famine police. It was reported that several
women in their Pune homes were molested. Gokhale told a small
committee of members of the House of Commons about the barbarity.
‘The Manchester Guardian’ carried the news. The Bombay Government
denied such atrocities. Gokhale was challenged to reveal the sources
of his evidence. Gokhale had to retreat and he publicly apologized for
the charges.
The real fact was that Gokhale feared police reprisals to the
informants. His mentor, Ranade persuaded him not to pursue’ the course
of going all out against the government. “In effect Ranade asked GokhaIe
to risk his public career to avoid a disastrous conflict in Pune” Gokhale
like an Obedient disciple did what Ranade told him to do. Ranade tried
his best to prevent breakdown of relations between British and Indians
especially when he found that the criticism of the famine administration
had caused the resignation of’ Principal Welby of Deccan college. It
was a very sad affair. Gokhale could have exposed the British authorities
and Ranade could have adopted a bold stance but in the long run it
would have produced evil consequences.
Ranade’s efforts however could not conciliate the ardent
nationalists. The sixtieth year of Queen Victotia’s accession was being
celebrated in the country. The governor had held a party in Pune to
celebrate the occasion on June 22, 1897. The storm of famine and plague
administration seemed to have subsided. But as Commissioner and
Lieutenant Ayerst were coming out after the celebrations they were
attacked by Chaphekar brothers and they murdered them. Lokamanya
Tilak, was arrested after five days for his provocative articles in the
‘Kesari’ and charged with disaffection against the government. The
nationalism in Maharashtra was taking a different turn from what Gokhale
and the moderates had contemplated.
 A True Patriot
The ‘Apology incident’ had infuriated some extremists. The
orthodox among the extremists took the opportunity to excommunicate
Gokhale for his foreign travel. Gokhale took all such disabilities and
reverses in his stride. The death of Ranade in 1901 created a vacuum
in his life. However he had dedicated his services to the nation. He