avoid, that it cannot permanently promote the object you have in view and that it may help to defeat that object. I sincerely hope, you will not regard this as an arbitrary decision of an alien Government which does not sympathise with your valuable Association.*'. .
A sadder commentary on the incapacity of the Bureau- cracy to understand the Indian view-point and a stronger argument for the immediate establishment of Swaraj can hardly be imagined.
While engaged in these and other activities Mr. Tilak had not forgotten the question of the Congress-compro- mise. The first time that this problem was tackled since the Surat solit w£is at the Provincial Conference of United Bengal held in February 1908 at Pabna under the Presidency of Srj. (Dr.) Rabindranath Tagore. In this Conference, both the parties were strongly repre- sented and after full and mature consideration, the Calcutta Resolutions on Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott and National Education were passed. The resolution on the Boycott did not speak merely of the Boycott of British goods but referred to the Boycott Movement — words Mr, Gokhale had taken strong objection to at Surat — and it is remarkable that though in the Swaraj resolution, demand was made only for Colonial Self- Govemment still, the Nationalists were allowed to bring in a formal amendment expressive of their longing for ab- solute Independence. The harmony that prevailed bet- ween the Bengal Moderates and the Bengal Nation- alists on such heated subjects as Boycott and Self- Government was of happy augury and Mr. Tilak expect- ed the same reasonable attitude from both the parties in the Bombay Provincial Conference that was to be held
