beneficence to the ryots, from the Bengal Government in a Land Revenue Administration Report.
His school at Santiniketan, which is developing into a University, and his Institute of Agriculture and Rural Improvement and Reconstruction at Surul, bear witness to his practical turn of mind.
As the Mahatma does not read newspapers and periodicals, what we have said above is not meant for his information. But persons of lesser note, particularly those of them who do not read Bengali, may be enabled by these paragraphs of ours to form some idea of Rabindranath’s genius, personality and activities. Dame Rumour also may gain some knowledge if she deigns to cast her figurative looks on these pages.
As we have written on the charkha repeatedly on various occasions, we need not examine Mahatmaji’s arguments anew. Moreover, many journalists have done it already. For instance, The Tribune of Lahore, November, 10, writes:—
We owe it to Poet Robindranath’s sharp criticism of Mahatma Gandhi’s “exclusive and excessive love of the “Charkha” that the Mahatma has in the latest issue of Young India attempted a philosophical defence of his position. We cannot do better than put this defence in the Mahatma’s own words.
This is followed by an extract. Our contemporary then proceeds to subject the Mahatma’s defence to a very keen elaborate and able criticism, with the prefatory sentence:
It has scarcely ever been our lot to come across a more glaring instance of the confusion of thought caused in an extraordinarily clear and logical mind by the obsession of an idea.
In the concluding paragraph of his article Mahatmaji says:—
“One thing, and one thing only has hurt me, the Poet’s belief, again picked up from table talk, that I look upon Ram Mohan Rai as a ‘pigmy’.”
Young India for April 13, 1921 contains the paragraphs relating to the Mahatma’s remarks on Rammohun Ray. The Modern Review for May, 1921, p. 652, contained an article by Mr. C. F. Andrews on these remarks. Prabasi for Ashadh 1328 B. S., page 426. reproduced Gandhiji’s remarks. Therefore Rabindranath may not have derived all his information from table talk. As Ram Mohun Ray’s place in history does not depend on any particular person’s estimate of his life, work and personality, it is unnecessary to revive an old controversy or start a new. We will simply print from Young India what Gandhiji said formerly and what he says now.
In reply to a question put to him in a public meeting at Orissa, whether English education was not a mixed evil, inasmuch as Lok. Tilak, Babu Rammohan Rai, and Mr. Gandhi were products of English education, Mr. Gandhi replied as follows:—
This is a representative view expressed by several people. We must conquer the battle of Swaraj by conquering this sort of wilful ignorance and prejudice of our countrymen and of Englishmen. The system of education is an unmitigated evil. I put my best energy to destroy that system. I do not say that we have got as yet any advantage from the system. The advantages we have so far got, are in spite of the system, not because of the system. Supposing the English were not here, India would have marched with other parts of the world, and if it continued to be under Moghul rule, many people would learn English as a language and a literature. The present system enslaves us, without allowing a discriminating use of English literature. My friend had cited the case of Tilak, Ram Mohan, and myself. Leave aside my case, I am a miserable pigmy.
Tilak and Rammohan would have been far greater men if they had not had the contagion of English learning (clapping). I don’t want your verbal approval by clapping but I want the approval of your intellect and reasoning. I am opposed to make a fetish of English education. I don’t hate English education. When I want to destroy the Government, I don’t want to destroy the English language but read English as an Indian nationalist would do. Ram Mohan and Tilak (leave aside my case) were so many pigmies who had no hold upon the people compared with Chaitanya, Sankar, Kabir and Nanak. Ram Mohan, Tilak were pigmies before these giants. What Sankar alone was able to do, the whole army of English-knowing men can’t do. I can multiply instances. Was Guru Govinda product of English education?
Is there a single English-knowing Indian who is a match for Nanak, the founder of a sect second to none in point of valour and sacrifice? Has Ram Mohan produced a single martyr of the type of Dulip Singh? I highly revere Tilak and Ram Mohan. It is my conviction that if Ram Mohan and Tilak had not received this education but had their natural training they would have done greater things like Chaitanya,—Young India for April 13, 1921.
One thing, and one thing only, has hurt me, the Poet’s belief, again picked up from table talk, that I look upon Ram Mohan Rai as a ‘pigmy’. Well, I have never anywhere described that great reformer as a pigmy, much less regarded him as such. He is to me as much a giant as he is to the poet. I do not remember any occasion save one when I had to use Ram Mohan Rai’s name. That was in connection with Western education. This was on the Cuttack sands now four years ago. What I do remember having said was that it was possible to attain highest culture without Western education. And when some one mentioned Ram Mohan Rai, I remember having said that he was a pigmy compared to the unknown authors, say of the Upanishads. This is altogether different from looking upon Ram Mohan Rai as a pigmy. I do not think meanly of Tennyson if I say that he was a pigmy before Milton or Shakespeare. I claim that I en-
