Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/176

 its popularity. Mr. Tilak determined that the Congress should no longer retain its moribund character. He resolved that (1) the Congress tradition of seeking official favour, or at least official recognition must be broken; (2) the National sentiments must be more faithfully echoed in the Congress resolutions; (3) The Congress must no longer remain a holiday gathering, but must work continuously and lead the National agitations. This was a war between autocracy and democracy, oldage and youth, apathy and enthusiasm, between timidity and courage. The old generation tried to win the officials; Mr. Tilak sought to inspire and organize the people of the country.

At the Benares Congress (1905) Mr. Tilak got much, though not all, that he wanted. Sir Pherozeshah, "the Autocrat of the Congress" was absent; and the President, Mr. Gokhale, had enthusiastically championed the Bengalees' cause in England and had justified the inaguration of the Swadeshi Boycott movement in speeches which came as a surprise to many of his followers. In his Presidential address, he severely criticized the Viceroyalty of Lord Curzon, compared it with the odious reign of Aurangzeb and spoke in favour of Swadeshi and Boycott. Mr. Tilak wanted separate resolutions on Swadeshi and Boycott. The resolution, justifying the Boycott of British goods, as perhaps the only constitutional and effective means left to the Bengalees, was huddled up with the condemnation of the repressive Policy of the Bureaucracy. Mr. Tilak would have liked an independent resolution on the subject. He wanted the Boycott resolution to go one step further and call upon the various Provinces of