Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/198

 declared that they were rendered necessasy by the unfair and unjustifiable attempt made by Bapu Bepin Chunder Pal from the Congress platform in 1906 and by Mr. Tilak and others in the Press throughout 1907, to construe the phraseology employed in the Calcutta resolution as approving Boycott of all forms of association with the Government. Now, what is the exact wording of the Calcutta resolution ? After recounting the reasons, the Congress declared that " the Boycott movement inaugurated in Bengal was and is justifiable." Mr. Gokhale in his draft resolution changed the wording from *' Boycott movement " to the " Boycott of foreign (British) goods." As Babu Bepin Chunder Pal said " We in Eastern Bengal and Assam have not only tried to boycott British goods, but all honorary offices and association with Government " and the words' 1" Boy- cott Movement" were comprehensive enough to include these phases of Boycott while the wording adopted by Mr, Gokhale was evidently narrow.

Regarding the last resolution, the Calcutta Congress said " the time has arrived for the people earnestly to take up the question of National Education * * and to organise a system of education * * on National lines and under National control." Mr. Gokhale's draft concluded with the words " organize an indepen(^ent system of education," thus leaving the very vital words " on National lines and under National control." Mr. Gokhale might have thought that verbal changes were made here and there to remove ambiguity or to improve the phraseology. Is it not, however, wiser to retain a phraseology, however defective from the literary stand-