Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/266

 anxious to carry with him as many Moderates as he pos- sibly could. Instead, therefore, of insisting upon an immediate passing of a resolution to the effect, he willingly supported the idea that all the Provincial Committees should in the first instance be called upon to submit their views on the subject. He knew that time was with him and that sooner or later Passive Resistance was bound to be adopted. He could afford to wait, being convinced of the ultimate result.

Mr. Tilak disagreed with all those who sought to bring about the release of Mrs. Bealsant merely by prayers and petitions. " If we want to prove how keenly we feel for her," " let us elect her President of the coming Congress." Released or unreleased, Mrs. Besant must be President. This was both sentiment and statesmanship. In accordance with this suggestion, the various Provincial Congress Committees nominated Mrs. Besant for the Presidentship of the Calcutta Congress. This attitude was in direct opposition to the conduct and policy of the Moderates. Their policy was not to provoke the displeasure or anger of the Bureaucracy by calling upon persons disliked by Government to preside over the deliberations of the Congress. With that object in view, was Mr. Tilak 's name repeatedly set aside, and when at Calcutta, his election seemed fairly certain, the Grand Old Man of India was invited (1906) for the honour. With that object in view, was Lala Lajpat Raikept from the Presidential chair, when the Nation with one voice demanded his election at Surat (1907). The Hon'ble Mr. Gokhale while opposing the election of the Lala had said " we cannot flout the Government. The Govern- ment will throttle our movement in no time. "..What