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58 righteous indignation of the public, they succeeded in making (he cause of reform more unpopular and the breach between the Orthodox and the Reform parties still wider.

The same fateful year (1890) which witnessed the origin of the Age of Consent controversy and the Sharada-Sadana episode was marked by the commencement of a dispute still more ridiculous—a veritable storm in a tea cup. The responsibihty of this dispute rests not with the Reformers but with the Orthodox party at Poona, the fanatical and foolish self-styled leaders of which charged 42 persons including Ranade, Tilak and Gokhale with having taken tea (Oct. 4th 1890), at the residence of a Missionary with the deliberate object of breaking caste and in the following two years (1891-92) this suit of the Orthodox party against these 42 gentlemen in the Court of Shree Shankaracharya was the principle subject of heated public controversy. The Reformers congratulated themselves on having an ally in Mr. Tilak whose resourceful Sanskrit scholarship stood them in good stead and helped them in getting very light punishment from the religious tribunal. It is noteworthy that Ranade thought it in no way humiliating to submit to the decision of the Court and for this conduct he was severely criticised by both the Orthodox and the Reform parties (the latter included some of his own ardent followers). Mr. Tilak justified the taking of Prayashchitta, and said that in such matters it is the duty of us all to be actuated by a spirit of compromise. He said "There is considerable resemblance between our difficulties in the Political field and those in the Social one;