Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/93

Rh to all the leading Congressmen and Associations in the mofussil. He also exposed them at a public meeting held at Poona on October 22nd. As the Reformers' majority in the Committee had usurped all the functions, it was resolved at this meeting that a new Reception Committee on an equitable basis should be formed. The Reformers considered this meeting to be nothing more than a display of "brute force" and hence appealed to the Standing Committee to settle the dispute. The Standing Committee decided that both the parties should be represented by two Secretaries each, that Bombay should contribute three Secretaries and that this Committee of seven should carry on all the Congress work. Great pressure was brought to bear upon Mr. Tilak to accept this arrangement; and when at last Mr. Tilak did consent to it he quickly found that it was all imaginary and that the status quo was maintained by the Reformers. Disgusted beyond measure by all these tactics, Mr. Tilak took the only course left to him and resigned his secretaryship on Nov. 4th.

The Reformers were delighted; and 3^et they felt unhappy. They felt as uncomfortable and suspicious as Macbeth when he had got rid of Banquo. What if Mr. Tilak made a row? Police aid was sought and got because "the attitude of a section of the Hindu Community in Poona is hostile to the Congress." The repeated advice which Mr. Tilak gave to the public, appealing to them to stand by the Congress, failed to diminish this feverish anxiety. "Suppose, the Mandap is set on fire by Mr. Tilak's emissaries. What would become of the Congress?" These foolish fears haunted them like a nightmare. Still, with dogged and malig-