Sri Aurobindo

Bande Mataram

Calcutta, March 11^th, 1908

Part Six. Bande Mataram under the Editorship of Sri Aurobindo with Speeches Delivered during the Same Period 6 February – 3 May 1908

An Opportunity Lost

The return of Srijut Bipin Chandra Pal is one of those events which has a national importance and we had hoped that all party feelings would have been forgotten in the unanimous desire to welcome one who has suffered in the struggle for freedom. A few conspicuous names have been absent from the list of those who have joined in the reception and the raising of a fund for the recognition of the great services done by Srijut Bipin Chandra to the cause. Thus an opportunity has been lost for drawing the parties together and hastening the time when Bengal will stand, as it is one day bound to stand, a solid mass of united national strength. At Pabna the will of the nation was unmistakably declared. So far as we have been able to influence the course of events, we have tried to do so in the spirit of the reconciliation brought about at Pabna. We have tried to emphasize points of agreement, ignore points of difference, and so act that no excuse could be suggested by our action for any cleavage or breaking apart, and we have persevered in spite of the restiveness of many who were unwilling to see the purity of Nationalism imperilled by any accommodation with a less forward spirit. We still hope that those of the Moderate leaders who are unwilling to act in the spirit of the Pabna Conference will perceive the unwisdom of their course.

This work was not included in SABCL, vol.1 and it was not compared with other editions.