Sri Aurobindo

Bande Mataram

Political Writings and Speeches. 1890–1908

Appendixes

An Interview¹

ARABINDO GHOSE.
A REMARKABLE INTERVIEW.
BIRTHDAYS AND COINCIDENCES.
DID HE EDIT “BANDE MATARAM”?

(“Empire Special”)

Great jubilation prevailed among the army of terrorists before and after the trial on Saturday. Notwithstanding the new turn the case has taken with regard to the threatened connection of Birendro Kumar Ghose and the Mozufferpore outrage this elation developed into a hilarious pandemonium after the Court had risen for the day. In consequence of this a regular frequenter at the Court had a unique experience. Shortly after His Honour had left the Bench the person in question made an attempt to get past the long queue of rollicking desperadoes who, as usual, thronged the passage alongside the pleaders’ table. To do this successfully on the most ordinary occasions requires the agility of an acrobat, inasmuch as the temporary prisoners’ “dock” is only wide enough to hold 2 abreast, and the “boys” are never so happy as when slumbering full length on the floor. Saturday, however, was a field day, and in their ecstasy they frustrated the free passage of the “frequenter” in a most remarkable manner. He had no sooner got amongst the “crowd” than several of the accused clasped him round the neck, while the others absolutely refused to allow him to pass. “What’s the trouble?” queried the unfortunate one. “Ask Arabindo,” came the rejoinder.

Thus held up Arabindo was accordingly spoken to.

Ever since the commencement of the trial until Saturday [15 August 1908] Arabindo has preserved a stolid lethargic demeanour.

From the first day’s hearing to the thirty-sixth, he has occupied one bench, his eyes immovably fixed on the floor, totally indifferent to the unfolding issues of the case.

The Arabindo of Saturday was, however, quite another being. His personality, hitherto grave and prepossessed, had been metamorphosised into one of sprightliness and sunniness. The cause of all this jollification, as Arabindo explained, was to a certain extent remarkable. “In the first place,” he explained, “today is my birthday; and we are celebrating it as best we can under the circumstances. I was born on the 15th August 1872, and on that anniversary in 1906 the National College opened its doors to teach among other things, the principles of Swadeshism. It was either the day before or the day after my birthday, 1907,” he continued waxing warm with the subject “that I was arrested in connection with the first ‘Bande Mataram’ sedition case. And more remarkable still my birthday is round again today and the Magistrate has given a definite assurance that he will commit on the evidence given in this, a case not of sedition but revolution.

“Besides all this my brother [Barindra]² is threatened on my birthday to be charged with abetment of murder in the Mozufferpore affair, besides having to stand his trial for conspiracy. These are what I call a remarkable string of coincidences,” he added with a smile.

“Are we getting tired of this protracted trial you ask? Well, to be candid we are, although we don’t mind it in the least. As a matter of fact it is useless pumping witnesses about my supposed editorship of the ‘Bande Mataram.’ I certainly have edited the ‘Bande Mataram,’ but this I only did on different occasions when Bepin Babu first edited it, and I will state now once and for all I never, never did occupy its editorial chair. I must also deny that I fathered the many brilliant leaders that have appeared in that paper. I certainly did write some of them, but I cannot claim the authorship of the best of them. I wish I could,” he added with a twinkle.

Arabindo’s facetious parting shot to the “frequenter” was: “You can add to those coincidences the fact that I shall be very probably coming back from the Andamans on my birthday next year.”

The “frequenter” left Arabindo squatting on the floor surrounded by his jolly conferes.

The Empire, August 18, 1908

Earlier edition of this work: Archives and Research: A biannual journal.- Volume 15, No1 (1991, April)

¹ Sri Aurobindo gave this interview to a newspaper correspondent in the Alipore Magistrate’s Court on 15 August 1908.

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² MS Birendro

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