According to him, the
greatest need of the hour in India was industrial
education, and he deplored the fact that there
was not a single decent technical institute in
the whole country. He, therefore, pleaded for
utmost efforts for the promotion of higher scientific
and technical instruction.
In his opinion, those who organize funds for sending
Indians to foreign countries for acquiring industrial
or scientific education or those who proceed to
foreign countries of such education and try to
start new industries on their return, are noble
workers in the cause of 'Swadeshism' which he
staunchly preached.In agriculture, he pleaded
that old methods should be changed as much as
possible. There was a crying need to introduce
agricultural science and improved agricultural
implements.
The agriculturist was hampered in his progress
by several factors, not the least being chronic
indebtedness. He opined that Co-operative-Credit
Societies ought to be established to meet the
difficulties of the farmer. These Societies should
be allowed to have Savings Banks of their own.
They would serve a double purpose: the rural classes
would have facilities of the deposit of their
little savings, thus encouraging thrift; and the
Credit Societies would have a new source of financial
aid placed within their reach on a commercial
and safe basis.
Regarding the textile industry, Gokhale acknowledged
that the handloom was doing good work and had
some future before it, yet the main work would
have to be done by machinery. Only thus, he said,
could we stand the competition from the outside
world. Since the available capital was small,
Gokhale favoured the joint stock enterprise.
In the early part of his life, Gokhale took to
journalism. From 1886 to 1888 he contributed articles
to the Mahratta, a weekly publication edited by
Tilak and devoted to the cause of reform, chiefly
political and social, in India. In 1888 Agarkar
started the Sudharak, an Anglo -Marathi weekly,
and found in Gokhale a willing collaborator.
Gokhale edited the English columns of the paper
for four years. From 1887 to 1896, under the inspiration
of Ranade, Gokhale took up the Editorship of the
Quarterly, a journal of the Poona 'Savajanik Sabha'.
In 1895, due to the irritating opposition of the
extremist section led by Tilak, Gokhale started
a new journal, the Rashtra Sabha Samachar, of
which he became the Editor.He made extensive use
of the public platform for communicating his ideas
on social, economic and political reforms. His
first public speech was at Kolhapur in 1886 on
'India under British Rule'. He was only 20 year
of age at the time.
Among his famous public speeches on the 'Reduction
of Salt Duty' at the Calcutta congress, 1890;
the speech on the 'Unemployment of Indian in the
Public Services' at the Allahabad Congress, 1892;
the Presidential Address at the Benares Congress,
1905; the speech at the National Liberal Club
(London) on 15 November 1905 on 'England's Duty
to India'; the speech at the Dharwar Social Conference
(27 April 1908) on 'The Elevation of the Depressed
Classes'; and the speech on 'The Swadeshi Movement',
the second of a series, delivered on 9 February
1907, at Lucknow. He made several other speeches
from the Congress platform where he was acknowledged
as a cogent and forceful speaker. |
Gokhale made some of
his memorable speeches in the Imperial Legislative
Council, specially on the Annual Budgets from
1902 to 1908. In his first Budget speech (26 March
1902) he criticized the Government's financial
policy regarding Currency Surpluses, high level
of taxation, Salt Duty and Army Expenditure. In
his next Budget speech (25 March 1903), he advocated
reduction of Salt Duty, abolition of Excise Duty
on cotton goods, Indianisation of the Services,
and increased effort for the spread of education.
In his Third Budget speech (30 March 1904), besides
speaking on the subjects he had covered earlier,
Gokhale also proposed the lowering of the land-revenue.
Speaking on the Budget of 1905, he pleaded for
relief to agriculturists. In 1906 he spoke against
the surpluses being utilized for the construction
of Railways, and pleaded for the promotion of
industrial and technical education, the spread
of primary education and sanitary improvement.
In his Budget speech of 1907 he urged the total
abolition of Salt Duty, advocated free Primary
Education and demanded Constitutional reforms.
In 1908 he made a fervent plea that a large portion
of the revenues be devoted to objects on which
the moral and material well-being of the mass
of the people ultimately depended. Sir Guy Fleetwood
Wilson, who was Finance Member from 1908 to 1913,
said that the one man he frankly feared was Gokhale,
the Gladstone of India. He characterized Gokhale,
"The Leader of the Opposition".
Gokhale paid frequent visits to England. His first
visit (1897) was in connection with the Welby
Commission. His evidence was noted for his analysis
of the leading facts in the history of Indian
Finance, his examination of the constitution and
expenditure of the Indian Army and his emphasis
on the subordination of the interests of the taxpayers
to those of the European services and the exclusion
of Indians from the higher branches of public
service.
In 1905 he went to England as a delegate from
Bombay, in accordance with the resolution of the
Congress of 1904, to enlighten British public
opinion on the situation in India on the eve of
the general election in Britain. His next visit
(1906) was to interview the Members of Parliament
on both sides and to plead with them for reforms
in the adminstration of India. His fourth visit
(1908) was in connection with the proposed Morley-Minto
Reforms. His fifth (1912), sixth (1913) and seventh
(1914) visits to England were in connection with
the Public Services Commission.
In 1906 he came into very close contact with Lord
Morley, the Secretary of State for India. Morley
had a liking for Gokhale and even high personal
regard. It was a political friendship to start
with, but it developed into a genuine relationship
later. Gokhale had great faith in Morley's friendship
for India.
Among the early figures in the Indian National
Congress Gokhale's position was very high. He
was feared by the Government and respected by
the people. In politics he belonged to the moderate
group opposed to the extremist school led by Tilak.
He, however, placed equal emphasis on social reforms
as on political progress. For nearly three decades
Gokhale dedicated his rare qualities to the exclusive
service of his country and his people in a way
which few could lay claim to. |