Sri Aurobindo
Karmayogin
Political Writings and Speeches 1909-1910
Karmayogin: A Weekly Review
Saturday 8th January 1910 No.27
Facts and Opinions
Sir Edward Baker's Admissions
Of all the present rulers of India Sir Edward Baker is the only one who really puts any value on public opinion.
He has committed indiscretions of a startling character, he has loyally carried out a policy with which he can have no heartfelt sympathy, but his anxiety to conciliate public opinion even under these adverse circumstances betrays the uneasiness of a man who knows the force of that power even in a subject country and feels that the ruling class are not going the best way to carry that opinion with them.
While all the other provincial Governors have confined their inaugural speeches to the most empty platitudes, he alone has sought to speak as a man would who feels the difficulties of a perplexing situation.
But we do not think he has helped the Government by his speech.
It is in fact a series of damaging admissions.
He admits that the exclusion of the Calcutta men by the restrictions attending Municipal election is deliberate, and he cannot be ignorant that this means the exclusion of the leading brains and the most influential personalities in the country.
He admits that the Government have taken care to preclude the chance of being face to face with a numerically strong and robust opposition in the Council.
If so, the Councils are not a mirror of the political forces in the country, not a free popular assembly, but a carefully limited council of notables friendly to the existing state of things.
Whether the Government are to blame or not for guarding their interests by this manipulation of electorates, is quite another question.
All we say is that they have so guarded themselves and, as a result, these Councils may be the kind of advisory body the Government want, they are not the popular assemblies, mirrors of public opinion and instruments of rapid political development, which the people want.
Sir Edward Baker says that no Government can be expected to run the risk of putting itself into a permanent 
minority, such a state of things cannot be allowed for a day.
We quite agree.
That is what we have been telling the people for a very long time.
Unfortunately, very different hopes and expectations were raised in the minds of Moderate politicians and communicated by them to the people at large.
If the eulogies of the Reform Scheme and the benevolent intentions of Government had been couched in less glowing language, with less of misleading fervour, the present disappointment, irritation and revolt would have been avoided.
It is much the best thing for a Government circumstanced like ours to be quite frank and say from the beginning, This much we mean to give; farther you must not expect us to go.