To the Editor of the New
India [2]1Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part Two. Letters of Historical Interest
1. Letters on Personal, Practical and Political Matters (1890—1926)
Open Letters. Published in Newspapers 1909—1925
To the Editor of the New
India [2]1
[The following letter to Mrs. Annie Besant is from the pen of a well-known Nationalist.]2
I do not see that any other line can be taken with regard to these astonishing reforms than the one you have taken.
It can only be regarded as unwise by those who are always ready to take any shadow,— how much more a bulky and imposing shadow like this,— and are careless of the substance.
We have still, it appears, a fair number of political wise men of this type among us, but no Home Rule leader surely can stultify himself to that extent.
A three days’ examination of the scheme,— I have only the analysis to go upon and the whole thing is in the nature of a cleverly constructed Chinese puzzle — has failed to discover in them one atom of real power given to these new legislatures.
The whole control is in the hands of Executive and State Councils and Grand Committees and irresponsible Ministers, and for the representative bodies,— supposing they are made really representative, which also is still left in doubt — there is only a quite ineffective and impotent voice.
They are, it seems, to be only a flamboyant édition de luxe of the present Legislative Councils.
The only point in which there is some appearance of control is the Provincial Budget and what is given by the left hand is taken away by the right.
Almost every apparent concession is hedged in by a safeguard which annuls its value.
On the other hand new and most dangerous irresponsible powers are assumed by the Government.
How, under such circumstances, is acceptance possible?
If, even, substantial control had been definitely secured by the scheme within a brief period of years, five or even ten, something might have been said in favour of a sort of vigilant acceptance.
But there is nothing of the kind: on the contrary there is a menace of diminution of even these apparent concessions.
And as you say the whole spirit is bad.
Not even in the future is India to be allowed to determine its own destinies [or]3 its rate of progress!
Self-determination, it 
seems, has gone into the waste paper basket, with other scraps, I suppose.
If by unwisdom is meant the continuation of the present political struggle and what is advised, is a prudent submission and making the best of a bad matter, it seems to me that it is the latter course that will be the real unwisdom. For the struggle cannot be avoided; it can only be evaded for the moment, and if you evade it now, you will have it to-morrow or the day after, with the danger of its taking a more virulent form. At present it is only a question of agitating throughout the country for a better scheme and getting the Labour Party to take it up in England. And if the Congress does less than that, it will stultify itself entirely. I hope your lead will be generally followed; it is the only line that can be taken by a self-respecting Nation.
published 10 August 1918
1 July 1918. Annie Besant wrote to Sri Aurobindo again in July 1918, asking him for his opinion of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, which had been announced earlier that month. Sri Aurobindo wrote this letter in reply. After receiving it, Besant wrote asking whether she could “use it (with or without your name) as a valuable opinion on the ‘Reforms’ ”. Sri Aurobindo consented, and the letter was published in New India on 10 August 1918.
2 Square brackets in New India. — Ed.
3 New India on