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M.A. (POLITICAL SCIENCE) PART-I PAPER- V (SEMESTER-II) (MODERN INDIAN POLITICAL THOUGHT) Lesson No. 1.2 GOPAL KRISHAN GOKHALE: [AS A MODERATE THINKER, POLITICAL GOALS AND TECHNIQUES, ECONOMIC PHILOSOPHY AND EDUCATIONAL REFORMS] Gopal Krishan Gokhale, was one of the most respected of India’s statemen. Gokhale combined in his character rare qualities of intelligence with courage, patrio- tism with honesty, statesmanship with liberal outlook, political shrewdness with clear foresight of the future. Without being born in to rich family, Gokhale rose to extraordi- nary eminence in national and international life due to his personal character and ability hard labour and public spirit. His political life and career served as an ideal for Mahatma Gandhi. He accepted Gokhale his ‘Guru’ because of the truthful and straight- forward means he employed in the pursuit of his political objectives. It is for this reason that he described him as ‘Gokhale the good’ and ‘India’s great servant’. Early Life and Training Gopal Krishan Gokhale was born on 9 May, 1876 in small Village of Kotluk of Ratnagiri district in the then Bombay Presidency. The family connected with Chiptpavan Brahmins of brave Maratha race was extremely poor. His parents had only small unprofitable plot of land. His father Krishan Rao who first served as a low paid clerk and later an as sub inspector of police, could not get good education due to poverty. So his only ambition was to give modern education to his two son Gobind and Gopal. After initial education in the village where Krishan Rao was living, both the brother were sent to Kolhapur in 1876 for doing high school. Unfortunately the boys lost their father in 1879. The elder brother left his studies and took up a job, in order to support his family but made up his mind to fulfil the desire of his father in education his younger brother Gopal despite all hardships. So Gokhale tasted poverty and its effects very early in life and during studies. Gokhale passed his Matriculation in the year 1885 and thought of leaving his studies to help his brother in supporting the family. But his brother did not agree. The fulfilment of the desire of his father and his own desire and hopes of lifting the family from the state of poverty, were two reasons, due to which he wanted his younger brother Gopal to continue his studies. A university degree in those days was a sure way of landing into a good job. So he joined the Raja Ram Mohan College at Kolhapur and later on shifted to the Deccan Poona for graduation. For the final year of degree course he joined Elphinstone College Bombay. Gokhale had to manage with Rs. 8 per month for all his expenses during the college days. He had to go without meals quite often to save mess expenses and study under street lamp whenever he had no money to buy kerosene. Poverty brought Gokhale nearer to the poor whose case he pleaded throughout his life. As a student Gokhale had a keen competitive spirit and always tried to excel. He had an excellent memory and would often memorise chapter or even the entire book. He graduated in Mathematics in 1884. In January, 1885 he took up a job of teaching in New English School in Poona. This school was started by some adventurous young Brahmins including B.G. Tilak. Fired with the spirit of nationalism these people thought of starting a national initiative through private efforts to educate people to be self dependent. Education, they thought, must become the true liberting force of the country. When Gokhale Joined the New English School of Poona as a teacher, he was already under the 6 M.A. (POLITICAL SCIENCE) SEMESTER-II 7 PAPER - V influence of new ideas of nationalism. In 1886, he become a member of the Deccan Education Society. During this time he was also appointed a professor of Economics and History at the Fergusson College, Poona. For several years he edited the ‘Sudharak’ a journal brought with an aim of Social Reforms and national awakening. It was during these formative years that he came in contact with M.G. Ranade and become his life long disciple. Ranade was the moving spirit behind the social reform movement of his time. He brought Gokhale in association with Poona Sarvjanik Sabha. It was also due to Ranade that he joined Indian National Congress in 1889 and rose rapidly in public life of the country as political leader and social reformer. Gokhale’s intelligence, dedication to duty and transparent sincerely helped him in winning the appreciation from all these who come in his contact. He visited England seven times, in 1897, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1912, 1913 and 1914, as representative of Indians, with the aim of putting their problems and claims before the British leadership and public. Due to his winning personality he made great influence of British leaders. His patriotism was impecable. The nobility of his soul, his deep sincerity and his earnest passion to serve the mother land brought him numerous admirers in India and abroad. Mahatma Gandhi used to call him ‘Gokhale the good’. He became a member of the Indian Legislative Council in 1902 and continued to be there till 1915 i.e. till his death. The secret of his success as legislator was his mastery over facts and figures, detailed knowledge of administrative problems as also the ability to put forward his ideas in clear, forthright and expressive manner. The establishment of the famous ‘Servants of Indian Society’ in 1905 was another very significant service rendered by Gokhale. The aim was in the aim of his institution was to train educated Indians in the responsibilities of public service. So as is evident from whatever we have studied, that” whole life of Gokhale was an offering at the alter of service to the Motherland. True to the pledge he took as the First Member of the Servants of India Society, the country was always the first in his thought, and he gave to its service the best that was in him. Personal comforts and pleasure had no place in his life. In February, 1915 he died at a premature age of 49, perhaps due to over work. He contribution to public life is legendary. Political Thought of Gokhale The political principles which guided and inspired the thinking and activities of Gopal Krishan Gokhale throughout his life find expression in the Preamble to the rulers framed by him for the Servants of India Society. They make it very clear that he was a liberal like his guru Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade. Under the influence of Dr. Wordsworth the principal of Elphinstone College Bombay, he studied considerable English Literature, he also imbibed philosophy of liberalism from this literature. Franternal contracts with Ranade, and other liberal leaders like Dada Bhai Naoroji, Ferozshah Mehta, Dinsha Wacha, Principal Selby of Fergusson College and Englishment like Sir William Wedderburn Confirmed and deepened it. One of the most important feature of the political thinking of Gokhale was that it combined idealism with realism. So his political ideas can be understood in the light of these three principles i.e. Liberalism, Idealism and Realism. In his political views Gokhale was moderate, liberalist and constitutionalist. He was a realist or what we may call practical idealist stressing on the possible, desirable and attainable. As Dr. Bali put it his political philosophy was based on ethics, Gokhale transformed the field of practical politics into one of the political ethics. He was against fruitless political agitation. Though loyal to British government, he wanted it to work for M.A. (POLITICAL SCIENCE) SEMESTER-II 8 PAPER - V the welfare to the people of India. The welfare of people was the maxim of Gokhale’s activities, utterances, deliberations and the resolutions he placed in Imperial Legislative Council. He told Britishers, “It is not wrong to love one’s country.” Combing idealism with realism was thus one of the most important features of the political thinking of Gokhale. He never allowed his mind to roam in the airy regions of abstract idealism, but always thought of what was possible under given circumstances provided it was in line with the desirable. He has been rightly described as a ‘master of desirable’. His adherence to the concept of self government for India as a part of the British Empire and his faith in the policy of gradualism can not be properly understood and appreciated without bearing in mind his political realism. To a critic who criticised his emphasis on loyalty to the crown and insistence on the retention of India’s connection with the British Empire, his reply was, “Do you think we are so devoid of self respect and so base as to be happy at our country being under foreign Yoke? I would have my country free today if it were possible. But is it possible?” For both Ranade and Gokhale, the basic task was the liberalism of man by the development and enhancement of his moral, intellectual and physical abilities and talents. This as an ideal could be concretized through the adequate and dedicated harnessing of the energies of those who regarded themselves as servants of people. This required that public duty and political work had to be viewed as path ways to consecrated national service. Without suffering and a true spirit of comradeship and simpl!city of life. Gokhale used to say, “Nationalism could become a living force.” The political faith of Gokhale had following ingredients or aspects. (i) Belief in the providential character of British rule and the maintenance of connection With Britain for good of India (ii) the superiority of the constitutional over the method of obstruction and vio- lence.