मेरा आजीवन कारावास / माझी जन्मठेप (स्वातंत्र्यवीर सावरकर - काले पानी का ऐतिहासिक संस्मरण)

Partition of Bengal had gone
I could not believe it. And I questioned him. Partition of Bengal? The settled fact
is unsettled? He smiled and answered yes. I told him it mishit be news as faked as that of
our release, and perhaps he was indulging in a guess as foolish as that. My friend assured
me that it was not so, and that the news was authentic news. I left my bath there, and
contrived to circulate the good news through all the seven divisions of the Silver Jail.
Soon after, we learnt that the Capital of India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi. But
this news was not so important after all. The restoration of united Bengal had behind it an
orientation of policy fraught with wider political consequences than the removal of
capital to Delhi. It was the triumph of an agitation which filled our hearts with deep
satisfaction. And in that joy we forgot our personal disappointment. If the political
question affecting our country was to be solved in such a successful manner, it did not
matter in the least to any of us if we were within the prison or without it.
No matter if we are here
These words fell from the lips of every young prisoner when he had heard that
good tidings. The partition or non-partition of Bengal was in itself a minor matter
compared with the triumph of the principle involved. The deeper satisfaction came from
the fact that we had made the Government bend down to our wishes. Further, it
discovered to us the new method of achieving the goal. It created in us a fresh hope and
instilled in us a new faith that what we would we could. Some one asked me if I was
content with the single achievement. Will not this lay to rest our revolutionary campaign?
I answered, "No, this achievement will inspire confidence; it will give a philip to our
movement as the surest method of winning freedom for India. The people are bound to
feel that the revolutionary programme that annulled the partition of Bengal would also
fructify in bringing them Swaraj-" He who had experienced that quinine was the surest
remedy against malaria, would not fail to use it against malarial fever whenever he was
attacked by it.
Ujjain or Delhi
I was not in the least sorry that the capital of India was removed to Delhi. For
whenever we discussed among ourselves which should be the future capital of India, I
had always expressed my preference for Ujjain. But I never failed to add that though
from the standpoint of history, culture, industry and art as also from its geographical
position and military importance, I regarded that city as the best-fitted in the whole of
India to be its capital, I had no objection to Delhi taking that place, and I felt that the
probability was more in favour of Delhi than Ujjain. According to my conjecture and
forecast, Delhi had become the capital of India, and I felt no regret for the fact. Of course,
personally it would have pleased me to see Ujjain as the capital of India.