द इण्डियन स्ट्रगल / भारतीय स्वाधीनता संग्राम (नेताजी सुभाष चन्द्र बोस - ऐतिहासिक विश्लेषण)

THE STORM BREAKS 73
that when the Simon Commission was appointed, Congress-
men and Liberals could preach boycott from the same
platform.
Closely allied with the Indian Liberals in mentality and
outlook were the University authorities who had been hard
hit by the Congress policy of boycott of educational institu-
tions. Though their influence had been drowned for the
time being by the rising tide of non-co-operation, they
continued to exert what influence they still possessed against
the Congress. In this effort they had the support of no less
a personality than India's illustrious poet, Dr. Rabindranath
Tagore. The poet arrived in Bombay from Europe about the
middle of July. As a matter of fact, I travelled in the same
boat with him. During our voyage, I had occasion to discuss
with him the new policy of non-co-operation adopted by the
Congress. He was by no means hostile to the idea. He was
only anxious that there should be more of constructive
activity, so that ultimately a state within the state could be
built up, entirely on the co-operation and support of the people.
What he suggested was analogous to the constructive side of
the Irish Sinn Fein movement and was completely in accord
with my views. But immediately after his arrival in India, he
was surrounded by a group of people who were opposed to the
Non-co-operation Movement and who began to point out to
him only the shortcomings of that movement—as well as the
personal views of the Mahatma on modern science and
modern medicine, which had no connection with the political
programme of the Congress. Under the impression that the
non-co-operation movement was aiming at a break with
Western science, culture and civilisation, the poet delivered
a forceful address in Calcutta under the caption 'Unity of
Culture' and roundly condemned any attempt to isolate
India from the culture and civilisation of the rest of the
world and deprecated the boycott of educational institutions.
Congress circles could not take this assault lying down but
it was impossible to find a literary man of the same standing
as the poet to reply to his attack. However, the premier
novelist of Bengal, Sarat Chandra Chatterji, ventured to give
a reply in an address on 'The Conflict of Cultures.' The