नामदार गोखले-चरित्र 75
सैन्यात हिंदू लोकांस अधिकार द्या, सर्वांस दरवाजे उघडे ठेवा वगैरे गोखल्यांच्या म्हणण्यास उत्तर देताना लॉर्ड किचनेर साहेब जरा गरम होऊन बोलले. गोखल्यांच्या म्हणण्यास दर्भंग्याच्या महाराजांनी संमती दिली व सांगितले की, हिंदी लोकांस, सुशिक्षितांस लष्करी शिक्षण दिलेच पाहिजे. परंतु गोखल्यांच्या या भाषणावर 'पायोनिअर'ने कुत्सित टीका केली. 'पायोनिअर' म्हणतो, ' Mr. Gokhale has not forgotten presumably a certain event known as the Indian mutiny. The creation of citizen-army must be preceded by a guarantee of its loyalty and who is to guarantee the loyalty when the most eminent leaders of the people are men imbibed with the spirit of ill will and distrust as Mr. Gokhale? If this is the attitude of the men at the top what language is like;y to be held by those lower down the leader? The citizen-army would not be worth is rifles if it did not make immediate use of its power to turn against a conglomeration of abuses and oppression such as the Government is constantly portrayed by those who always claim to be speaking in the name of the entire people of India. Is the Government to pave the way ifself for the catastrophe or shall it not rather wait until there are more evidences of sound sense and public spirit among the enlightened before commencing experiment?'
या 'पायोनिअर'च्या पाणचटा, चटारे व चारगट लिहिण्यास हिंदुस्तान रिव्ह्यूने थोडक्यात पण मुद्देसूद उत्तर देऊन थप्पड लगाविली. 'हिंदुस्तान रिव्ह्यू म्हणतो, 'But evidently Pioneer forgets that but for the splendid and deep loyalty of the princes and the people except perhaps in Oudh-as distinguished from the soldiers during the dark days of १८५७, the map of India would have been differently coloured. It is well-known, although pioneer chooses to forget it for the moment that the Mutiny of १८५७ was not a national movement.' हिंदुस्तानात राजपुत्र आला तो म्हणतो, 'We shall never forget the affectionate greetings of India and Burma,' जॉन ब्राइट म्हणत असे की, 'You may govern India if you like for the good of England, but the good of England must come through the channels of the good of India.' परंतु एकाद्याने जरी असे उद्गार काढण्याचे नीतिधैर्य दाखविले तरी हिंदुस्तानवर जे अधिकारी येतात ते बहुधा हिंदुस्तानच्या हितास 'अब्रहाण्यम्' समजणारेच असतात. इंग्लंडची तुंबडी भरली, गो-यांचे गाल वर आले आणि लाल झाले की, पोटाची दामटी वळलेल्या हिंदुस्तानने ढेकर दिलाच असे या बहादुरांना वाटते! परमेश्वर हेच चक्र उलटे फिरवील आणि याच चक्राला कधी तरी उलटी कलाटणी मिळेल अशा विश्वासावर दृष्टी ठेवून अवनत राष्ट्रांनी पाय हलविले पाहिजेत. दुसरे काय?