Gopal Krishna Gokhale Quotes (10 quotes)

Gopal Krishna Gokhale: 10 quotes 0 likes

Famous Gopal Krishna Gokhale Quotes

“What the country needs most at the present moment is a spirit of self-sacrifice on the part of our educated young men, and they may take it from me that they cannot spend their lives in a better cause than raising the moral and intellectual level of their unhappy low castes and promoting their well-being.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Extract from his speech on improving the lot of low-caste Hindus. Page=702
Sources of Indian Tradition

“The condition of the low castes—it is painful to call them low castes—is not only unsatisfactory as this resolution says—it is so deeply deplorable that it constitutes a grave blot on our social arrangements… I think all fair-minded persons will have to admit that it is absolutely monstrous that a class of human beings, with bodies similar to our own, with brains that can think and with hearts that can feel, should be perpetually condemned to a low life of utter wretchedness, servitude, and mental and moral degradation, and that permanent barriers should be placed in their way so that it should be impossible for them ever to overcome them and improve their lot. This is deeply revolting to our sense of justice… How can we possibly realize our national aspirations, how can our country ever hope to take her place among the nations of the world, if we allow large numbers of our countrymen to remain sunk in ignorance, barbarism, and degradation?”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Gopal Krishna Gokhale on Caste, 3 December 2013, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs: George Ton University http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/resources/quotes/gopal-krishna-gokhale-on-caste,
On caste system

“The work that has so far been done has indeed been of the highest value. The growth during the last 50 years, of a feeling of common nationality, based upon common tradition, common disabilities, and common hopes and aspirations, has been most striking. The fact that we are Indians first, and Hindoos, Mahomedans, Parsees, or Christinas afterwards, is being realized in a steadily increasing measure, and the idea of a united and renovated India, marching onwards to a place among the nations of the world worthy of her great past, is no longer a mere idle dream of a few imaginative minds, but is definitely the accepted creed of those who form the brain of the community-the educated classes of the country.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Extract from his speech during setting up and defining the charter of the Servants of Scoiety. Page=702
Sources of Indian Tradition

“But I venture to submit, my lord, that the consideration which the people of the Western countries receive in consequence of their voting power should be available to us, in matters of finance at any rate, through an “intelligent anticipation” – to use a phrase of Your Lordship’s- of our reasonable wishes on the part of the government.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

He commented criticizing the heavy taxation that was creating surpluses and the need to have a say in the matter by the representatives of the people. Pages=696-97
Sources of Indian Tradition

“No taxation without representation”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

His refrain and demand during the budget speeches in 1904 as the Indian Representative on the Imperial Legislative Council urging for financial and administrative reforms for India.Page=695
Sources of Indian Tradition

“A taxation so forced as not only to maintain a budgetary equilibrium but to yield as well “large, continuous, progressive surpluses –even in years of trials and suffering –is, I submit, against all accepted canons of finance.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Sources of Indian Tradition

Gopal Krishna Gokhale Quotes

“Gokhale has feeling, but feeling guided and controlled by thought, and there is nothing in him which reminds us of the usual type of political agitator.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

John Maynard Keynes on hearing Gokhale speaking in Cambridge in [BR Nanda, Gokhale:The Indian Moderates and the British Raj, Princeton University Press]

Feeling

“Most dangerous enemy of British rule in the country.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Lord Harding in [Guha, Ramachandra, Makers of Modern India, http://books.google.com/books?id=rWxXqEp4eQsC&pg=PA92, 31 March 2011, Harvard University Press, 978-0-674-05246-8, 94]

Country

“I had a farewell talk with Gokhale…. On the whole his tone both attracted and impressed me. He promises very confidently a good reception for our Reforms by the Congress…. But whether dealing with Parnell, Gokhale, or any other of the political breed, I have a habit of taking them to mean what they say until and unless I find out a trick. Parnell always so long as we were friends or allies, treated me perfectly honourably…. Mr. Gokhale is to stay in London until the end of the session, and I am in good hopes of finding him a help to me, and not a hindrance, in guiding the strong currents of democratic feeling that are running breast high in the House of Commons.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Observations of w:John Morley on Minto-Morley Reforms in India for full fiscal and political autonomy within the empire in Gopala Krishna Gokhale, D. N. Bannerjea (1866-1915), 4 December 2013, Bangla Library http://web.archive.org/web/20131017195504/http://forum.banglalibrary.org/viewtopic.php?id=1398,

Confidence , Housing , Strong , Hope

“This diamond of India, this jewel of Maharashtra, this prince of workers is taking eternal rest on funeral ground. Look at him and try to emulate him.”

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

B.G.Tilak in "Guru and Chela".