DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6523#0305
None could say them nay, none could arrest or
save; and yet that warrior caste, proud with the
pride of warriors, flung all aside and stepped
down amongst the people, content to justify their
warrior spirit in the war against Eussia, where those
very Japanese who had thrown away their privileges
showed their Kshattriya spirit, lived on the battle-
fields in defence of their country.
Which way will you take, you of the great Brah-
mana caste ? Will you wait until the surging wave of
prejudice and anger, rising higher, higher, and
higher, sweeps you all away against your will ? or
will you perform that noblest of all acts—sacrifice
your privileges for the sake of Freedom, for
the sake of the greatness of the Motherland, stretch-
ing out your hands to all without exception, and
calling on all to share with you in the redemption of
the land ?
Oh! I have had a vision, which I hope is not only
a dream, of this mighty caste, which in the past has
given to India all that she has of greatest in her litera-
ture, in her arts; of you, the natural leaders of the
people by your high education, by your brilliant in-
telligence, by your power of speech—I have had a
vision of your mighty caste going forward to the feet
of India, the Mother, taking off the coronet of privilege
from your own heads and laying it down in sacrifice
at her feet. I have dreamt that that great act of
national sacrifice, once' accomplished, splendidly
save; and yet that warrior caste, proud with the
pride of warriors, flung all aside and stepped
down amongst the people, content to justify their
warrior spirit in the war against Eussia, where those
very Japanese who had thrown away their privileges
showed their Kshattriya spirit, lived on the battle-
fields in defence of their country.
Which way will you take, you of the great Brah-
mana caste ? Will you wait until the surging wave of
prejudice and anger, rising higher, higher, and
higher, sweeps you all away against your will ? or
will you perform that noblest of all acts—sacrifice
your privileges for the sake of Freedom, for
the sake of the greatness of the Motherland, stretch-
ing out your hands to all without exception, and
calling on all to share with you in the redemption of
the land ?
Oh! I have had a vision, which I hope is not only
a dream, of this mighty caste, which in the past has
given to India all that she has of greatest in her litera-
ture, in her arts; of you, the natural leaders of the
people by your high education, by your brilliant in-
telligence, by your power of speech—I have had a
vision of your mighty caste going forward to the feet
of India, the Mother, taking off the coronet of privilege
from your own heads and laying it down in sacrifice
at her feet. I have dreamt that that great act of
national sacrifice, once' accomplished, splendidly