Tanjore Madhava Rao

“ There must naturally be more occasions to support than to criticise. Government has a right to expect from educated men the most sincere and sympathetic support as well as free and fearless criticism. Peace and order being vitally essential to civilised existence, progress, and prosperity, nothing should be done by word or deed which may have any tendency to disturb public peace or order. Nothing should be done which may have a tendency, present or future, to weaken those invaluable habits of obedience to the law which the vast community of India has happily inherited. ”

“ Gentlemen, your education is not finished. It would be a great error on your part to suppose that as you have got your degrees your education is finished. Your general education has come to an end; but self-education must now begin and go on through all life. Clearly understand what you have gained so far, and do not over-estimate the advantages you have acquired. You have been taught certain large facts; in other words, you have been put in possession of a certain amount of knowledge; you have been taught how to learn, so as to enable you to increase your knowledge. ”

“ If educated men are not to be patriots and politicians, who else can be? The preservation of all the good which India at present happily enjoys, and its future advancement depend upon her patriots and politicians. This is the class which, of all the vast and varied population of India, is most capable of understanding, appreciating and using the magnificent opportunity which England affords us of learning all that ought to be learnt by progressive communities. England has spread before us the vast stores of knowledge accumulated during many centuries of hard and honest investigation. ”

“ Religion being viewed as subservient to morality, some religion is better than none. Where certainty is difficult but error is easy, I would admit light from all quarters, —light from the creation generally; light from human reason, from human instinct, and from human conscience, enlightened by knowledge ”

“ I need not tell you, gentlemen, that the invaluable blessing of health is at the foundation of all happiness. Thoroughly learn the conditions on which health depends, and resolutely practise those virtues which preserve it. ”

“ We are also right in asking for a larger number of Native members in the several Legislative Councils of India. And these members should represent some bodies other than themselves. They may represent property and intelligence as determined by a rough test. But I hope that the activities of the associations will not be confined to political matters.
Nail your flag to the massive principle, "Increase happiness and reduce misery." You cannot carry that flag into a more promising region than that of social reform. With equal labour you can do far more good in this than in the political field. ”

“ Avoid the mischievous error of supposing that our ancient forefathers were infinitely wiser than men of the present times. It cannot be true. Every year of an individual's life he acquires additional knowledge. Knowledge thus goes on accumulating from year to year. Similarly, every generation adds to the knowledge of the previous generation. Under such a process, the accumulation of knowledge in a century is something very large. To assert therefore that men possessed more knowledge scores of centuries ago than at the present day is manifestly absurd. ”

“ When a considerable number of thoughtful and experienced men agree upon an opinion, be slow to differ from the same. Rather agree than differ. Do not differ merely to have an opportunity to speak, or to display your debating power. For the advantage of unanimity, be disposed to sacrifice minor differences. The more carefully you form your opinions, the greater the deference you pay to men of judgment and experience, the less will be the chances of disagreement and discord. Remember that a community advances in proportion as it follows the guidance of its best members. ”

“ The greatest men have ended controversies by judicious compromises. Life is a long series of compromises. There can be no peace in private life without compromises. A government and a people cannot long get on peacefully without compromises. Governments settle mutual differences by compromises; otherwise, war would be very frequent. Compromises tend to unanimity of opinion, unity of action, and reconciliation of conflicting interests. A compromising spirit is all the more necessary in India where so many diverse races have to co-exist and to co-operate for the public good. ”

“ Do not fear or hesitate to change your opinion if you have good reasons to change the same. We are all liable to form erroneous opinions. And as we advance in knowledge and experience, we discover error. To still hold to the former erroneous opinion would be pertinacity detrimental to the public weal. An undue love of consistency is often responsible for a great deal of obstruction to the progress of reform. The more educated men are, the more loyal are they to the sovereignty of reason, and the more readily do they cast off erroneous opinions and accept correct ones. ”

“ Let me warn you that the world you are about to enter is by no means as smooth and beautiful as the pencil of youth and hope may have painted it to your imagination. A timely warning. In reality, it is full of divergences, difficulties, disappointments and dangers. ”

“ Beware of a loose or superficial knowledge of subjects connected with your professional work. I am far from inculcating a strictly utilitarian principle in the choice of the fields of knowledge for your cultivation. All I urge is that you should take a rough survey of those fields, and select such as would yield you adequate pleasure or profit. Some fields may have to be rejected, because you lack the requisite aptitude; others, because you have not the requisite means or leisure; others again, because you have no opportunities to practically use the particular kind of knowledge. ”

“ The whole world is now one field of observation. We can cross continents by railways, we can traverse oceans by steamers. We dive to the bottom of the sea, we pierce to the bowels of the earth. We rise to far off ethereal solitudes where new worlds seem to be in process of creation or consolidatian. Our visual powers are infinitely multiplied by such instruments as the microscope and the telescope. Our power of measuring space has been enlarged by a variety of the nicest instruments. So also our power of measuring time. ”

“ Do not waste time in pursuits for which you have no natural aptitude. Do not waste time in undertakings which are impossible of accomplishment, or nearly so. I hardly like natives of India lavishly devoting time to excel in the composition of English or other foreign poetry. Considering that ideas are more important than words, do not spend too much time in the cultivation of mere literary graces. Do not squander time or brain-power in barren controversies or speculations, such as too many Pundits are fond of. If you want to acquire knowledge, acquire it as it is. ”

“ Differences of opinion too often characterise and divide Native communities implying prevalence of different degrees of knowledge, differing capacities for judgment, diversity of interests, differing passions and prejudices, and multiplicity of standards of right and wrong. Now, it must be obvious to you that the more opinions differ, the more must the community be divided, and the weaker must it consequently be. It is hoped that as education advances, differences will diminish, and increasing approaches will be made to a fair unanimity. ”

“ Be sure, gentlemen, no one will rejoice more than myself to see multitudes of graduates throughout India taking up multitudes of fields of knowledge and cultivating them with diligence, enthusiasm, and success. You have only to remember that intellectual concentration is more fruitful than intellectual dissipation. ”

“ Postponing them from generation to generation is unworthy of educated men who wish to be increasingly self-governing. Let me remind you, gentlemen, in this connection that Indian society suffers far more from self-remediable miseries than any other society. Let every one of the associations with which the Presidency teems, distinctly ask itself at the end of every passing year the question, "What have we done to remove or mitigate any of those miseries." ”

“ While you strive after increasing success, learn to be contented with what falls to your lot. Without contentment no man can be continuously happy. Do not postpone contentment to some distant future contingency or consummation which may not be reached. I do not mean to dilate on this well-worn topic. I just advert to it, only to remind you at the outset of your pursuit of happiness that the first three factors of happiness are, —Health, Competence and Contentment. ”

“ There is temptation to favour the stronger races of India at the expense of the weaker ones. There is temptation to treat foreign settlers in some respects with excessive indulgence. There is temptation to prefer foreigners to natives for public employments. Such are some of the reasons which call for and justify watchfulness and criticism. One of the noblest characteristics of the British Government is that it permits, tolerates, and even welcomes such criticism. Such criticism sometimes actually strengthens the Indian Government in the performance of its difficult and sacred duties. ”

“ The people of India are deeply interested in seeing that high collegiate education is not made to suffer under a narrow spirit of financial economy. It cannot be too strongly urged that the intellectual emancipation of India depends upon the maintenance of such education. The native intellect shows a capacity for indefinite development. Noble England cannot have a more docile pupil than India. The associations, however, know how to deal with this matter. Again, we are right to press for some system by which information and explanation may be elicited from Government as occasions may require. ”

“ Promote public health and sanitation by private instruction, by advice and by example. A great deal might be quietly done in this direction with the result of more health and less disease, — more happiness and less misery. Any exhortation on the subject of health may seem unnecessary. But we often come across instances in which the inestimable blessing of health is sacrificed in the too eager pursuit of inadequate objects. ”

“ You may remember with advantage that good manners are to life what oil is to machinery. I hope it will not be a consequence of your English education that you will superciliously neglect those cheap graces and unbidden amenities of your social life, which soften and sweeten your relations with the people immediately around you.
In life you come in contact with innumerable men, whose feelings are like your own. Be careful not to hurt their feelings needlessly. ”

“ The truth must be frankly and gratefully admitted that the British Government of India is incomparably the best Government we have ever had. It is the strongest and the most righteous and the best suited to Indians diverse populations and diverse interests. ”

“ As an important consequence a new and unprecedented interest has been awakened in public affairs, which are now better known and more extensively discussed and judged tending to the formation of a sound public opinion which is so potent and salutary a force in the modern world. ”

“ Even assuming intellectual equality between the ancients and moderns, men of modern times have had enormous advantages over those of ancient times for the acquisition of knowledge. Our field of observation, our facilities for observation, our instruments of observation, our highly elaborated methods of calculation, our means of publishing the results of observation, of getting the results scrutinised, questioned, compared, discussed, and variously verified are infinitely greater than those of remote generations. ”

“ If the uneducated masses misunderstand Government in any particular, the associations should be prompt and eager to set them right. The associations should recognise it as an imperative duty to vindicate the ways of an honest Government to the millions of its subjects. If these are aggrieved in any respect, the associations will act as their faithful interpreters or advocates. The associations should avoid causing any embarrassment to Government by inopportune, impractical or difficult proposals. They should avoid the reality and even the appearance of a mistrustful or militant spirit. ”

“ In regard to scientific knowledge, the modern must be given preference. In regard to virtues, many old ones which have been our inheritance for ages are excellent, and ought to be retained, such as gentleness, goodwill, self-restraint, fidelity and gratitude to benefactors, politeness, patience, charity, general benevolence, respect and submission to constituted authority, love of peace and order, —happily a long list, of which we may well be proud. At the same time, some modern virtues may also be adopted, such as courage, candour, independence, perseverance, punctuality, public spirit, &c. ”

“ These associations may do useful work in various directions. As regards the great body of the people, they may disseminate useful general information; they may promote political education; they may correct or dispel errors and delusions; they may promote various reforms; they may make known local wants and wishes; they may afford advice and guidance. As regards the Government, they may make themselves still more useful; they may vigilantly watch the action of Government at all times and in all places, in view to wholesome criticism. The ideal of the Indian Government is happily very high. ”

“ There is temptation to prefer English to Indian interests. The European officers of Government are birds of passage without permanent interest or sympathy in India. There is temptation to overlook their faults and shortcomings few as they may be. ”