The Alipore Bomb Trial

TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY’S PROCEEDINGS 

     Mr. Norton continuing his address said that on Tuesday he dealt finally with regard to “Yugantar". Counsel had placed extracts from all the issues available to the Crown for the purpose of enabling their Lordships to see the general tenor of those articles and he had shown to their Lordships that the objects of those who ran the "Yugantar" was really to stir up revolution and to stir it up in the guise of appeal to patriotism which was based upon absolutely untrue representations about the financial draining of the country, violation of female modesty and temples, etc.

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     Although the case for the Crown was that the appeal for financially helping the revolution, which was contemplated by the "Yugantar," was in the main confined to the youths of the country, Counsel said, as a matter of fact, the "Yugantar" did not confine its attention to procure the means of warfare from the youths alone. Another method was adopted to attract the older population and that was only for financial help. While dealing with this question, Counsel drew their Lordships’ attention to the valuable finds at 134, Harrison Road. The reasonable deduction from that would be that the money must have come from somewhere.

     The question was where could they get the money ? Was any one of them able to pay that ? There was not a single person amongst them who could afford to pay except Barin an Arabinda. But so far as Barin and Arabinda were concerned, the evidence was that they had the ancestral debts and at- tempts had been made in 1906 or 1907 to get rid of the garden for the purpose of devoting its proceeds to pay back the debts. The pecuniary help therefore was not likely to come from them. The money must have come from sources which, so far as the case was concerned, were not disclosed. The result of an appeal like that made through the columns of the "Yugantar" was likely to have its effect. They appealed to the very worst part of human nature with the result that the persons who believed that there was a real substance for complaint came forward.

     Referring to the Partition of Bengal, Mr. Norton said it was unquestionable one of the land marks in the history of this revolution. Counsel was not there to express the faintest praise or dispraise with regard to that question. He was only there to say what was the effect of it upon the minds of the people, apart from the question whether it was right or wrong, wise or unwise, necessary or unnecessary. The partition was used as an instrument of appeal. The effect of the partition was the severance of two people who, rightly or wrongly, honestly or dishonestly, claimed to have a common bond of union between themselves. There were some people who believed that it was a wholly unnecessary action on the part of the Government and that it was intentionally cruel. Taking advantage of this, the people who were conducting the "Yugantar" used the wonderful power of their pen. As the engine of appeal was in their own hands they misrepresented the acts of the Government in order to attain their own end. From that point of view they could understand why it was that the 16^th October had always been regarded as the day of humiliation and prayer. Historically speaking— if the confessions were true—the unrest began two years before the Partition of Bengal. The effect of the partition was the crystalisation of the germs of revolution which had been thrown cast.

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     Mr. Norton then read various articles which appeared in the Sandhya. newspaper.

     Mr. Norton then wanted to read articles from the "Navasaki" which, he said, was far superior in phraseology. Although it was not one of the limbs of the conspiracy, it was used as a means for the spread of their cult by the conspirators.

     The Chief Justice : How can you connect it with the conspiracy if it is not a limb of it?

     Mr. Norton.―At the search of 48, Grey Street an account book was found which showed that Taranath Roy Chowdhury was on the staff of the "Navasakti'" and used to get 20 a month. The Chief Justice: Is it profitable to read the articles if there is no clear evidence of the connection of the paper with the conspiracy ?

     Mr. Norton in reply said that Taranath left "Yugantar" and went to "Navasakti." He was helping the latter paper in the same way as Abinash was helping the "Yugantar." if there was evidence to show that the “Navasakti’ was used as a newspaper on which the conspirators had some control. The proprietor of the paper was Babu Monoranjan Guha, a man of wealth and position, and that {was the reason for the comparatively moderate tone of the paper. It was known that Mr. Guha would not allow his paper to be used in the same way as the "Yugantar". Abinash issued a notice that the "Navasakti" would be converted into a weekly paper and from the 9^th of May, it would take a new lease of life-—-it would be edited and managed by the Yugantar staff. In other words he intended to change it to keep the tune of the "Yugantar". Both these papers had the same common aim.

     Mr. Norton then read extracts from some of the articles from the “Navasakti" and then proposed to read the whole of the book called the “Bhavani Mandir"

     After reading the whole book Mr. Norton observed that there was no doubt that it was a fine piece of writing, and Counsel believed it was written by Arabinda Ghose for there was no native of India except Arabinda who could write such excellent English and who could put Vedantic thoughts and ideals in such form. Counsel was prepared to concede and believed it to be so that the idea of the writer was perfectly honest—the spiritual regeneration of India and for that matter the whole world. What he objected to was the method used for attaining that. The writer had in contemplation not only the spiritual welfare but material wealth. Counsel did not suggest that it was written for the garden, but at the same time he must say that the men in the garden used the idea for purposes for which it should never have been used.

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     Mr. Norton next read extracts from a book called the "Bartaman Rananiti” (Modern Warfare). Counsel observed it was a remarkable book dabbling with the military knowledge of more European nations than one.

     Counsel had not concluded reading this exhibit when the Court rose.

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