Birkenhead : Frederick Edwin Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead (1872-1930), a very successful English lawyer, orator, & statesman who was Secretary of State for India (1924-28) in Baldwin’s 2nd ministry. On 25 March 1925, Das issued a manifesto condemning unreservedly all acts of violence for political purposes [see Chittaranjan]. On the 29th, at Lord Lytton (Lt.-Gov. Bengal)’s behest Das publicly declared: “...I am opposed to the principle of political assassination... if violence is to take root in the political life of our country it will be the end of our Swaraj.... I equally abhor any form of [Govt.] repression, [for] it will only encourage political assassination.” A pleased Birkenhead publicly promised to consider any constructive proposals Das could make. This Das did in his last public speech, “Swaraj & Dominion Status”, given as President of the Faridpur Conference on 2nd May. After consulting Viceroy Reading, Birkenhead announced he would “make an important announcement” on 7 July. But to India’s misfortune Das died on 16 June. Promptly Gandhi stymied the constructive goal Das & Birkenhead had initiated, by pulling out the Swaraj Party (q.v.) then under Motilal Nehru from any further dialogue with Govt. & intensifying his own disruptive agenda. In October, Reading regretted “We have lost the chance of reconciliation with C.R. Das’s death.” Early in 1926 Gandhi thrust the Swaraj Party into suspended animation by ordering its members elected to Govt. councils to resign from the Central Assembly. [Based on Durga Das, Hemendranath Das Gupta, & R.C. Majumdar]
... and the obligation of the traditional oral law. Frederick Edwin Smith, (1872-1930), 1 st Earl of Birkenhead, a British Conservative statesman and lawyer, became Lord Chancellor (1919-22) and Secretary of State for India (1924- 28) and was ennobled as the first Lord Birkenhead. Chittaranjan Das (1870-1925), later called Deshbandhu (Friend of the Country), eminent lawyer, ...
... politicians has, perforce, to move within limits: if they were to allow themselves to be as clear minded as Russell, their occupation would be gone! It is not everybody who can be as cynical as a Birkenhead or as philosophical as a C. R. Das and go on with political reason political make-believe in spite of knowing what it all came to, from arrivisme in the one and patriotism in the other case." ...
... rationality of politicians has perforce to move within limits; if they were to allow themselves to be as clear-minded as that, their occupation would be gone. It is not everybody who can be as cynical as Birkenhead or as philosophical as C. R. Das and go on with political reason or political humbug in spite of knowing what it all came to—from arrivisme in the one and from patriotism in the other case. ...
... of politicians has perforce to move within limits; if they were to allow themselves to be as clear-minded as that, their occupation would be gone. It is not everybody who can be as cynical as a Birkenhead 9 or as philosophic as a C.R. Das 10 and go on with political reason or political humbug in spite of knowing what it all comes to — from arrivisme in the one and from patriotism in the other ...
... interfere with the effectiveness of the silent occult support that he was giving to the cause already. The phenomenal success of the Swaraj Party during the next two years made a deep impression on Lord Birkenhead, the India Secretary, who thought highly of Chittaranjan's patriotism as well as statesmanship. A rapprochement between Britain and India seemed imminent, but Chittaranjan's sudden death on 16 June ...
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