An imaginary golden age

M.N. Roy "India in Transition", published in 1922

Although its political philospher and leader were found subsequently in the persons of Aurobindo Ghose and Bipin Chandra Pal, respectively its fundamental ideology was conceived by a young intellectual of petit-bourgeois origin. He was Narendra Nath Dutt, subsequently known by the religious nomenclature of Swami Vivekananda...Like Tilak, Dutt was also a prophet of Hindu nationalism. He was also a believer in the cultural basis should be built the future Indian nation. He preached that Hinduism not Indian nationalism in should be aggressive. His nationalism was a spiritual imperialism." (ibid. pp. 391-392).

Thus an intelligently rebellious element which otherwise would have been the vanguard of the exploited class in a social struggle had to give in to national pre-occupations nd contribute itself to a movement for the immediate overthrow of foreign rule, not for process forward but in order to go back to an imaginary golden age, the fountain-head of India's spiritual heritage... In their religiousness and wild spiritual imperialism, they embodied the reactionary social forces." (ibid., p. 393).

The extremists, now called non-cooperators have had better success than moderates in drawing the masses under the influence of nationalism...But they could not develop the potentiality of the mass movement by leading it in accordance with its economic urges and social tendencies. Their tactics was to strengthen the nationalist movement by the questionable method of exhloiting the ignorance of the masses. And the best way of exploiting the ignorance of the masses was to make a religion of nationalism. This tactics led to the apperance of Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi on the political horizon, and eclipse of all other political-social tendencies in the shade of Gandhism." (ibid., p. 394)

Although somewhat unique in its idiosyncracies and fanaticism the Gandhi cult is not an innovation. Divested of the rebellous spirit and the shrewd politician in him Tilak would resemble Gandhi in so far as religious belief and spiritual prejudices are concened. But for his versatility in modern thought and characteristic looseness of conviction Bipin Chandra Pal would perchance join the Mahatma in the passionate denunciation of everything that adds to the material comfort of man. Had he been more of a monomaniac than a profound thinker with metaphysical preoccupations Aurobindo Ghose would subscribe to Gandhi's philosophy." (ibid. pp. 396-397).