Archival Notes

Limitations of space prevent us from writing more than a few lines on the new documentary material published in this issue.

           A NEW PHOTOGRAPH OF SRI AUROBINDO

The photograph of Sri Aurobindo reproduced as Plate 1 was printed in the Anglo-Indian review Empress in October 1909. It was captioned "Baboo Arabindo Ghosh Giving a speech in Beadon Square". The photograph accompanied an article on the Sixteenth October (Partition Day) celebrations. The Bengalee of 17 October carried a full report of the event, from which the following is extracted:

The [morning] bathing over, people distributed rakhis amongst themselves. It was indeed a pleasing sight to see a man tying a rakhi around the wrist in most cases, of a stranger and embracing him close to his bosom. Then they proceeded to Beadon Square where as in previous years, a preliminary meeting was held.

Beadon Square was one of several open spaces in north Calcutta where public meetings were held. Located at the south-west corner of Beadon Street (now Abhedananda Road) and Upper Chitpore Road (now Rabindra Sarani) it is at present called Rabindra Kanan. Here hundreds of men and women met on the morning of 16 October 1909, "singing national songs and shouting Bande Mataram." They listened while Moulvi Dedar Bux read the People's Proclamation and Pandit Panchcowrie Banerjea delivered a short speech. Then there was great excitement as Babu Surendranath Banerjea arrived. The distinguished orator spoke on the significance of the rakhi ceremony: "Moderates and extremists, Hindus and Mahomedans, would bind themselves in the closest tie of unity on this sacred day." Before concluding, Babu Surendranath "renewed the Swadeshi vow which the audience took standing". At this moment Sri Aurobindo put in his appearance.

Then amidst fresh cheers and renewed and prolonged shouts of "Bande Mataram" in came Babu Aurobindo Ghose and the inevitable rush for rakhi bandhan ensued for a few minutes. Babu Aurobindo also spoke a few words in Bengali. He said that he was unwilling to speak in a foreign tongue on such sacred occasion. He was not on the other hand, accustomed to speak in his mother tongue. But he would only say one thing, viz that the rakhi bandhan was not only a bond of thread but it was the semblance of another tie. It was the sign of uniting their [sic] hearts of millions of people of United Bengal. The 'rakhi' might be removed in a day or two but that sacred bond of hearts would remain firm through all ages. There was no power on earth which could untie that sacred knot — it was a national bond. They had taken oath. They should stick to it, God helping.

In the afternoon the throng reassembled in College Square and marched to the site of the Federation Hall, where the day's principal celebration was held. All the worthies of Calcutta were present, the most prominent being Surendranath and Sri Aurobindo, leaders respectively of the Moderate and Extremist Parties.

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