नामदार गोखले / नामदार गोखले-चरित्र 94

किंबर्लेपासून जोहान्सबर्गपर्यंतची गोखल्यांची मोहीम मोठी यशस्वी झाली. प्रत्येक ठिकाणी त्यांचे टोलेजंग स्वागत झाले. 'स्टँडर्ड' पत्राचा बातमीदार जोहान्सबर्ग येथून लिहितो. 'The arrival in the Transvaal of Mr. Gopal Krishna Gokhale must be regarded as an event of surpassing  interest and deep significance. It is not too much to say that the distinguished statesman has made a triumphant progress from Kimberley to Johanesburg, and that his reception here has been striking beyond all expectations.' जोहान्सबर्गला जाताना वाटेत क्लर्कस्डॉर्प, पॉट्चेफ्सट्म, क्रुजर्सडॉप वगैरे ठिकाणी त्यांचा सत्कार करण्यात आला. जोहान्सबर्ग पार्क येथे स्टेशनवर तर फारच थाटमाट उडाला होता. गोखल्यांनी आपल्या भाषणात स्पष्ट सांगितले की, 'Indian in S. Africa must be made to feel that he lived under the protection of equal laws, On the view that Indians were mere hewers of wood and drawers of water to Europeans who were disposed to think that S. Africa existed only for them, England would find it difficult to hold India.' हे भाषण जोहान्सबर्ग येथे (Masonic Hall Banquet) दगडी दिवाणखान्यात दिल्या गेलेल्या मेजवानीच्या प्रसंगी झाले. केप टाऊन, बेच्वानालँड, प्रिटोरिया, ब्ल्यूमफाउन्टन वगैरे शहरी गोखले गेले. ३० नोव्हेंबर रोजी ते मुंबासा येथे गेले होते. तेथे जीवनजी हॉलमध्ये त्यांस हिंदी लोकांनी मानपत्र दिले. 'Indians will decline to be treated as helots of the empire.' असा त्यांचा संदेश होता. गोखल्यांस जरी डोईपट्टी रद्द होण्याची वचने मिळाली व दरवर्षी काही लोक कोणी धर्मोपदेशक, कोणी शिक्षक म्हणून येण्याची परवानगी दिली असे सांगितले तरी अद्याप लेखी असे काही नव्हते. एकट्या जनरल बोथाच्या हातात काही नव्हते. ऑरेंज रिव्हर कॉलनी म्हणून जे फ्री स्टेट आहे तेथील मुख्य प्रधान Fischer, हा या सर्वांच्या विरुध्द होता. दुस-यासाठी आपण झीज सोसावी अशी या लोकांस मुळीच इच्छा नव्हती. यांनीच पुन:पुन: हिंदूस थोडीफार सवलत लेण्यांविरुध्द आजपर्यंत सतत हाकाटी केली. आणि गोखलेपुराणानंतर हे ताळ्यावर येतील असे थोडेच होते? स्टँडर्डच्या २१ नोव्हेंबरच्या लेखात स्पष्ट सांगितले आहे की, 'Equality as between Asiatics and Europeans is not regarded as within the range of practical politics in the country and while Mr. Gokhale's personality has charmed all who have meet him, it is to be feared that his mission can have but small results. The imperial Government can, of course, exercise no sort of compulsion in the matter. It must, if needs be, abase itself before the Indian subjects of the king and confess its importance to secure for them the justice and recognition of their rights as members of the Empire to which they believe themselves entitled; but then the fact will have to be faced not only that general Botha is unable or unwilling to redeem his pledges, but that most powerful section of his followers have a conception of imperial relationship that carries with it, no matter what benefits may be received, no sense of the necessity of sacrifice even to the most imperative of the exigencies of state.' लंडन टाइम्सने इंग्लंडातून गोखल्यांच्या या भेटीवर ८ जानेवारी १९१३ रोजी एक अग्रलेख लिहिला. तो म्हणतो, 'Mr. Gokhale's visit to the Union is likely to be of permanent value to all concerned in the difficult problem of Indian immigration. This is due equally to the friendly and courteous spirit in which the Union Government received Mr. Gokhale and the breadth of view and statesmanship with which Mr. Gokhale himself approached his task.'  परंतु खुद्द आफ्रिकेतील बहुतेक पत्रे निराशेचेच उद्गार काढीत होती. वृत्तपत्रे तर उघड उघड संताप व हेटाळणी करीत होती. डच लोकांचे एक प्रमुख पत्र डी. स्पेक्टेटर म्हणते :- '' According to his own statement Mr. Gokhale has come here with the object of making an investigation in loco in regard to the state of affairs among the coolies here. To be brief with Mr. Gokhale we simply say, that has nothing to do with you, that is our business. we have Self- Government, have passed laws in parliament in regard to the coolies and no stranger need come here from British India, either on his own behalf or by request, to study problems which are no business of his, and which can quite safely be left to the white statesmen to be dealt with. Mr. Gokhale has informed the public that he is going to have an interview with some of the ministers but generally they have no time or no inclination to listen to complaints. But we trust that the majority of the population will take no notice of the visit and will continue to battle against one of the greatest hests in our country.'' किती सडेतोड उद्दामपणाची आणि बेफिकीरपणाची ही भाषा! स्वातंत्र्य, सामर्थ्य व संपत्ती यांचा हा प्रभाव आहे! मॉर्निंग पोस्ट ३० ऑक्टोबरच्या लेखात कसे नागमोडी लिहिते पाहा :-