Memorial to Montagu

THE unveiling of the late Edwin Montagu’s statue at Bombay on Thursday took place at an impressive ceremony. The tributes paid on the occasion to the memory of that great British statesman were not of the ordinary conventional character, but were indicative of the feelings of esteem, affection and gratitude which his memory inspires in the minds of Indians of all castes and creeds and all shades of political views. The claim of that “brave and brilliant martyred English statesmen” to India’s gratitude rests on the fact, as Sarojini Naidu put it, that it was he “who made the first authentic gesture of abdication in respect to Indian ideals and at his own utter ruin championed India’s cause with sacrificial devotion.” Srinivas Sastri who, of all Indian politicians, had the greatest opportunities of intimately knowing Montagu’s plans about India, in the course of a speech worthy of the occasion, paid a glowing tribute to Montagu’s work. “Whenever Montagu was checked in his tussle,” said Sastri, “not the least of which was Kenya, he would often exclaim that he would resign on this issue and appeal to India,” an idea which generally tickled Sastri to laughter; but Montagu would “seriously admonish him that India was his constituency and, by constitutional usage, he must seek the support of Indians when he was baulked in championing their interests.” Of what other Secretary of State for India, past or present, can it be said that he regarded India as his constituency and relied on India’s support in his fight for her interests. On the other hand, in most matters, the tendency of men at the India Office is often to totally eliminate the Indian point of view from their consideration, or, at best, to give it a secondary place in their thoughts.