In the Congress
In the Congress at last. The immense pavilion and the volunteers in stately array, as also the elders seated on the dais, overwhelmed me. I wondered where I should be in that vast assemblage.
The presidential address was a book by itself. To read it from cover to cover was out of the question. Only a few passages were therefore read.
After this came the election of the Subjects Committee. Gokhale took me to the Committee meetings.
Sir Pherozeshah had of course agreed to admit my resolution, but I was wondering who would put it before the Subjects Committee, and when. For there were lengthy speeches to every resolution, all in English to boot, and every resolution had some well-known leader to back it. Mine was but a feeble pipe amongst those veteran drums, and as the night was closing in, my heart beat fast. The resolutions coming at the fag-end were, so far as I can recollect, rushed through at lightning speed. Everyone was hurrying to go. It was 11 o’clock. I had not the courage to speak. I had already met Gokhale, who had looked at my resolution. So I drew near his chair and whispered to him: “Please do something for me.” He said: “Your resolution is not out of my mind. You see the way they are rushing through the resolutions. But I will not allow yours to be passed over.”
“So we have done?” said Sir Pherozeshah Mehta.
“No, no, there is still the resolution on South Africa. Mr. Gandhi has been waiting long,” cried out Gokhale.
“Have you seen the resolution?” asked Sir Pherozeshah.