CHAPTER XI
TILAK AND THE CONGRESSII
The days of absolute leadership are gone, never to return back.
ELSEWHERE we have traced Mr. Tilak's connection with the Congress from 1889 down to the early years of the present century. We have seen, how, in the period of political re-action, beginning 'with 1897, the Congress leaders showed their "statesmanship," by scrupulously following a policy of Moderation, which, very often meant inaction, timidity or indifference to the National good. Ever since his return (1899) to public life after one year's incarceration, Mr. Tilak had been fighting with these tendencies in and out of the National Congress. but what with his pre-occupations in the Tai Maharaj Case, and what with the small following he had in the Congress, he could not effectually raise his voice against the policy of inertia and negation, which Sir Pheroze-shah later came to glory in. From 1905, however all this was changed. The wave of awakening in the country strengthened the nascent New Party and Mr. Tilak could get that amount of following in the Congress which was required to put up a fair fight. This tended to enUven the proceedings of the Congress and increase
