Federation Versus Freedom

Preface A word or two as regards the origin of this tract and the motive which has led me to publish it at this time will, I think, not be out of place.

Many in this country must be aware that there exists in Poona an institution which is called the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, working under the direction of Dr. D.R. Gadgil. The Institute holds a function annually to celebrate what is called the Founder's Day and invites, someone to deliver an address on some subject connected with politics or economics. This year, I was asked by Dr Gadgil to deliver an address. I accepted the invitation and chose the Federal Scheme as the subject of my address. The address covered both (1) the structure of the Federation and (2) a critique of that structure. The address was delivered on 29th January 1939 at the Gokhale Hall in Poona. The address as prepared had become too lengthy for the time allotted to me and although I kept the audience for two hours when usually the time allotted for such addresses is one hour I had to omit from the address the whole of the part relating to the Federal structure and some portion from the part relating to the criticism of the structure. This tract, however, contains the whole of the original address prepared by me for the occasion.

Introduction I feel greatly honoured by your invitation to address you this evening. You have met today to celebrate a day which is set out as your Founder's Day. I had the privilege of personally knowing the late Rao Bahadur R R. Kale the founder of your Institute. He was my colleague in the old Bombay Legislative Council. I know how much care and study he used to bestow upon every subject which he handled. I am sure he deserves the gratitude of all those who care for knowledge and study for helping to establish this. Institute, whose main function as I understand is to dig for knowledge and make it ready for those who care to use it. For, first, knowledge is power as nothing else is, and secondly, not all those who wish and care for knowledge have the leisure and the patience to dig for it. As one who believes in the necessity of knowledge and appreciated the difficulties in its acquisition I am glad to be associated in this way with him and with the Institute he has founded.

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