Chapter 29The Indian National Congress: Moderates and · The Karmayogin Case

whole year. Mr. Beachcroft, the magistrate, had been with Sri Aurobindo in Cambridge. . . . The case in due course went up to the Sessions Court and the trial commenced there in October 1908.

[Sri Aurobindo indicated that the last sentence should be placed before “Mr. Beachcroft”, changed “magistrate” to “Judge in the Sessions Court”, and wrote:] The preliminary trial (a very long one) took place before Birley, a young man unknown to Sri Aurobindo. Beachcroft was not “magistrate” but Judge in the Sessions Court.

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In his dignified statement to the court, Sri Aurobindo pointed out that it was perfectly true that he had taught the people of India the meaning and the message of national independence. . . .

Sri Aurobindo never made a public statement in the Court. When asked by the Court, he said he would leave the case to his lawyers, they would speak for him; he himself did not wish to make any statement or answer the Court’s questions. If any such statement as the one spoken of was made, it must have been drawn up by the lawyers on his behalf, not made by himself.

[While in the Alipore jail Sri Aurobindo became ill.]

Sri Aurobindo did not fall ill while in prison; he was in normal health except for a superficial ailment for some time which was of no consequence.

A year’s seclusion and meditation in the Alipore jail no doubt worked a great transformation in Sri Aurobindo. . . . Once again — now as ever — “service” was Sri Aurobindo’s urge to action.

The idea was “work” for the country, for the world, finally for the Divine, nishkama karma, rather than an ideal of service.