CHAPTER XIII

A MAHRATTA SHOE

Journey to Surat—Dr. Rash Behari Ghose—Arrival at Surat—News of attempted assassination of Mr. Allen—Separate Extremist camp—Questions of the Calcutta resolutions—Attitude towards Bombay Moderates—Sir Pherozeshah Mehta—Lajpat Rai as peacemaker—Vain negotiations—First day’s meeting of the Congress—Demonstration against Mr. Banerjea—Suspension of meeting—Alteration of Calcutta Resolutions discussed—Crux of the Boycott resolution—Further vain negotiations—Second day’s meeting—Election of President—Mr. Tilak’s action—Storm in the Congress—The Mahratta Shoe—Meeting breaks up in disorder—Free fight in the pavilion—Meeting of Convention of Moderates next day—Lajpat Rai on the platform—Meeting of Extremists—End of the Congress—Temporary unpopularity of the Moderate leaders 233