Clerk and Bearer

There were yet two days for the Congress session to begin. I had made up my mind to offer my services to the Congress office in order to gain some experience. So as soon as I had finished the daily ablutions on arrival at Calcutta, I proceeded to the Congress office.

There were still two days before the Congress session began. I had decided to offer my services at the Congress office to gain some experience. So, as soon as I had washed after arriving in Calcutta, I went to the Congress office.

Babu Bhupendranath Basu and Sjt. Ghoshal were the secretaries. I went to Bhupenbabu and offered my services. He looked at me, and said: ‘I have no work, but possibly Ghoshalbabu might have something to give you. Please go to him.’

Babu Bhupendranath Basu and Sjt. Ghoshal were the secretaries. I went to Bhupenbabu and offered to help. He looked at me and said, ‘I have no work for you, but perhaps Ghoshalbabu has something for you to do. Please go to him.’

So I went to him. He scanned me, and said with a smile: ‘I can give you only clerical work. Will you do it?’

So I went to him. He looked me over and said with a smile: ‘I can only offer you office work. Will you do it?’

‘Certainly,’ said I. ‘I am here to do anything that is not beyond my capacity.’

‘Certainly,’ I said. ‘I am here to do anything within my ability.’

‘That is the right spirit, young man,’ he said. Addressing the volunteers who surrounded him, he added, ‘Do you hear what this young man says?’

‘That is the right spirit, young man,’ he said. He turned to the volunteers around him and added, ‘Do you hear what this young man says?’

Then turning to me he proceeded: ‘Well then, here is a heap of letters for disposal. Take that chair and begin. As you see, hundreds of people come to see me. What am I to do? Am I to meet them, or am I to answer these busybodies inundating me with letters? I have no clerks to whom I can entrust this work. Most of these letters have nothing in them, but you will please look them through. Acknowledge those that are worth it, and refer to me those that need a considered reply.’

Then he turned to me and continued: ‘Well then, here is a pile of letters to deal with. Take that chair and begin. As you can see, hundreds of people come to see me. What am I to do? Should I meet them, or answer these busybodies who flood me with letters? I have no clerks I can trust with this work. Most of these letters contain nothing important, but please look through them. Acknowledge those worth acknowledging, and bring me any that need a thoughtful reply.’

I was delighted at the confidence reposed in me.

I was delighted that they had placed their trust in me.

Sjt. Ghoshal did not know me, when he gave me the work. Only later did he enquire about my credentials.

Sjt. Ghoshal did not know me when he gave me the work. Only later did he ask about my credentials.

I found my work very easy,—the disposal of that heap of correspondence. I had done with it in no time, and Sjt. Ghoshal was very glad. He was talkative. He would talk away for hours together. When he learnt something from me about my history, he felt rather sorry to have given me clerical work. But I reassured him:

I found the work very easy. I dealt with the pile of correspondence in no time, and Sjt. Ghoshal was very pleased. He was talkative and could talk for hours. When he learned something about my background, he felt rather sorry for giving me clerical work. But I reassured him:

‘Please don’t worry. What am I before you? You have grown gray in the service of the Congress, and are as an elder to me. I am but an inexperienced youth. You have put me under a debt of obligation by entrusting me with this work. For I want to do Congress work, and you have given me the rare opportunity of understanding the details.’ ‘To tell you the truth,’ said Sjt. Ghoshal, ‘that is the proper spirit. But young men of today do not realise it. Of course I have known the Congress since its birth. In fact I may claim a certain share with Mr. Hume in bringing the Congress into being.’

‘Please don’t worry. Who am I compared with you? You have grown gray serving the Congress, and you are like an elder to me. I am just an inexperienced young man. I am deeply grateful to you for entrusting me with this work. I want to work for the Congress, and you have given me a rare chance to understand the details.’ ‘To tell you the truth,’ said Sjt. Ghoshal, ‘that is the right attitude. But young men today do not realize it. Of course, I have known the Congress since it began. In fact, I may claim some share with Mr. Hume in bringing the Congress into being.’

And thus we became good friends. He insisted on my having my lunch with him.

And so we became good friends. He insisted that I have lunch with him.

Sjt. Ghoshal used to get his shirt buttoned by his bearer. I volunteered to do the bearer’s duty, and I loved to do it, as my regard for elders was always great. When he came to know this, he did not mind my doing little acts of personal service for him. In fact he was delighted. Asking me to button his shirt, he would say, ‘You see, now, the Congress secretary has no time even to button his shirt. He has always some work to do.’ Sjt. Ghoshal’s naivete amused me, but did not create any dislike in me for service of that nature. The benefit I received from this service is incalculable.

Sjt. Ghoshal used to have his attendant button his shirt. I volunteered to do this for him, and I loved doing it because I had always held my elders in high regard. When he learned this, he did not mind my doing small personal tasks for him. In fact, he was delighted. When he asked me to button his shirt, he would say, ‘You see, the Congress secretary does not even have time to button his shirt. He always has work to do.’ Sjt. Ghoshal’s naïveté amused me, but it did not put me off serving him in this way. The benefit I gained from this service is impossible to measure.

In a few days I came to know the working of the Congress. I met most of the leaders, I observed the movements of stalwarts like Gokhale and Surendranath. I also noticed the huge waste of time there. I observed too, with sorrow even then, the prominent place that the English language occupied in our affairs. There was little regard for economy of energy. More than one did the work of one, and many an important thing was no one’s business at all.

Within a few days, I learned how the Congress worked. I met most of the leaders and watched leading figures like Gokhale and Surendranath at work. I also noticed how much time was wasted there. Even then, I was saddened by the prominent place English held in our affairs. Little care was taken to use people’s energy efficiently. More than one person did the work of one, while many important tasks were no one’s responsibility.

Critical as my mind was in observing these things, there was enough charity in me, and so I always thought that it might, after all, be impossible to do better in the circumstances, and that saved me from undervaluing any work.

Although I observed these things critically, I was also charitable enough to think that it might be impossible to do better in the circumstances. This kept me from undervaluing any work.