REPORT
OF THE IMPERIALS
SIND PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE
KARACHI
1918
5TH SIND PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE
KARACHI
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH
Brothers, Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen!
The gratitude I feel for the great and
the signal honour which you have been pleased to do
me by electing me to preside over your
deterioration on this memorable occasion in our
Capital City of the Province. I realize that this
honour is the highest distinction which it is in the
power of my countrymen, most to the Congress
Presidentship, to bestow. But when I realize the
responsibility attached to this honour, I sincerely
feel that worthier shoulders than mine would have
before sustained the burden.
When however, I received your mandate in
the midst of my humble work I at firs hesitated, but
then I felt it my duty to obey and here I am, for
better or for worse.
At a time like this, I feel that what is
required is a bold, emphatic and respectful
declaration of our grievances, desires and
aspirations, I shall endeavour to fulfill this task
to the best of my ability and will rely on your
indigence for my short-comings.
The King Emperor
Gentlemen! Our first duty today is to
lay the feet of our august and beloved Sovereign
George V King and Emperor our unswerving fealty,
our unshaken allegiance and our enthusiastic
homage. The throne in England is above all parties
beyond all controversies.
It is the permanent seat of the majesty,
the justice, the honour and the beneficence of the
British Empire.
And in offering our homage and our
fealty to its illustrious occupant, we not only
perform a loyal duty but also express with the
gratitude of our hearts for all that is noble and
high minded in England’s connection with India.
The late Queen Empress Victoria the Good and her
worthy son, King Edward the Peace Maker are known to
have exercised within the limits of their
constitutional position vast influence for good in
favour of a policy of justice and sympathy towards
India. Our present King Emperor had announced his
resolve to walk in the foot steps of his father and
grand mother. We have therefore our fullest trust
in him and the British Parliament that a policy of
righteousness will be pursued towards India in the
decision of India’s claim to Self-Government within
the Empire, after Mr. Montagu goes back and submits
his report on the subject, “We only claim that we
should be in India what Englishmen feel to be in
England and in the Colonies”.
Tribute to the Dead
Ladies and gentlemen! We have every
year to concern the loss of some of our brilliant
and enthusiastic workers, who pass away leaving us
Emperor in the ranks of our public men.
Since we met last at Shikarpur, the
cruel hand of death have snatched away from us Mr.
Achalsing Advani, a leading pleader of Karachi, a
man of great intellectual abilities, undaunted
courage brilliant powers of expression and
unbounded enthusiasm. He was the rising star in the
Political horizon and a man of great personality
who took keen interest in unifying Political forces
in Sind. It was only last year at Shikarpur, that
while addressing you from the Conference platform,
this young man gave you a promise that he will
thoroughly master of Sindhi language at today’s
Conference. But it was he who pressingly invited
the Conference to Karachi this time. He has pressed
away. How greatly do we miss today his familiar
and sweet face from this platform!
Next, gentlemen, we have to mourn the
loss of that great towering personality – the
Pioneer of Modern nationalism, who was our pilot
under storm and stress – Our India’s grand old man,
Mr Dadabhai Nourji. He was India’s greatest leader
and friend. No language will suffer in describe his
deeds, and service to his country, his splendid
courage and his unfaltering devotion in the course
of Home Rule. His name is a bye-word in every
family in India. To him is due the word “Swaraj”.
An other great patriot and friend of
India, Sir William Wedderburn has been removed by
death. He was the last of that noble trio who for
long years and under the most trying circumstances
toiled hard and incessantly and unselfishly for the
uplifting of India. Mot of us knew Sir William
personally as the judge of our Sadar Court and then
of the Bombay High Court. Twice was she president
of the Indian National Congress at Bombay and
Allahabad. Any one like myself, who had the good
fortune to know him personally, will testify how he
inspired, elevated and educated those who came under
his influence by the nobleness of his nature, his
world-wide sympathies, his profound earnestness, his
ceaseless devotion to the cause of India and by his
indomitable faith in the British sense of justice
and his inestimable exertions even by the calumny
end obloqucy which his own countrymen heaped on his
head. He was deeply touched and greatly distress
by the sad plight of the poor Indian raiyat and like
Mr. Dadabhai his whole heart was fixed upon
devising, advising, and insisting on measures
emulated to alleviate their unfortunate condition.
Sir William at the age of 72 came all the way from
England in 1910 to preside at the Allahabad
Session of the Congress in order to cement the
bonds of unity between Hindus and Muhammadans.
We have suffered another great loss in
the cause of the Indian nationalism in the death of
the Hon: Mr. A. Rasul of Colcutta. He in his
intense passion for his Motherland recognized that
the cause of Mohammadans was indissolubly bound up
with that of the Hindus and took a leading part in
effecting that rapprochement between the two
communities which has been so valuable in our
political unification. And yet another eminent and
distinguished Indian, an enthusiastic worker in the
cause of our Motherland the great promoter of the
Hindu University, Sir Sundurlal has just passed
away. His death is indeed a great loss to the
country.
Gentlemen, our gratitude to those dear
and noble souls will be best paid, in the words of
our noble leader Mrs. Annie Besant : By following in
their footsteps, so that we may win the Home Rule
which they longed to see with us and shall see ere
long from the other world of life in which they
dwell today.”
War and Home Rule
Brother Delegates – The great war still continues.
Our leader Mrs. Annie Besant said early in course of
the war. “ That the war could not end until England
recognized that autocracy and bureaucracy perished
in India as well as in Europe.” Did not the Bishop
of Calcutta declare the other day that, it would be
hypocritical to pray for victory over autocracy in
Europe and to maintain it in India? The one
prominent feeling, that arises in the minds of all
of us, is one of deep admiration for the
self-imposed burden which Britain is hearing in the
world’s struggle for liberty and freedom and a
feeling of profound pride that India had not fallen
behind other parts of the British Empire, but has
stood shoulder to shoulder with them by the side of
the Imperial mother in the hour of her surest
trial. In the great galaxy of heroes there are now
and there will never cease to be beloved Indian
names testifying to the fact that our people would
rather die unsullied than outlive the disgrace of
it
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