After graduation Gokhale could aspire to join administrative services or start his own lucrative legal practice without any problems. His brilliant academic record could prove a golden key to any field of importance and worth. He even took admission in Deccan college of Pune for a course in law. It was not for making money as a lawyer.
The political awareness in the country was gradually spreading. The social reforms movements were still on and going stronger.
A political party named Congress had been founded to fight for the political aspirations of the natives.
It had become clear that the knowledge of the law was essential to be a meaningful part of any of the above movements.
But to study the law, Gopal Krishna Gokhale had again become dependent on his brother for the financial support. And the brother, Govindrao was still struggling financially. Gokhale saw that he was crippling his brother. He gave up his legal studies to help out his brother and accepted a job of a teacher in the New English School at the monthly salary of Rs. 35 only.
The New English School was founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and his associates with the guidance of the educationist Vishnu Shastri Chiploonkar. It was the result of the educational renaissance prevailing in Maharashtra.
Gokhale was not satisfied with the job alone. To augment his income he started a school to prepare the candidates for ‘Public Service Certificate’ examination. The candidates felt lucky to be coached by an efficient teacher like Gokhale.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale took his job very seriously and put in his sincere efforts. He was assigned the task of teaching English and the mathematics to 4th and the 5th standard classes. He was a very hard working teacher. Even for those lower classes he would prepare himself properly for the lessons he would teach on the particular day. The chapters he could recite in toto from his memory.
There was a text book titled ‘Life of Nelson’ which contained a heap of words related to the sea and sailing. Those were alien words for Indian students as India had little marine history. But for Gokhale the problem was a little challenge. He would go to the docks of Bombay and study the marine and war ships and learn the words related to them at site.
Soon, he became so familiar with the shipping terms that he would teach the class as naturally as a seaman would. The students loved Gokhale for his seriousness to his job of teaching.
In association with another teacher named N.J. Bapat he compiled an arithmetic book meant for the students. The book later earned them a great recognition when it was found that the book was most suitable for the Indian students. It was one of his great achievements. The book later became a standard course book of all the educational institutions. It got translated into several other languages.
His success as an extraordinary teacher brought him to the notice of two other pioneering educationists namely Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar. The two had been classmates during their college days and later united to launch modern education drive in Maharashtra.
The two along with Vishnu Chiploonkar used to publish weeklies named ‘Kesari’ and ‘Maratha’ in English and Marathi respectively. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was more political minded and later become a prominent Congress leader.
In the 8th January, 1882 issue of ‘Maratha’ an article was published which cast aspersions on a man named Barve who was the Diwan of Kolhapur state. Barve filed a defamation suite against the publishers. The court gave verdict in favour of Barve and sentenced Tilak and Agarkar to four month imprisonment each.
The people supported Tilak and Agarkar. In their support a fund was raised by the public in their defence. In the fund collection drive New School and Deccan College played lead roles. The students staged Shakespere’s drama ‘A Comedy or Errors’. Through this staging four hundred rupees were collected.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale had played a prominent role in the drama.
political and social services
Pune had become a hub of political and social activities. Various movements were making waves all around. While serving as a teacher in New English School Gopal Krishna Gokhale could not escape from the influences of the political and the social movements and under currents of new awareness. It was natural as he was a thinking person with a conscience.
Gokhale was a man of few words. Even in class he conveyed his thoughts to the students in minimum words.
One of the reasons why Gokhale served for New English School was that it was engaged in teaching students nationalism, self respect and sacrifice. Most of the other institutions were geared up to produce clerks for the offices of the colonial administration of the British. But New English School was dedicated to the service of the native aspirations. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a born nationalist. As a teacher he was serving the cause of the motherland.
As already mentioned the school was the product of the combined efforts of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnu Chiploonkar, all educationists of pioneer kind. Chiploonkar had rejected the offer of one hundred rupees a month salary job in preference to New English School that offered lesser financial benefit. It should be noted that during those days a hundred rupee sum was a considerable amount which had purchasing power of today’s twenty thousand rupees. He did it because of his nationalist spirit. On the side he used to bring out a monthly called ‘Nibandhmala’ which published political articles. The magazine had a good following and influence in the educated class.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale was under the influence of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Agarkar and Chiploonkar. They were are dedicated nationalist. But Tilak had made more impression on Gokhale. Tilak was politically oriented person. And it was evident even at that time that to drive away British from India a political battle would have to be waged.
Agarkar was more confined to the education agenda. Soon after Gokhale had joined the New School Agarkar had correctly evaluated the worth of Gokhale as a teacher. So, he wanted Gokhale bound for ever to their school. He proposed to Gokhale to make him a lifelong member of the New English School as a teacher.
Gokhale was hesitant.
He feared the closing up all other career options might not find favour with his brother Govindrao who had contributed so much to the education of Gopal Krishna. He spelled his reservations to Agarkar.
Tilak and Agarkar met Govindrao to persuade him to let his brother become the life member of their educational institution.
Govindrao did not prove any hurdle. He said, “Gopal is now himself a grown up wise man. He can take decisions for himself. He should know what is good for us. There is no need to get our consent.”
Thus, the future course of Gopal Krishna Gokhale’s life was set. Besides becoming a teacher for life politician in Gokhale was evolving because the basic message of the education was the freedom of a person and the society.
In 1885, Gokhale gave his first public speech to a gathering in Kolhapur. The subject of the speech was ‘India under British rule’.
The meeting was presided over by the English Resident of Kolhapur, Mr. William Lee Warner.
His speech was very smooth and eloquent. The Resident was impressed with Gokhale’s proficiency in English. The speech did not contain shallow and jingoistic criticism of the British rule. Infact, Gokhale appreciated the British for introduction of modern education in India and setting up of comprehensive administrative system. He also praised the British for helping progressive Indians fight age old evil customs and practices that had been destroying the Indian societies.
The Resident praised Gokhale for his eloquence and the positive attitude.
Professionally and socially Gokhale had made a mark even in the very first year of his entry. His English was impeccable and his amazing memory added teeth to it. He knew the famous English classics by heart. He had studied Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. He also had read the famous speeches of the parliamentarians like Goldstone and John Brite and had memorised them by heart. He could recite those speeches as if he were reading from the text.
He had made it a point to read the editorials of the famous English dailies. He used to quote extensively from them while teaching his student the general knowledge and current affairs.
Ferguson College of Pune was established in the year 1885. Same was the year when the Indian National Congress was founded. The teachers of the New English School were also required to teach at Ferguson College whenever requested for. Thus, Gokhale had come into the contact of Ferguson College in its very beginning years.
Because of having big name teachers and the educationists in its ranks the college was attracting students and earning a name. The college had many renowned professors. Gokhale always worked hard to prove that he was the best of them all.
The young Gokhale made it a habit to introspect to evaluate his progress and performances. He was becoming a good analyst in the process. It proved a great help to him in analysing the literary works and the theories of the leading figures of liberalism. It also shaped him into an astute politician and reformer.
