Sarojini Naidu considered the famous educationist and the social reformer Gopal Krishna Gokhale her political guru and who also was pioneering leader of the Congress party. He was the one who introduced Mahatma Gandhi to Indian freedom politics.
Sarojini also considered him her primary guru, inspirer and guide.
Sarojini delivered her first public speech in 1902. The very maiden speech told every one that in Sarojini Naidu India had a mesmerising orator besides her being a poetess.
Since then she continued to captivate audiences with her sweet voice and arousing content.
In 1906, Gopal Krishna Gokhale happened to hear her speech delivered in an All India Women’s conference while putting forward a resolution concerning women’s education. Gopal Krishna Gokhale was overwhelmed.
He wrote to Sarojini—‘I congratulate you with great respect and enthusiasm. Your yesterday’s speech was a perfect art work rather than an erudite oration. For a moment we all felt lifted up to a new level by your words’.
By nature Sarojini was peace loving, committed and a believer in equality of all human beings. It reflected in her behaviour more often than not.
Sometimes she did use angry and harsh words but only in the context of the injustice and the repression being meted out to her country and her countrymen. In a way she used to be voicing the anger of hundreds of millions of Indians who were suffering the alien colonial rule.
How could an sensitive poet remain unmoved by such monstrous injustice?
For her social work, women’s emancipation and communal harmony achievements Sarojini Naidu was awarded a gold medal and the title of ‘Kaiser-E-Hind’.
After getting introduced to Gopal Krishna Gokhale, describing her relationship that involved him Sarojini says—‘With a pleasant sympathy our relationship progressed after getting acquainted with him. It finally firmed up into an intimate and loving friendship which I consider one of the achievements of my life. Inspite of some brief bitterness and temporary cut offs our friendship on the whole proved very constructive, lively, spiritually satisfying, intellectually interactive and politically productive. Even the disagreements proved catalysts of the healthy progression’.
The friendly relationship between Sarojini and Gokhale was based on the high goals and principles. There also was a spiritual angle to their relationship which the poetess reveals in the following words—‘Gokhale’s great and at the same time contradictory nature became a subject of my study in human psychology which was a lesson for me. He was blessed with a great talent for political analysis and vivisection. He was the master of irrefutable arguments based on systematic facts and figures. He used them fearlessly and with natural simplicity. While opposing some one he never lost grace but his incisive words did hit hard. In honourable settlement he maintained grace, patience and earnestness. His political skill was very farsighted and it contained broadness, measured discipline, brilliance and authenticity in amazingly correct proportion. His everyday life was full of simplicity, idealism and sacrifices.
He was a born idealist. In this world of shiftiness and ill will he went on exploring the truth undistracted. The sublime human relationships and pure love remained in his life as the thirst for more amid outer struggles, heart rending pains of doubts, ego clashes and charms of beliefs.’
The multidimensional character of Gokhale not only amazed Sarojini but Mahatma Gandhi too. Gokhale left indelible impression on both of them which later proved very helpful in the bonding of Sarojini and Gandhi as a common denomination.
About her first meeting with Gokhale the poetess Sarojini wrote—‘He (Gokhale) gave me a very endearing welcome. It overwhelmed me. I looked around to fathom other national personalities of that time. To me Ferozeshah Mehta appeared like Himalaya. Lokmanya Tilak was deep like a ocean. But Gokhale was like Ganga. Himalaya is too daunting to climb over. The sea is unfathomable and too challenging to allow an easy passage. But Ganga is ever inviting for a dip’.
In April, 1913 Gokhale was going to Europe on a tour with Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
At that time Sarojini Naidu was not keeping well. Inspite of a desire she could not go to see Gokhale personally. So, she decided to meet him in Europe itself.
For her both Gokhale and Mr. Jinnah were tall and ideal leaders. In Jinnah she saw the national unity and the solution to the other problems of India.
On 13 April, 1913 she wrote a small note to Gokhale opining—‘I am writing this small note to wish speedy recovery in your health. I wished fondly to meet your before your departure. But I hope that we shall meet in Europe because the doctors have advised me also to go to Europe for health. They say that I am sick and I think they are correct. Mr. Jinnah is travelling with you. I believe that the reason is that he wants to frankly discuss with you all those problems that like you, if you allow to say, trouble me also.
Please keep faith in my opinion and belief about him. You must use your great influence on him to make him realise that he is the man for whom the destiny has in store great deeds lined up.
I believe that if you two talk you will be able to inspire self confidence in him which he lacks and you will find a worthy associate. You two are the persons on whom I have firm faith. And you allow me the privilege of having a woman’s sixth sense and poetic insight which enables me to see into the future clearly and definitely’.
Gokhale had returned to India from South Africa where he had gone to help Gandhiji settle an agreement over a dispute with the white regime. He wanted to bring back Mohandas Gandhi to harness him into the freedom battle of India.
At that time Sarojini was admitted into a private hospital in the Park Lane being seriously ill. And she was to be operated upon. Even in her illness she was troubled by the thoughts of the welfare and the future of the country.
She wrote a letter to Gokhale from her sick bed of the hospital dated 28th November, 1913.
‘I am writing this letter from the nursing home. Tomorrow I am to be operated upon. The doctors think that I am gravely ill and I also know myself that I feel very tired and broken down. My soul is like a bird which can not be caged. So, I write to you across the vast ocean that lies between my body and the land of desires, a message that carries my love and gratitude to you. I feel indebted to you because you placed before us an example of an ideal life to inspire us into selfless service to the motherland. Your life is indeed a lesson for us all.
Pain and happiness makes one realise the meaning of a woman’s life and the secrets therein. But I am mentioning about one other influence that matters besides these beautiful and positive impacts from which I learnt the great lessons on patriotism and total sacrifice for sublime and selfless service. Enchanted by it the woman and poetess in me have imbibed those high ideals.
You are a beacon for my generation. London, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinberra and wherever else I went and interacted with the hope of our future, the young generation. I was delighted to discover that you still were their beacon light and the symbol of the service to the country. Nothing was more joyous and a matter of pride for me. But I am not speaking for my generation and those young people who have accepted me as their friend and comrade. I want to dedicate my respect and love to you for which I fail to find suitable expression and words. It makes me feel miserable.
If I survive, you know that my life will be dedicated to the service of the same country for the cause of which you so dedicatedly and effectively strived. But if such sweet fate is not my lot I want you to remember my words.
Trust the young generation. It has begun to believe that in the matters of unity, cooperation and selfless services the honesty is the core element that will be required of it to adopt as the part of its contribution in the nation building. They are aware of the responsibility they would have to bear on their shoulders in solving the basic issues. Not only that but I believe that the young people have partially solved the problem by unifying the objectives and the ideals. Wherever general good and common endeavours are concerned there are no Hindus or Muslims.
For the realisation of the great goal we are dedicated to the special genius of the young generation. Our young ones are rising above the divisive tendencies and learning the sweet and the eternal language of unifying patriotism.
You want deeds and not the words. The real service is required instead of flowery language. The age of rhetoric is gone. It was the age of the old generation. The new generation is coming through the school of the harsh realities. It will come out ready to tackle the situation on practical, realistic, solid, intelligent and meaningful level.
Good bye! I am so tired. But my mind is full of hope and belief that the goal of success can be achieved through patience, wisdom and love and not with violence, anger and division.’
Sarojini Naidu’s collection of poems ‘The Broken Wing’ had not yet been published but it already had become a subject of discussions and debates.
In relation to the book Gokhale asked Sarojini, “Why should a song bird like you have a broken wing?”
The thoughtful question sent Sarojini creative mind into generative mood. She pondered over the subject and wrote her reply in verse form coupled with Gokhale’s poser also recast in poetic style :
Question—
‘The ray of vitality has emanated,
The dark night of sorrow ends.
Form a age along deep slumber,
It atlast has awakened.
The sweet buds it opens up,
Of the long dormant blessings,
To welcome the renewal of the breeze of new dawn,
Our hearts again take elated flights,
To glorify the newly lit flame.
The heart and body wait for which,
That spring surely will come.
Songbird! Then, why you have broken wing?
Answer—
‘The spring that awakens
My land ancient,
Will its call to my fluttered,
Suffering heart go unheeded?
Or ill-aimed arrows of fate,
Silence the vibrant notes
of my tender, far reaching and undefeated voice?
Or some meek bird,
Will hand me bloodied wing or tire out
My flight to the lofty kingdom of my desires?
Lo behold! I fly,
To welcome the regular spring.
And I fly over the stars upon my broken wing.
During the later part of 1913, Sarojini’s health deteriorated further. On the advice of the doctors she went to England for recuperation in the salubrious climate.
Meanwhile Gokhale too was in a very bad state of health. Infact he could see his end approaching him fast.
That is why one day he confided to Sarojini, “The doctors think that I have only three years at the most to live if taken good care of with all the precautions strictly adhered to.”
Sarojini’s health showed improvement and at last she set sail for the homeland on 10th October, 1914 having sufficiently regained her health. Gokhale came to see her inspite of illness.
He spoke gravely to her, “I think we shall not meet again. If you survive me always keep it in your mind that your life is dedicated to the service of the country. As far as I am concerned I think that my mission is complete.’’
