As soon as Gokhale’s ship docked at Bombay port and he alighted the police commissioner was there to intercept him. The officer requested him for a private meeting. It was no courtesy call, or for the purpose of searching him or for his arrest. He only wanted to know the immediate plans of Gokhale.
He told the policeman that he had not preplanned anything. His plans were to be drawn only after he would meet his associates at Pune.
That put the policeman in a fix. Anyway he asked for the copies of the petitions Gokhale had presented to the commission in London.
Gokhale complied.
A representative of Ferozeshah Mehta also met Gokhale to discuss some matter. It is not known what transpired between them.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale had done commendable job at London. But no reception meeting was held for him to felicitate him for his achievement.
His friends and admirers too were not in a position to give him rousing welcome. Everything was mysteriously subdued.
No one even looked happy to see him
Gokhale met his mentor Ranade who advised him to go to Pune at once without wasting any time and investigate the matter of his claims that had created such unpleasantness.
Gokhale went to Pune and found no proof to substantiate his claims of dishonoured women committing suicides.
So, he returned to Bombay and told Ranade the truth. He also said that due to the terror of the administration no one would come forward to tell the truth. But Ranade shook his head.
He advised Gokhale to tender unqualified apology to the government.
Gokhale got his apology printed in the Times of India issue of 4th August 1897.
It was the sad moments of Gokhale’s life.
The governor, Mr. Sandhurst mentioned the apology printed in the Times of India in the State Council but generously refrained from making any uncharitable remarks against Gokhale.
Gokhale himself was feeling very guilty of his act and the loss of face publicly dampened his spirits. He was so frustrated that the wanted to retire from the public life. He thought that his presence on the public platform could harm the interests of the Congress and the countrymen, since he stood discredited.
Sir Hume, Marley and Dadabhai Naoroji lent him their moral support. They said that his act was just an error of judgement. It was no deliberate falsification, they argued.
Gokhale’s followers and friends also impressed upon him not to think in terms of retirement from the public life as the country needed his contribution in its struggle for the justice.
In whole of this episode what hurt him most was the comment by his childhood mate, associate and friend, Govind Apte.
He had remarked, “The whole country stands humiliated because of Gokhale.”
But he did finally decide to stay on in the public life and do his bit for the country. To Apte’s remarks he said like a wounded lion, “For my error I have been so gravely charged. But I will redeem myself by making some extraordinary contribution to the cause of the country to compensate for that error. Social duties are not taken up or given up at the call of a person.”
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