[On May 1st, 1929, Raja J.P. Bahadur Singh- Founder President of the Humanistic Club, Bangalore, South India, delivered the first of his two speeches in Berlin, Germany, Explaining the object of his Mission of Europe. The lecture took place under the auspices of 'The Mittwoch-Gesellchaft whose President, Dr. Ludwig Stein, took the chair on the occasion.]
The Chairman, Dr. Ludwig Stein, in introducing the Lecturer. Spoke in the German language, the English version of which is given below.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very much pleased to introduce Raja J.P. Bahadur
Singh, a thinker of rank, to Mittwoch-Gesellschaft, The President of the Reichstag,
Mr. Paul Loebe was to have introduced the Lecturer; but in view of the incidents
of the 1st of May, he was obliged to leave for Essen, asking me to deliver the
Speech of Introduction in his stead.
The welcoming of the Indian Philosopher is very pleasing to me, because in my
"History of Philosophy up to Plato", I have devoted an important place
to Indian Philosophy.
The voyage of Count Kayserling to India, which he describes in his "Dairy of a Philosopher" in a very interesting manner, has put the first bridge between the Conception of the World by the Indians and that of the Westerners, thereby bringing us, Europeans, closer to the Indian mode of thinking. Again, besides Count Kayserling, the Honorary Member of the Humanistic Club, Dr. Rabindra Nath Tagore, who journeyed through Europe, has made a number of speeches in Darmstadt. These have made Indian Thought well known in Germany. Further, in Weimar, Herder has pointed out that Indian Thought was the first source of every School of Philosophy; while the Romantickers, taking up that idea, declared that India was the cradle of all Philosophical Thought. Further, Shopenhauer has a generation later, through Meyer the Indologist-a friend of Johanna Shopenhauer, mother of the Philosopher-highly praised the wisdom of the Brahmans and gave it an important place in his World-Conception, Lastly, the tolerance of the Indians during the great War, had every much influenced me.
An Indian Philosopher Shishikumar Mitra, has in 1917, (i.e,) in the very middle of the period of war published a Dissertation for the Doctorate Degree about my Conception of the World. He worked for a period of six years in translating my "Philosophical Current of the Actuality", which was published in there volumes in Calcutta, and of which the first appeared in 1918 and the last in 1924. Personally, I had not touch whatever with this Philosopher, Nevertheless, this seeker after knowledge disinterestedly devoted years of his life to translate the work of a German Philosopher.
This disinterestedness is the essential trait in the Character of the Indian scientists and thinkers, as we may observe it in the example of Tagore and of the speaker of this evening. I read with the most careful attention the "Speeches", of the lecture of this evening, and I found that his ideas come close to those of the Mittwoch-Gesellschaft. We have been trying here fore nearly fifteen years past to deal with real, practical political and economic problems form an impartial point of view. Every variety of opinion may be expressed here.
The speaker of the evening, in accordance with the sense contained in the ancient wisdom of the Brahmans, announces in his speech- the English text and the German translation of which are now distributed among you- about the necessity for tolerance and care among men towards one another and sympathy to the animal world. All classes, parties, corporations and nations should understand each other, as was propagated by the ancient order of Buddhism and as was adopted an published by Shopenhauer. It runs to the effect, "Do no harm to anybody, but support every one so far as it lies in your power". The speaker of to-day does not share radical tendencies like those of Gandhi in India, but he relies on the idea of Development. In the same way as mankind, during the course of its progress, has changed wild animals into tame domestic ones, so must the supporters of power and force themselves come to realize the idea that goodwill and soft-heartedness are more useful to man than rough animal instincts which only bring about mutual destruction. We most not only try to understand those who fell differently and think differently our are of a different color, but we must also practise tolerance in our own interest, because tolerance always brings only good to every one.
To-day, the first of May, has witnessed wild scenes of
tumult between men of the same nation and between members of parties closely
related. The result has been hundreds of wounded and a dozen dead. Such a day,
to my mind, appears to be a very good example for proving the justification
of the speaker's doctrine, "Force will lead to Counter-Force, and Oppression
to Counter-Oppression."
In his "Speeches," the lecture tells us that it is not only the hatred
between nations or classes that brings about prejudice among mankind, but it
is also the struggle between workers and capitalists. We have now seen with
shudder the result of such a struggle. This fact the Mittwich-Gesellschaft does
not approve of. It represents tolerance and peace even for the most contradictory
opinions. It now most heartily welcomes the Peace-Mission of the Indian Apostle.
I now request the Prince to speak.
RAJA J.P. BAHADUR SINGH'S SPEECH
Mr. Chairmen, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I deem it a great honour to address this great gathering- and I am thankful
to the chairman of Mittwoch-Gesellschaft for having given me this opportunity.
I expressed the object of my mission in broad outlines in Geneva a few days ago. As it is possible that what I said in Geneva might have escaped the notice of the people of Germany, I have come to tell you of my ideas of promoting peace and goodwill among mankind and relieving human suffering in various directions. Ladies and gentlemen, after the Great War, there was a great change in the conditions of the people of all countries for the worse. Even the peace of the countries of the East where the conflict had not directly taken place was so much disturbed that misery, distress and unrest were found everywhere. When such conditions became more and more market, it set me thinking to find a way of bringing peace and comfort into the troubled hearts of mankind. There were several institutions and movements already established with more or less the same object in view, in the fore-front of which I found an organization like League of Nations. But I was doubtful if the influence of such a highly placed organization like the League of Nations with filter down with sufficient force to affect the mentality of smaller units like creeds, classes, and communities of all the countries, beginning with individuals. For, after all, it is the individual mind that is at the root of everything. If a nation goes to war or a government carries out a reform successfully, it is because the people of that country want it. Times were when one individual could rule millions of men and sway them into any frame of mind he liked. Such times have now practically disappeared, and it is not the personality of one individual but the opinion of the majority that counts. This fact has got to be reckoned when trying to disarm nations, or to outlaw war or to do any other thing of such sort. No amount of legislation will bring about peace, if the people are not peacefully inclined.
In the recent Afghan rebellion, we have seen the unfortunate
result of one individual in power trying to force reforms upon an unwilling
people. It is therefore necessary, however beneficent and noble your scheme,
first to cultivate the mind of the people and persuade them to give their support.
It is impossible for a few individuals, however clever or influential they may
be to bring about peace and goodwill on earth, when the innumerable parties,
creeds, classes and communities are flying at each other's throats with daggers
drawn.
It was therefore with this object of attempting to cultivate the mind of the
masses and educate them into the necessity of unity, goodwill and co-operation,
in the interest of their own peace and happiness, any, in the interest of the
very preservation of their lives, that I started a movement in India by the
name of the Humanistic Club.
The purpose of the Club is to spread the idea that every
man, even as he wants to preserve his life with comfort and happiness, must
be peaceful and law-abiding. Under conditions of friendliness and mutual goodwill,
it is possible for all men to and preserve in their several walks of life with
the sense of security and peace.
The method that the institution proposes to adopt in endeavoring to bring about
unity and mutual goodwill between men of different religions, ranks, classes
and countries, is to point out that, despite these inevitable difference, there
is one universal bond binding all men into one common family. If this idea that
all men are one at bottom is made to taken root and grow in the minds of the
general public, they will slowly, almost unconsciously, lose their petty distrusts,
suspicions, jealousies and dislike of one another and meet together on the level
of brotherhood and equality, thus compelling the nations to lay down their no
longer useful arms and live together in amity and peace.
I have turned to the West to give impetus to my ideals, because I know that after the Great War Europe is in a better position to understand and appreciate the true value of peace, unity and co-operation. Under the existing conditions it will not be asking too much of any country to practise toleration which the promotion of peace requires, though one may not like to go to the length of turning the right check if slapped on the left. But by toleration I mean that through long ages man has been sufficiently civilized and enlightened to known something better than violence and fighting at every provocation or to settle every small dispute. Thence, it must be a matter for shame and surprise that, even after centuries of progress and civilization and after thousands of lessons in the past showing how war has always brought ruin and misery in its wake. Men should still resort to brute-force as the only means of coming to an agreement just as among the animals the only way of settling disputes is by tooth and nail.
But, here it may be asked, "Are not strife and fighting
the very elements of life and evolution? Is it not through incessant struggle
and strife both with himself and his surroundings that man has risen from the
depths of barbarism and savagery to the heights of civilization and slowly wrested
from the hands of Nature many of her jealously guarded secrets? Is it then possible
or even desirable that all element of strife and struggle be abolished from
our existence leaving us in a barren and stagnant peace?"
All such question fly wide of the essential point of my suggestion. I do not
propose to abolish the struggle for existence or the urge for self-preservation
which has been the starting point as well as the guiding principle of all progress
throughout the ages. But what I propose to abolish is the irrational and ungoverned
outburst of the animal instincts of fighting etc. Which must be carefully checked
and curbed. We would straight away descend to the level of the animal if through
every minute and hour of our existence we gave vent to the animal passions in
us and did not keep them under control.
Man has been endowed with the exclusive faculties of reason
and deliberation that he may be able to think before he acts, unlike the animal,
which is guided by its instincts.
What the Humanistic Club therefore proposes to suggest to the public is, as
there is not man but considers himself superior to the animal, it is his duty
not to descend to the animal level by the use of irrational force and aggressiveness.
Man has evolved better and more effective methods for settling disputes then
force and brutality. 'Might is right' is the principle not of men but of the
brute life. Among men the principles of life are or ought to be unity, co-operation
and peace, which are also the means, employed by them for the preservation of
their lives and the attainment of comfort and happiness.
The Humanistic Club which I have organized is an institution
affording a common meeting ground for the people of all countries, irrespective
of class, creed or nationality to exchange ideas for the common benefit of mankind;
and I shall be very glad if any of you would come forward to co-operate with
the Club so as to facilitate the exchange of views with this country, strictly
avoiding all controversial topic in religion and politics.
I read with interest the other day an article by general Reinhardt, appearing
in the West minister Gazette of April 6, 1929, on "That Next War".
Though I did not relish the idea of a next war, and not even the strain of pessimism
with which it was written, yet I quite agreed with the General in his concluding
question and answer, 'How to prevent war? By Justice'. Only, I should like to
add to it one question more with its rational answer: that is, How to exact
that Justice? 'By Goodwill'. Now, the question remains like the old saying,
"Who is to bell the cat?" Who is to begin the goodwill? To this I
would say that some people's idea that goodwill weakens a nation if its neighboring
countries do not reciprocate it is, in my opinion, wrong, because, by adopting
a peaceful attitude, one country need not go down on her knees before her neighbour.
But, as the saying goes, "Charity begins at home", peace and goodwill
also begin at home. And you have first of all to come to better understanding
among the parties and classes of your own country. If you begin practising the
principle of peace and goodwill in you own country it will in time spread itself
into your neighboring countries and by degrees affect the mentality of the whole
world, just as a bit of colour the whole water. the best way of obtaining justice
is not by the use of force and aggressiveness, but by goodwill and co-operation.
What I said this evening is not intended as information, much less as instruction to this distinguished and learned assembly, but it is only to request you to be good enough to spread this idea to, and keep it alive in, the mind of the general public.
SECOND BERLIN SPEECH
[On the 7th of June 1929, Raja Jai Prithvi Bahadur Singh, President of the Humanistic Club, delivered his Second Speech in Berlin. The lecture took place in Hotel ESPLANDE, under the Auspices of the LEAGUE OF MEERA MUNDAM. The chair was taken by GRAFF BEDANDROFF- the League's President, while the Raja's speech was translated in to German by a Professor the University of Berlin. The following is the full text of the Raja's speech]
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a little over a month since last I spoke in Berlin on the question of
peace and goodwill among men. During this period of a month and odd days, I
visited various countries in the Eastern and Middle Europe, lecturing everywhere
on the me subject of peace and Goodwill.
Though my ignorance of the European languages stood in my way of studying the
conditions of the average men at close quarters, and though the time I spent
in each country was very limited, I think I have gathered sufficient information
on which to form my opinion on the problem of European Peace. But, I am sorry
to say that peace-prospects are not as bright and promising as I hoped they
would be, particularly considering that all the six countries I visited suffered
more or less from the Great War, though some of them emerged with the so-called
victory.
My visits to the various European countries have hitherto
been successful only to impress on me the one idea that all the nations of Europe
without exception are to-day living in an atmosphere of mutual distrust, suspicion
and jealousy. Wherever I went, I found that one country suspected and feared
another country. The apparent peace that exists at present among the nations
of Europe seems to me only a matter of the surface like the ashes on burning
embers. Deep down at the heart of every country, there is found unrest, discontent
and suspicion.
Thus, my travels in European have only impressed on me how difficult, at the
same time how important and necessary, is the task of promoting peace and goodwill
that I, among many other pacifists, have undertaken for the safety and welfare
of humanity at large. For, no sensible person will deny that the world to-day
is not in a position to risk another great war. The last war was disastrous
enough; but a future war, (God forbid that there should be one), will be even
more destructive and disastrous in its results.
And when you think of it, how disastrous is war How degrading for man who claim
to be the highest product, whether of God or of Nature or what you will, to
descend to the level of the irrational animal and cut the throats of his fellow-men.
Are men supplied with the capacity of reason and deliberation only that with
it they might invent instruments of destruction, instruments of mutual extermination?
During my travels I have come across several peace-loving
people in every country. All these persons very enthusiastically received my
suggestions, and said that they were ready to do anything for the establishment
of peace and goodwill on earth. But, some of then said to me that, in order
there should be peace, there should be no soldiers at all in any country. Some
other people said that the only way of bridging about peace was by abolishing
all difference of rank and position between man and man. Some others said that
if there is to be peace there must be no hunger and starvation. Some others
said that if there is to be peace at all there should be JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
After my lecture in Warsaw, a certain man came to me and said that we could
not prevent people from fighting; the only thing that we peace-loving people
could do was to rush between two parties who are about to fight and get ourselves
killed before any one of either side gets killed. There are, on the other hand,
a large number of people who say that men will never cease to fight,
But, I do not see any reason why we must be pessimistic in this matter. Less
than half a century ago people would have laughed at the idea of flying machines,
of hearing people talk from one hemi-sphere of the earth to the other. But,
a few men worked for these inventions, laboriously and persistently; and at
last they came out successful, with the result that these things which were
once thought to be impossible are not common-place realities. If a few people
in the same way work for the promotion of peace and goodwill among the different
people of the earth, I do not see any reason why they should not succeed.
I admit that there was no time in the history of mankind when no wars or battles were fought; and there is a common saying that history often repeats itself. But, if you rationally think you will see that man has evolved something by virtue of which he is more than a mere tool in the hands of dumb Nature. In other words, man is not a machine which, when set to work, works forever in he same way producing the same result. But in man there is the thing called intelligence; and a characteristic feature of Intelligence is change ability. When there is a change in action, there is a change in result. Hence, it does not follow that what man cannot do today he cannot do forever; or that he will do always what he does to-day.
Though we have not been able to establish lasting peace up-to now by religious preaching, by treaties or by rules, regulations, law and order, we shall not be justified to think that all methods have been exhausted. One method at least seems to me worth trying for the promotion of peace and goodwill among the contending parties, creeds, classes, ranks and countries.
This is what I call the humanistic Method. And, according
to this method, we are only to remind people of the duties of a man as a Human
Being, and to make him think rationally and find out for himself what the best
means are for the furtherance of his real interests and benefit. In doing so,
we hall first of all point out what every living being including man desires
most. I think there cannot be two different opinions on this point, if I say
that the first desire of every living being is to live, and the next to make
that life as comfortable and happy as possible.
Just after the Great War, many of the countries became disorganized owning to
constitutional changes, with the result that innumerable parties and classes
have sprung up, each trying to get the better of the others. Even if there is
no inter-national war, there is fighting between these antagonistic parties
and communities. And, even if the governments of different countries are not
in favor of war, each of these parties, in order to make a greater show of patriotism
than its antagonistic party, displays greater hatred for such countries as ought
against them in a previous war, thus setting fire to the fighting instincts
of the easily-led masses. Demonstration of some sort or other for the sow of
their party-spirit is the method that they generally adopt; and such demonstrations
very often end in violence, causing no small injury and loss of life to both
parties concerned. Thus, at present there is far greater danger to the peace
and security of humanity from these inter-class and inter communal strafes and
quarrels than from actual inter-national wars. And, even when a ware brakes
out between two or more countries, it is always due to the propaganda and activities
of these parties.
So, if there is to be peace in the world, and if men have
to proceed on the path of further progress unimpeded and unchecked, it is the
duty of every peace-loving person to tell every man in his every-day bustle
and struggle what is the right course to follow. People, of course, in their
hurry are not likely to lend their ears in the beginning. But, you have to organize
your demonstrations of peace on a grander scale than those of any party and
put forward louder speakers. When they say, "Down with this party or that
party, down with this nation or that nation," You ought be able to say,
"Up with the whole humanity including every party and every nation."
If they preach the doctrine of self-sacrifice, you have to preach the doctrine
of self-preservation. If they advocate the cause of separation, division and
discord, you must recommend the ideals of peace, unity and co-operation.
I must not, however, be understood to say that I went you to establish an organization
to compete with those of the several parties and classes; on the other hand,
I mean to help all the parties, even the antagonistic parties, to gain their
ends in the right way. For example, I mean to ask the people of both the antagonistic
parties whether they would not like to observe the Law of self-preservation;
the answer is certain to be in the affirmative. After this, it can be easily
shown how they can preserve their lives more easily and surely with unity and
co-operation than by the use of force or aggressiveness. In a similar way, if
they want comfort and happiness, we can show them how they can be more comfortable
and happy if they are on Findlay terms with their neighbors than if they are
at daggers-drawn.
It was for presenting- (and also remembering as often as possible) these ideas to the general public in a way that they can understand and appreciate, that I started the Humanist Club in India; and the object of my coming to Europe was to ask all the peace-loving people of every country to extend their co-operation. I have received promises of co-operation form all the counties. I visited, and I hope the people of Berlin will not refuse their co-operation, so that it may be possible to exchange views with this country on matters of common benefit to humanity. The only way of dispelling the clouds of mutual distrust, suspicion and hatred which are day by day darkening the mental atmosphere of the world is, in my opinion, only by the promoting of right understanding. And there is no other way for promoting understanding then mutual exchange of views and ideas. That is why I have been trying to establish Humanistic Clubs in all counties so as to facilitate the exchange of views among them.
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