Act V, Scene 4
(Prof. Manomohan Ghosh in Dacca Government College. The Professor of English and his students. One of the students stands up.)STUDENT: Sir, to-day we would like to hear from you something about your younger brother Aurobindo.
MANO (placing his right hand on his chest): Alas, what about my poor self?
STUDENTS IN A CHORUS: Aurobindo Ghosh’s life is a life of stupendous sacrifice.
MANO: As if mine were a life of sheer enjoyment! Do you ever care to know that once upon a time I walked in step with Laurence Binyon and Oscar Wilde? It will be a big surprise to you if I say that I was on the way to being a great poet. Now it is all a dream to me. I came over to India to offer my poetic inspiration to her. Strangely enough, she has not recognised it.
STUDENTS: But we, your students, have recognised your poetic inspiration.
MANO: Have you? Then I am prepared to say something about my younger brother Aurobindo! You know, he is fully responsible for the failure of my career. He is a bar to my success. The Government fail to swallow his fiery speeches. My only crime is that I, too, came of the same parents. They might be thinking that my room, too, is not free of bombs and ammunitions!
(The students burst into hilarious laughter.)
STUDENTS: Sir, pray, tell us something in favour of Aurobindo Ghosh.
MANO: Well, my boys, truth is a very sacred thing. I do not use it so often as you people do.
STUDENTS: But why?
MANO: The reason is so simple. The more you use it the sooner it gets spoilt.
STUDENTS: For our sake, for your beloved students’ sake use it at once.
MANO: Listen, then. I do not care a straw for anybody’s unwillingness to subscribe to my firm belief. There are only two and a half men in India: one is Aurobindo and the other Barin, and the half is Tilak!
