Madhusudan_Das

His Life and Achievements 129
I need scarcely say that I have received the honourable Minister's
resignation with regret but I feel that it is only right that it should
be known that the offer of the Honourable Mr. Das as made to me
was not unqualified but was coupled with the condition that he
should while discharging the duties of a Minister be permitted to
resume practice as a Vaikl—a condition which I felt it impossible
to accept.
Mr. Madhusudan Das was in such a moral height that it was not
possible lor ordinary human beings like his brother-Minister of the
Govenment to appreciate the basic values of his stand Naturally Mr. Das
parted company with the Governor. But his idealism could ha\e been
more clearly established had he resigned his office as Minister on the
ground that it was against his conscience to accept the salary attached to
it and not embarrass his colleague and the Governor by insisting on
honorary Ministership or coupling it with the demand to practise at the
Bar. His stipulation that he should continue as an honorary Minister and
practise as a lawyer to earn his living was probably not in accordance
with the principles of parliamentary government as were sought to be
introduced in India, though partially, by the Government of India Act.
1919.