EARLY STRUGGLES 37 



of the later Co-operative Societies. He had taken many 

 shares in this Bank, as became its active founder. The 

 shares of the Bank rose* high before many years, and it is 

 now one of the most successful concerns in its line. Had 

 he kept those shares, he and his family would have been 

 permanently provided for ; but, always generous to a 

 fault, he gave away his shares to poorer friends. The 

 burden of other industrial and agricultural ventures which 

 were not immediately successful fell on him. Moreover, 

 he stood as security for others who had started kindred 

 enterprises, and ultimately the responsibility of these fell 

 on Mr. Bose ; and thus young Bose more and more realised 

 that he must put his whole mind and effort to extricate his 

 father from this heavy burden of debts. He took matters 

 personally into his hands and, going straight to his ancestral 

 home, parted with all the property which the family pos- 

 sessed. None but an Indian can realise the shock to the 

 family honour of parting with ancestral property that has 

 been hallowed by the memories of forefathers ; for in India 

 this is a general feeling, and not simply that of aristocratic 

 tradition. All the relations came to dissuade him from 

 this humiliation, but Bose was adamant in his resolve. 

 All the landed properties were sold, and their proceeds 

 paid to the creditors. This cleared off 50 per cent, of the 

 debt. Then he appealed to his mother ; for according 

 to Hindu law a wife's property is held sacred, and the 

 husband, or his creditors, can on no account estrange it. 

 She had held this aside for her son's return, but when 

 that son wished to face the future undaunted, the mother 

 became no less heroic in her sacrifice. Her personal property 

 was disposed of ; and the total clearance was now 75 per 

 cent, of the principal and accumulated interest. The 

 creditors, touched by this determination of the family to 

 do their very utmost, expressed themselves fully satisfied, 

 and accepted the unexpected instalments as payment in 

 full. But young Bose had a different view on the subject, 

 which he kept to himself. For the next nine years he 



