Gandhi and AnarchySankaran Nair, C. (Chettur), Sir
History
Gandhi and Anarchy
Sankaran Nair, C. (Chettur), Sir
Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948 -- Political and social views; India -- Politics and government -- 1919-1947
At the same time, we made every effort to meet the legitimate
wishes of educated opinion in this country. I have no time to-day to
recapitulate all we have done but I should like to mention such matters
as the compensation to persons injured in the Punjab disorders, the
further review of the Punjab sentences, the Committee on the Press Act,
the results of which will be before this Assembly very shortly; again,
the Committee on repressive measures and the Committee to inquire into
racial distinctions in criminal proceedings. In fact, there was no
question that came before us in which we did not honestly seek to meet
moderate Members of the Assembly in order to consolidate the moderate
party into a great working power in the country for good. What has been
response of Mr. Gandhi and his followers? I maintain that it has been
one steady stream of sedition, one steady attempt to subvert Government,
one method of promoting this object being adopted after another.
Sometimes it has been the boycott of piece goods in order to injure
British trade, although Mr. Gandhi had himself I believe, at one time
said that 'boycott' was a word that was entirely inconsistent with his
principle of 'Ahimsa'. Later this movement took the form of attempts on
the loyalty of our troops attempts on the police and there were constant
incitements to disorder. These have resulted in serious outbreaks of
violence in many parts of the country, the most important of which was
the Moplah outbreak. Sir, there has recently been some attempt to
minimise the cruelties committed by the Moplahs in Malabar. I refer in
particular to the remarks of Mr. Abdul Bari and Mr. Husrat Mohani on
this subject. Mr. Abdul Bari spoke of the pure spirit of the Moplahs and
denied the veracity of the accounts of their atrocities. Mr. Husrat
Mohani justifies them in the following words:
"At such a critical juncture when they are engaged in war against the
English, their Hindu neighbours not only do not help them or observe
neutrality but aid and assist the English in every possible way. They
can indeed contend that, while they are fighting a defensive war for the
sake of their religion and have left their houses, property and
belongings, and taken refuge in the hills and jungles, it is unfair to
characterise as plunder their commandeering of money, provisions and
other necessities for their troops from the English and their
supporters."
Many of us, however, have, I believe, some knowledge of the atrocities
committed by these men, atrocities which I am certain in my mind that
every Mussalman in this House deplores as deeply as I do, and they will
appreciate what a misrepresentation of the facts this is. The
barbarities of the Moplahs have been indefensible. I will cite one
instance '_New India_' in support of what I say. Writing of a
respectable Nair, an article in this paper states:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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