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
superiority the world war was waged to destroy. This also shows the
dangerous foundation on which the Gandhi movement rests. Home Rule or
Swaraj is claimed not as an end in itself but for the purpose of
righting the alleged wrongs sustained by foreigners. We know Gandhi's
principles which I have set forth above. Swaraj or political
independence is not what he really wants. It is not the Caliph
grievances that have led him to claim political independence. He wants
to destroy the British Government, as a hater of all Governments.
The attitude of the Government towards the people of the Punjab and the
Punjab officials is stated in the Congress Resolution as the second and
the only other reason for this non-co-operation campaign against the
Government.
THE PUNJAB ATROCITIES
No one feels for the Punjab more than I do. I doubt whether anybody was
in a position to know more of it than I was. Even now with all the
enquiries made by the Hunter Commission and by the Congress
Sub-Committee many deplorable incidents as bad as any, worse perhaps,
than any reported have not been disclosed. At this distance of time it
is best that they should remain so. It is with a full knowledge of this
that I make the following remarks.
The conditions now have entirely changed. Before the Reforms under a
Lieutenant-Governor, a single individual, the atrocities in the Punjab
which we know only too well, could be committed almost with impunity.
Now instead of one man the Government of the Punjab consist not only of
a Governor who no doubt is an Englishman, but of an Executive Council
consisting of an Englishman and an Indian, who was a non official before
appointment to his seat in the Council and for all practical purposes
two Indian Ministers who are also consulted in all important matters.
Though, therefore, a repetition of the old incidents may be possible, it
is unlikely. The Government of India again, which then consisted of only
one Indian, now includes three Indian members, a powerful contingent.
Above all, it will be remembered that it was necessary to pass an Act of
Indemnity to save the delinquents from proceedings in civil and criminal
Courts. Such an Act of Indemnity would scarcely be possible now, with a
Legislative Assembly consisting of a majority of elected members under
the new constitution. The trouble in the Punjab arose out of the Rowlat
Act which is repealed. Many high handed proceedings were taken under the
Regulations of 1818 the provisions of which were applied for purposes
for which they were never intended. The regulations are now repealed so
far as the matters are concerned. Many of these proceedings were taken
under the Defence of India Act and they also have gone so that for the
future at any rate our position is very different from what it was in
the past. In such circumstances what is it that one would expect? If it
is an honest endeavour that is being made to solve the difficulties
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