Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/589

This page needs to be proofread.

In Lahore, Akalgrah, Ramnagar, Gujerat, Jaillalpur, Jattan, Lyallpurand Sheikhupura, there were no mob ex- cesses worthy of the name.

The Jallianwalla B*gh massacre was calculated piece of inhumanity towards utterly innocent and unirmed man including children, and unparralleled for its ferocity in the history of modern British administration.

Martial law tribunals and summary courts were made the means of harassing innocent people and resulted in an abortion of justice on a wide scale, and under the name of justice caused moral and material suffering to hundreds of men and women.

The crawling order and other fancy punishments were unworthy of a civilized administration, and were symp- tomatic of the moral degradation of their inventors.

The imposition of indemnity and of punitive police at various places, notwithstanding the exemplary and vindic- tive punishments meted out through nearly two long months to innocent men and the exaction of fines and illegal im- positions, were uncalled for, unjust and added injury.

The corruption and bribery that took place during martial law form a separate chapter of grievance which could have been easily avoided under a sympathetic administration.

The measures necessary for redressing the wrong done to the people for the purification of the administration and for preventing repetition in future of official lawlessness are v a) The repeal of the Rowlatt Act, (b) Relieving Sir Michael O'Dwyer of any responsible office under the crown (c) Relieving General Dyer, Colonel Johnson, Colonel O'B rien, Mr. Bosworth Smith, Sri Ram Sud and Malik Sahib Khan of any position of responsibility under the Crown (b) Local tinquiry into the corrupt practices of minor officials, whose

�� �