JillanWalla Bagh Massacre & Role of Rudyard Kipling, Mahatma Gandhi Vs Montagu, Iqbal, Jinnah, Tagore and Churchill.
We have some over smart intellectuals among us these days.
In pride and prejudices such intellectuals have often act in haste and its last
example is a piece written by a person who had good reputation in past too. His
rejection from PML (N) compelled him toward chaos and in reaction he is busy in
exploring unusual ways. His latest exploration was regarding Allama Iqbal in
which he criticized Iqbal for not writing a single verse on JillianWalla Bagh
incident.
So at the 95th year of JillanWalla Bagh, here is
a piece in which you will find statements/actions/verses of numerous political giants at that
moment. It includes Nobel Laureate(1907) Rudyard Kipling , mahatma Gandhi,
Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Nobel Laureate(1913) Rabinder Nath Tagore,
Secretary of State in India in 1919, Edwin Samuel Montagu and Secretary of State for
War in 1919 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill.
Everyone knew the
details of that day and those who do not know can Google it easily yet it is
difficult to gather statements so I just reproduced it from numerous sources.
Alex Van Tunzelmann’s famous book “Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of
an Empire” (2007)
recorded Letter of mahatma Gandhi published in his magazine/newspaper “Harigen”
after 5 days of the massacre. Alex used strong references like Collected Works
of Mahatma Gandhi Vol 15, pp 243-45 and Patrick French marvelous book
Liberty or Death p-20. In Indian Summer at P43/44, while talking about Dyer’s
massacre Mahatama declared that they “were definitely not heroic martyrs” and criticized them for having “taken to
their heels” rather than face death calmly”.
After the incident people reacted not only in the Punjab but
also in whole subcontinent and even in London and Paris too. Due to the first
mass reaction of its own kind in the history of British India, The Empire
finally announced a commission. Viceroy
council was not happy with that decision hence On 14 October 1919, after orders issued by the Secretary
of State for India, Edwin
Montagu, the Government of
India announced the formation of a committee of inquiry to "investigate
the recent disturbances in Bombay, Delhi and Punjab. It was Hunter Commission, with 9 members, 6
Europeans and 3 locals. On 19 November, Dyer was called to appear before the
Commission. Like Pervaiz Musharaf his supporters too had suggested he be
represented by legal counsel at the inquiry yet under pressure he had to appear
before the commission. Dyer was finally found guilty of a mistaken notion of
duty and relieved of his command on 23 March. He had been recommended for a CBE
as a result of his service in the Third Afghan War; this recommendation was
cancelled on 29 March 1920.
Yet Dyer had supporters
in London too. According to Alex House of Lords passed a motion in his support
while The Morning Post newspaper started a drive to raise funds, 26000 pounds
were collected from numerous people including Rudyard Kipling and Duke of
Somerset yet in House of Commons Churchill and Montagu recorded fierce
criticism on the act.
Jinnah stood right as
he had already spoken about such incidents before time at the enforcement of Rowlett
Act. Jinnah had resigned from Legislative council at 18th march
1919, almost 25 days before the incident and said “The passing of the Rowlatt
Bill..has severly shaken the trust repose by them in British justice……….the
fundamental principle of justice have been uprooted…..i, therefore, as a
protest against the passing of the bill and the manner in which it was passed,
tender my resignation as member of the Imperial legislative council”. (Jinnah:
as a Parliamentarian by Jaffar malik, I A Rahman and Ghani jaffar p-73)
Khilafat, hijrat and non-cooperation
like movements were the result of such barbaric acts and those movements too
ruined us from within.
Allama Iqbal’s verse regarding Jillanwalla
Bagh is also reproduced from Khurram ali Shafique’s Book who is writing an
unusual biography of Iqbal in 6 Volumes. In its 3rd Volume he
reproduced a verse under the heading of JilianWalla bagh at Page 460 and it is
included in the piece too. Iqbal also wrote a letter to his brother, included
in same volume in which he criticized Khalifat movement.
Tagore was also among those visionaries who opposed it
timely and he “renounced
his knighthood in protest against the inhuman cruelty of the British Government
to the people of Punjab",English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore
Miscellaneous Writings Vol# 8 carries a facsimile of this hand
written letter.
So this is the state
of affairs and now one can understand bankruptcy of our so-called intellectuals
very well. Now Read the piece published today
For clear view click herehttp://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2014-04-13&edition=LHR&id=1000527_42427232
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