At the Lahore High Court continues...


Lala Faqir Chand saw no point in my going with the procession and told me to return to my flat in the Anarkali. I accepted his advice and turned back. As I started going up the stairs of my flat, I heard a great uproar. The processionists were being driven back by the military and the mounted police and were being mercilessly shot at. Near the Lawrence statue on the Mall Road, the police had stopped the procession and asked it to disperse. On its refusal, they opened fire. A few persons were killed and a very large number injured.

The next day a meeting was held at the Indian Association rooms. Twenty-one members were present. After some discussion a resolution was passed—which all the members were asked to sign—declaring that the hartal should continue despite Sir Michael’s threats to the contrary. Hot-headed though I was, I was persuaded by a friend not to put my signature to the document containing the resolution. This piece of paper later fell into the hands of the Lieutenant Governor. During the Martial Law administration that followed the agitation, the Administrator either arrested or otherwise harassed all those who had signed this resolution.

It is unnecessary here to mention the details of the Martial Law regime that followed in the Punjab. Its atrocities are well known. After the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh on the 13th of April, 1919, followed a regime of terror never before witnessed since the days of the Mutiny. All my Gurdaspur friends were put behind the bars and sent to the Central Jail, Lahore. My successor as the Secretary of the Gurdaspur District Congress Committee was arrested. I rendered whatever little service I could during those days to all my friends in the jail. Ultimately, they were released without a trial.

Kali Nath Roy was the editor of the Tribune in those days. He had been strongly criticising the administration of Sir Michael O’Dwyer in his paper with the result that he too was arrested.

to be continued...

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