BIRTH-PANGS OF NEW INDIA continues...

Soon after these incidents, communal riots started in Lahore. The Muslim League had organised squads of Muslim volunteers. These volunteers raided Hindu localities, setting fire to the houses and looting the property after killing the inmates. Every day some such incidents occurred, now in one locality, now in another. Great panic was created. The Government and the police did not put a stop to these communal riots firmly. Law and order was at its lowest ebb in Lahore in those days. One day a procession of Muslim students invaded the High Court building, when most of the judges were sitting outside in the lawns during the lunch interval. They hoisted the Pakistan Flag at the High Court building, and broke the glass panes of the windows and doors of the Judges’ Chambers. Panic prevailed in the city and nobody felt safe.

One day some sheets of paper were brought to me by a lawyer. They had fallen down from the bag of the Secretary of the Muslim League, who was a barrister practising at the High Court. These document’s described in detail how the Muslim League had divided Lahore into various sectors and had appointed captains of volunteers, entrusting them with the ‘duty’ of looting, arson and murder. I passed on these papers to Dr. Gopi Chand Bhargav and Sardar Swaran Singh who were the Hindu Ministers in the Punjab Government at the time and had been earmarked for taking over the administration of East Punjab when created. They gave it to the Governor who however, took no notice of what the papers revealed. General Rees was charged with the duty of keeping law and order as the head of the Boundary Force. Unfortunately he also did not do much towards stopping the communal killings in Lahore.

One afternoon in May while I was sitting in Court, I was informed by the European Registrar of the Court that the Maharani of Kashmir wanted me to meet her in the Flatti’s Hotel, I sent word that I would meet her in the evening when the Court rose for the day.

to be continued....