I now come to the arrests which followed. The great majority of arrests
were effected by the local authorities under the powers delegated to
them. In one instance only so far as my memory serves, the
Governor-in-Council issued orders for certain arrests, and that was for
the leaders of Allahabad and Lucknow. What are the facts in regard to
these particular arrests? These associations had been declared to be
illegal. Immediately after their proclamation a manifesto was published
on the 6th December with a pledge which was signed by 75 persons, I will
read the terms of that manifesto. "Having read and thoroughly understood
the Government notification, etc., and knowing full well the
consequences of not obeying them, we, etc., hereby pledge ourselves
civilly to disobey without any objection all such Government orders and
laws as may be determined from time to time by the Provincial Congress
Committee, or by a committee appointed by or in this behalf. We further
pledge ourselves to obey, in utter disregard of the consequences, all
orders of the volunteer corps relating to such disobedience." Now
gentlemen, what does that mean? It means that at the bidding of an
irresponsible autocrat in Bombay, the members of this association
pledged themselves blindly to disobey any law of the land. If that is
not the essence of anarchy I do not know what is. We were told this
morning in the very moderate speech of my friend Mr. Zafar Husain, that
he did not think that this Act was enacted with a view to the present
juncture. Of course it was not. Nobody could forsee this madness which
has come over India during the last two years. It was enacted to meet an
outbreak of anarchy in Bengal. Could there be anything worse than the
present position, that a body of men numbering thousands, totally
irresponsible, very many of them now of a dangerous character, (not at
first, but they are steadily deteriorating) pledge themselves to disobey
any law when they were asked to do so by a gentlemen in Bombay, for this
is what this pledge means? How could any Government carry on, that would
not accept that challenge? In consequence of this, we issued orders for
the arrest and production of a certain number, not all, of the leaders.
In doing so we have now the support and authority of the Government of
India. The Government has informed us that they agree with us in holding
that the persons who deliberately organise associations, avowedly
intended to break the law, or associations the members of which are
pledged blindly to disobey any laws, are liable to criminal prosecution.
Following on that came the meeting at Allahabad, at which the
Superintendent of Police, who had been deputed to execute a search
warrant, was present. This meeting deliberately reaffirmed this pledge
in his presence. Now, I think if we analyse the objections that have
been taken to the prosecutions they very largely centre round those
persons, the leaders and members of this meeting, who have been
prosecuted and convicted. In all they number, I, think, something like
100. I have stated the facts, and I accept the responsibility. I see no
other way out. As long as any Government exists they have to deal with
men who offer a challenge like that, in the method in which we did.