_Calcutta, February 11_
Speaking at the Trades Association dinner in Calcutta, Lord Ronaldshay,
the Governor of Bengal, made a lengthy reference to the political
outlook.
It would be the height of unwisdom, said His Excellency, to close one's
eyes to the gravity of the situation with which not only the Government
but society in the widest meaning of that term is now faced. It seems
desirable to call attention to this because there still appear to be
quite a number of people who in spite of all that has happened, in spite
of the resort to violence which has characterised the Non-co-operation
movement in Malabar, Malegaon, Giridih. Aligarh, Bombay and many other
places have not yet grasped the seriousness or the nearness of the
danger, with which the country is threatened.
Take the case of the Non-co-operation volunteers. We are told by some
that we ought to withdraw our notification under the Act of 1908
declaring these volunteer corps to be unlawful association. A
recommendation to that effect has quite recently been made to the
Government by the Legislative Council. It is true that under the
existing constitution, we are still responsible to Parliament for the
maintenance of law and order and though it would no doubt save us much
trouble and anxiety if we were able to transfer the responsibility from
our own shoulders to those of the Legislative Council, we cannot do so.
Nevertheless I have always regarded it as my duty to consider with the
utmost care any recommendations which the Council makes and in this case
I am calling for special reports as to the nature and extent of the
present activities of these volunteers in different parts of the
province in order that I may have the fullest and most up-to-date
information before me.