Is it possible under these circumstances to come to any conclusion other
than that reached by the Government of India, that the issue is no
longer between this or that programme of political advance, but between
lawlessness and all its dangerous consequences on the one hand, and on
the other hand, the maintenance of those principles, which lie at the
root of civilised Governments.
In Bengal civil disobedience has already taken the form in a number of
districts of a refusal to pay the "chaukidari" tax, and I have already
received complaints from landholders that tenants are refusing to pay
their rent throughout the province.
A general spirit of contempt for authority and defiance of law and order
is being fostered. Well, respect for lawful authority and a general
willingness on the part of the people to observe the law are the pillars
upon which the very existence of society rests. If these be cut away,
society fall into the abyss of anarchy and is shattered. It is recorded
of a famous figure in history that he fiddled while Rome was burning.
The story is one which is not without its moral for the present day.