They have started this agitation by vilifying our leaders and attacking
both the ideal and the method of the Home Rule movement of this country
and I charge that the result of that is racial rancour which I say,
it ought to be the endeavour of every honest citizen, be he Indian or
be he European, or be he Anglo-Indian, to avoid. Gentlemen, I desire
to give you just one or two specimens of that. This is how Sir Archy
Birkmyre speaks of the activities of the people. I quote from his
speech:--
"We should have been content to treat this agitation (i.e., our
agitation) with the contempt it deserves, but we are confronted with
the alarming fact that the Government is hauling down its colours
before these lawless agitators."
Gentlemen, this statement professes contempt not only for the
activities of the people, the unselfish and honest activities of the
leaders of the people of this country but it also professes contempt
for their own Government, (Cries of shame) as it refers to the actions
of the Government, the noble actions of the Government in these words;
"But we are confronted with the alarming fact that the Government is
hauling down its colours before these lawless agitators."