"Our claims, as put forward at present, will have the silent, but none
the less effective, support of the Indian Civil Service and Military
officers whose lot is cast in this country and who equally with us,
view with grave apprehension the measures which we fear, on effort will
be made to force on us."
Now, gentlemen that is absolutely startling. For myself, I refuse to
believe this. I refuse to believe that the members of the civil service
and the military officers who are servants of the King should so far
forget themselves that they should express their sympathy with these
Anglo-Indian agitators, express their views to them against the policy
which has been declared by His Majesty's Government. I say, I refuse to
believe this because if it were true, it discloses an alarming state
of things. It shows this: that whatever the policy of the British
Government may be, whatever the policy and the declaration of His
Majesty's Government may be, His Majesty's servants in India may so
combine and may so actively oppose people who stand up for that policy
as perhaps to render that policy nugatory. I say, if it is true, it
discloses an alarming state of things and I hope the Government will
take note of the speeches and make an enquiry into this and if there is
any truth in this statement, I ask the Government why should they allow
their own servants to so conduct themselves as to represent unnecessary
opposition to the declared policy of the Government, (Hear hear).