Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-09-22

with India's aspiration for freedom" Further
more, the present Prime Minister of Afghan
istan-Indias vitality strategic and nearest
neighbor-has also said: There can be no peace
in the Middle East or Central Asia until the
Indian problem is settled"
l suggest the time has come for you to shed
your Anticipated and nostalgia inhibitions, and
face the dawn. of new day with realism and
candor You have been addicted to referring
to India as "the brightest jewel of the British
crown" Alas, that "brig htest jewel" has be-
come increasingly wobb1y in it's imperial set
ting. Alas, it is growing blood-red with every
hour as the wheels of destiny revolve
You and your kind can prolong the agony of
the Indian people, but you can neither crush
their soul nor conquer their spirit.
Four short years ago your own great and heroic
nation was passing through the valley of the
shadow of death. You cried out from your
heart: 1--WE shall fight on the beaches, we shall
fight on the landing grounds, in the fields, in
the streets and in the hills" You were chas-
tened and ennobled in dire adversely. Since the
tide of war has turned you have reverted to
when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail
and the thunders were ceased he sinned yet
more, and hardened his heart, he and his serv-
ants" You and your underlings have truly
lived up to the scriptural pattern!
You announced in Parliament that large rein
forcements have been sent to India, and that
the number of British soldiers in that country
"are larger than at any time in the British con-
nection." How consoling and reassuring! Fol-
lowing you, your old friend and Secretary for
India, Colonel Leopold S. Amery, defended the
revival of the whipping post in India, saying,
whipping has long been familiar and effec-
tive punishment in that country" That was
in September, 1912
In February, 1913, Amery stated in the House
of Commons that sixty thousand Indians had
been arrested up to the previous December, that
thirty-nine thousand were still in gaol, that the
police had fired on Indian crowds no less than
47O times, and that the troops had opened fire
on 68 occasions.
The repression and ruthlessness have proceeded
apace, until India has now become vast prison
house-manacled, tornfented, embittered
Are you really proud of this record and stew
ardshlp? Fifty years ago, as subaltern in
India, you admiringy wrote that the British
Government knows that if the worst comes
to the worst, it can shoot anybody down.
To-Day, as Prime Minister you are doing pre-
cisely the same. Is that very heroic and sports
manlike-when you are dealing with an un-
armed and half-starved population?
You have cried to high heaven against the Axis,
and summoned the whole world to liberate their
captives. What about the 400 millions of great
and ancient people held in British bondage?
Your ,specious and ignoble pleas debase the
moral currency of the world.
A great Englishman, G. K Chesterton, once put
these words in the mouth of British Judge
which he addressed to British prime minister:
GET A NEW SOUL. THAT THINGS NOT
FIT FOR A DOG. GET A NEW SOUL"
Iremain, faithfully and hopefully yours,
SYUD HOSSAIN,
Chairman National Committee for midas Freedom
8 VERMONT AVE., WASH. s. D. 6. . NATIONAL 47ss
diss Nationals residing IL this eosstry. Contributions
further tsbiiet, Of this APPEAL.