The Agitation Among the Akalis Reinforced by a Flood of Mendacious Propaganda and Assisted by Tadians in High Places 'Whatever may be the.solution of the Sikh problem in the Punjab, and however unhappy the Punjab thorities may have been in hai ling the Akali agitation, says the "Pioneer" of India that' agitation, under the direction of the Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, now declared belatedly an unlawful assembly yet still managing to function in some way or" another, has grown into a grave political menace. 'The outstanding "fact in the. situation has been the' persistence of the propagandists entolled: in support of the Akalis and the ficulty experienced by the Govetninent in coping, with the constant stream of mendacity and misrepresentation poured out by the: Parhandhak. Committee: and their offshoots, like. the "Akali Sahayak Bureau." The events occurring at Jaito on February 21 were plainly fand promptly described by the official reports issued as soon as the necessary information could be collected. The first. of those reports published from Delhi on the next day was proved by the later and oficial inquiry by a Sikh Magistrate to have been extraordinarily and substantially accurate, Yet, February 29,-n 24-page. pamphlet issued from Amritsar by the Parrndhink Committee described the "aito.affuiv inthe most. inflam: motory language and made the most disgraceful allegations' against the Nablia authorities. The crowd of 'Akalis in Unis pamphlet was repre: sented "as displaying "calm re-Straint, "cool courage" against "oficial tury," the casualties—inflicted were' alleged to be far in excess of the oficial figures, and the explanation of the discrepancy given by the infamous suggestion that the authorities secretly dis posed of the dead bodies of their Uncontrotted Mendacity.
The Government took such action was open to them to prevent the circulation of this pamphlet, but it nay be assumed that the mischief hhud been done and once more persistent -and uncontrolled mendacity had asserted itself, greatly helped by: the championship of Pandit Madan' Mahan Malaviya, who, speaking in the Legislative Assem= bly, appeared to take for granted the' accuracy of what to a man of his intelligence should have been a Dlatant and. obvious fabrication 'The methods adopted by the pamphleteer were those of denying point blank the Government's state-Iments without any attempt at detailed disproof, and of maki against the Adininisteator and his officers the' wildest accusations unsupported by evidence or probability.
This pamphlet is only one of numerous and constant efforts made by the Akali propagandists to vilify the Government. For the last two three years this process has been at work, and it is not surprising that it has been so successful in jwoninge the minds of a large sec tion of the Sikh community that the Government ave faced with a most difficult task in their endeavour to export the purely revolutionary character, which the'movement has now assumed. What the outcome will be it is not our intention to discuss at the moment. The Parbandhak Committee are determined to cent nding to Jaito and Bhai Phern as many jathas as they can collect, hoping eventually by filling the Punjab and Nabha gaols to paralyse the Government and so to win a further victory. The recent affair at Nankana Sahib and the events at Jaito on February 21 sufficiently show that at any time this campaign may lead to serious bloodshed; and it may also he assumed that the Governor designate of the Punjab, when he takes over charge, will' devote his earliest attention to-the Such pro-Diem. He is of all. men the least likely to permit his term of of to be permanently troubled by the contumacy of a section of the Sikhs who are intolerant alike of the rights of other members of" their own community and-of the freedom of the greater communities in the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.