द इण्डियन स्ट्रगल / भारतीय स्वाधीनता संग्राम (नेताजी सुभाष चन्द्र बोस - ऐतिहासिक विश्लेषण)

THE SWARAJIST REVOLT 107
We have already seen in the previous chapter that when
in March, 1922, Mr. Montagu resigned from the Cabinet, the
forces of reaction got the upper hand both in England and in
India. The Coalition Cabinet of Mr. Lloyd George soon came
to an end and a General Election took place in October 1922,
which brought the Conservatives into power. In November
1922, Sir Basil Blackett was appointed Finance Member to
the Government of India. One of his first deeds was to
double the Salt Tax in February, 1923, when he produced his
first budget. Now the Salt Tax is traditionally unpopular
in India—partly because the people are prevented by law
from making salt out of the soil or the water given them by
nature and partly because the Salt Tax hits the poor hardest.
The doubling of the Salt Tax therefore, was the worst move
which the Government could have taken. The Indian
Legislative Assembly promptly threw out this provision of
the Finance Member but the Viceroy, Lord Reading, as
promptly restored it by virtue of his power of certification.
In June, the Government gave further offence by appointing
a Commission—called the Lee Commission—to inquire into
the status, position and grievances of the All-India services
which are manned mainly by Britishers. Everyone felt at the
time that the only result of the appointment of this com-
mission would be to enhance the pay and emoluments of
Britishers in India.¹ Thus, while the Government showed
a readiness to incur more expenditure in order to please
Britishers—they showed reluctance in curtailing unnecessary
expenditure, though the Inchcape Committee had made
several useful recommendations in this behalf.² In addition
to this measure, the Government of India took another step
which was severely criticised at the time and which roused
resentment in certain parts of the country. This was the
deposition of the Maharaja of Nabha from his throne (or
Guddee). Though the Government made certain allegations
¹ This apprehension was fully justified when the Lee Commission sub-
mitted its report and the Government of India gave effect to the recom-
mendations in a lavish manner.
² A Retrenchment Committee presided over by Lord Inchcape had been
appointed by the Government for suggesting possible lines of economy.
This Committee submitted its report in March, 1923.