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

IN BURMESE PRISONS 163
order was signed on May 11th. It looked like intriguing. I
asked Mr. Lowman why they had made a show of a medical
examination on May 15th, when the release order had actually
been signed on the 11th. He would not reply at first, but
on being pressed he said that on May 11th, other orders had
also been signed and kept in readiness, including my transfer
to Almora and it had been decided that the final decision
would come from Darjeeling after the Governor received the
report of the Medical Board. Later on, I was to discover
that when the Medical Board were considering what report
they would make, the police-officers tried their best to make
them submit a report in favour of my transfer to Almora, or
of my departure to Switzerland, with a view to preventing
my release, but fortunately for me, the board refused to do
so. Thus, it was clear that till the last moment the Police
Department tried to prevent my release. They would
undoubtedly have succeeded, if anyone else had been the
Governor. Fortunately for me, the new Governor, Sir
Stanley Jackson, had come with an open mind and he was a
strong man. With the unerring instinct of a trained politician
he had sensed the grievance of the people. He had realised
within a few days of his arrival that what the people demanded
was some protection from the tyrannical Police Department.
Under Lord Lytton's regime, the Police Department had
ruled and the Commissioner of Police of Calcutta had been
the virtual Governor of Bengal. All that was now changed.
Within a few weeks of his taking over the reins of office, Sir
Stanley Jackson gave everyone to understand that henceforth
he was to rule Bengal and not the Commissioner of Police.
When any conflict arose between the public and the police he
endeavoured to do justice even at the risk of offending the
latter. For nearly four years he was able to avoid trouble
through his firmness and tact. Only when the whole of
India was plunged again into the throes of another gigantic
upheaval, did Bengal become once again the political storm-
centre of India.