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

THE FIGHT RESUMED 265
able state of affairs arose in March 1931, when the Delhi
Pact was concluded. But instead of turning over a new leaf,
the authorities decided to copy the Black and Tan methods
that had been employed in Ireland. Between June and
October 1931, three regrettable incidents took place suc-
cessively—at Chittagong, at Hijli Detention Camp, seventy
miles from Calcutta and at Dacca. At Chittagong an Indian
police-officer was murdered. 'The next morning, hooligans
were let loose on the town and while the police remained
inactive, looting went on in broad daylight. The idea was to
teach the people of Chittagong a 'moral' lesson. An inquiry
committee appointed by the Calcutta public came to the
conclusion after investigation, that the conduct of some
local officials was open to serious question and the late Mr.
J. M. Sengupta openly made the allegation in a public
meeting in Calcutta. On the report of the Divisional Com-
missioner, official action against some officers was taken
after a very long time. At the Hijli Camp there was some
understanding between the state-prisoners and the armed
guards. Following this, one night the armed warders made a
surprise attack on the state-prisoners' barracks and after
firing indiscriminately at the barracks, attacked the state-
prisoners with the butt-end of their rifles. During the firing,
two of the state-prisoners, Santosh Mitra and Tarakeswar
Sen, were killed and twenty seriously injured. An official
committee appointed by the Government consisting of a
judge of the High Court, came to the conclusion after an
open inquiry, that the firing was altogether unjustified. At
Dacca, there was an unsuccessful attempt to murder the
District Magistrate. The same night, four parties of police-
men went out to different parts of the city, raided the houses
of respectable citizens, destroyed furniture and other articles,
assaulted people and carried away whatever valuables they
could—besides making a large number of indiscriminate
arrests. The Calcutta public sent a Committee of Inquiry,¹
which after due inquiry, corroborated all the above facts.
¹ The writer was a member of this Committee but when he arrived near
Dacca, he was removed from the District by sheer physical force by
police-officers. The moment he was free he started for Dacca again when
he was put in prison. He was subsequently released and could then
continue the inquiry.