१८५७ का स्वातन्त्र्य समर (वीर विनायक दामोदर सावरकर - अंग्रेजों द्वारा छपने से पूर्व प्रतिबन्धित महाग्रन्थ)

THE ERUPTION
will despise truth more than false rumours and civilisa-
tion more than barbarity ! Ah, it will require pools of
blood to wash these blasphemies away !
On the way from Umballa to Delhi, in thousands of
villages, all those that could be easily caught were imme-
diately put before a court-martial in rows after rows, and
were condemned to be hanged and killed in a brutal and
barbarous manner ! At Meerut, the Indians no doubt
killed the alien English but it was not done savagely
enough. They simply cut off their heads with a blow
of the sword. But the English, be it said to their credit,
corrected this mistake. Hundreds of Indians were con-
demned to be hanged before a court-martial in a short
time, and they were most brutally and inhumanly tortured,
while scaffolds were being erected for them. The hair on
their heads were pulled bunches by bunches, their bodies
were pierced by bayonets, and then they were made to do
that, to avoid which they would think nothing of death
or torture—cows’ flesh was forced by spears and bayonets
in the mouths of the poor and harmless Hindu villagers ! ²
Ah ! but it still remains to be told to my “ barbarous ”
readers what this court-martial was and is. Hundreds of
innocent villagers were herded together, and then they
were given “ justice.” When there was a revolution in the
Netherlands, Alva had established a similar court. The
inquiry before this court was so thorough that sometimes
the judge would go to sleep. When the time of sentence
came, he would be awakened, and with a grave look at
all the prisoners before him, he would say, “ Let these
be hanged ! ” This historical death-chamber of the
Netherlands was doubtless reformed and improved upon
by the English ! For, their judges never went to sleep.
Not only so, but, before their appointment, they had to
take an oath that they would give the death sentence,
2. History of the Siege of Delhi.
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