IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338

E-mail- [e-mail];[e-mail]

 

 

 

IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY

 

 

 My letter to the Liberals speaks for itself. In it I have not touched upon unproved or one-sided accounts of the happenings in Malabar. But I have before me correspondence which mentions inhumanities before which the Punjab ones dwindle into insignificance. The asphyxiation of prisoners is the most startling though by no means the most callous among the inhumanities that are said to be enacted in impenetrable Malabar. The Hindu mind is blinded by prejudice fed by interested accounts. I do not deny forcible conversions or other atrocities by the Moplahs. But my soul refuses to revenge itself upon innocent Moplahs or upon the women and children of the guilty ones, nor can I delight in torturing those who have done wrong. Such reprisals are not human. Let me not go into further narration of facts or allegations. I only plead for calmness. What is the Government doing? Why has it proved so powerless for protection? Or is its function confined only to reprisals and isolating the Moplahs and their prey, the Hindus? Grant that the non-co-operators started the mischief by exciting the Moplahs against the Government, are non-co-operators keeping up the flame of Moplahs passion? Are they preventing the Government from stamping out the rebellion? Why will the Government not grant permits to non-co-operators to go and plead with the Moplahs? Let them be shot if they turn traitors to their pledge.

Let the Government take hostages for good conduct. It is utterly inhuman to persist in wanton destruction and desolation when a possible way is open to them and when non-co-operators have offered under certain conditions to go and attempt to bring about peace. Though the task of conciliation has been certainly rendered most difficult, I do not despair of success, if full facilities are offered to non-co-operators to enter the disturbed area and reason with the Moplahs. Their valour, however misguided it is, is worthy of better treatment. I do beseech the Hindus of the Madras Presidency to become calm and find room for the misguided Moplahs in their hearts. Their religion does not teach them to condemn whole classes of people for the faults of a few. Let them too bear their share of burden. They knew the Moplahs and sinfully neglected to make him a better neighbour. We are reaping the reward of our past neglect. Let us not now indiscriminately condemn the Moplahs as a friend unworthy of human sympathy. Islam has undoubtedly suffered for the brutalities practiced by the Moplahs, but Hinduism is suffering equally with Islam for thirsting for Moplahs blood. It is bad enough for one to commit rape or murder, but it is equally bad if not worse to seek to flay the rake or murderer and to rape his womenfolk and murder the rest of his family. I do not know that the rake or the murderer cannot plead sudden passion as all extenuating circumstance. Can the seeker after unbridled revenge plead anything in palliation? Let not the Hindus by their thirst for Moplahs blood justify Dyerism and O’Dwyerism. If we may resort to frightfulness and humiliations in respect of the Moplahs, do we not justify the action of Sir Michael O’Dwyer and General Dyer who under a sense of fancied wrong and fear resorted to terrorism in the Punjab? The Hindu passions are, I fear, being exploited by the Government to keep up the Malabar Trouble. Let Hindus of Malabar and Madras beware!