200 THE KAIKA QUESTION
and prove ourselves wrong. It Government) decide to suspend the second instalment of fche revenue throughout the district;, those amongst us who are in a position to pay, will pay the whole or the balance of the revenue as may be due, The reason why those of us who have the money to pay and still do not/, is that if they do the poorer might in panic sell their things or borrow to pay and thereby suffer.
Under the oiroucngtanoes we believe it is the duty of those who are able to pay to proteot the poor.
��STATEMENT ON THE KAIRA DISTRESS Mr. Gandhi sent to the Press the following statement en the Kaira distress under date 28th March, 1918 :
In the District of Kaira the orops for the year 1917- 18 have, by common admission, proved a partoiai failure. Under the Revenue rutes if bhe crop* are under four annas, the cultivators are entitled to full suspension of the Revenue amassment for the year ; if the orops are under six annas, half the amount of assessment is suspended. So far as I am aware, the Government) have been pleased bo grano full suspension whh regard to one village outi of nearly 600, and half-ausoensioa in the case of over 103 villages. Ik is olaimsd on behalf of the ryots that) the suspension is no!) at all adequate to the actuality. The Government contend that in the vast majority of villages crops have been over six annas. The only question, therefore, D issue is, whether the orops have been under four annas or six annas, as the casa may be, or over the latter figure. Government valuation is in the first instance made by the Talatis assisted by the- obiefman of the villages concerned. As a rule no check
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