496 NON-CO-OPERATION
were wrong and deserving of condemnation, we are equally sure the popular misdeeds have been more than punished by the action of the authorities.
We believe, had Mr. Gandhi not been arrested whilst he he was on his way to Delhi and the Punjab and had Kitch- lew and Satyapal not been arrested and deported, innocent English lives would have been saved and valuable property, including Christian churches.net destroyed. These two acts of the Punjab Government were uncalled for and served like matches applied to material rendered ii.flam- mable by previous processes.
In examining in detail the events in different districts ol the Punjab, we have refrained from saying anything regard- ing the Government of India. It is impossible, however, to ignore or slur over the inaction, if not active participations of the Central Government in official action. The Viceroy never took the trouble to examine the people's case. He ignored the telegrams and letters from individuals and public bodies. He endorsed the action of i he Pun jab Govern- ment without enquiry, and clothed the officials with indem nityin indecent haste. He never went to the Punjab to make a personal enquiry, even after the occuiiences. He ought to have known, at least in May, everything that various official witnesses have admitted, and yet he failed to inform the public or the Imperial Government of the full nature of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre or the subsequent acts done under Martial law. He became a party to preventing even a noble and well-known English Christian of unimpeach- able veracity, in the person of Mr. Andrews, from proceed- ing to the Punjab whilst he was on his way, not to inflame passions, but simply to find out the truth. H allowed Mr. Thompson, Chief Secretary, Punjab Government, to indulge in distortion of facts and to insult Pundit Madao-
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