The Pilgrims' March/Mr. S. Sreenivasa lyengar
S. SRINIVASA IYENGAR'S MANIFESTO.
As a protest against the policy of Repression pursued by the Government in other parts of India and in this province I feel bound to relinguish my title of C.I.E. and to resign my seat in the Legislative Council of Madras as representing the University, as a Nationalist, following Moderate methods of activity and believing that unity is the sole method of achieving immediate and full Dominion Status which is the object of all Nationalists. I have difference and I still differ from Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress as regards the programme of boycott of schools, Courts and Councils and their adoption of Civil Disobedience, but this policy of repression directed against the Indian National Congress and its leaders and workers and the extention of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1908 to the Madras province are in my humble judgment such an unconstitutional interference with the liberty of citizens as to compel Nationalists like me to enter my protest. I hope the Graduates of the University to whom I shall always be grateful for the overwhelming majority of votes they gave me will approve my resigning my seat in the Council. Not only have the Ministers and one or two prominent men belonging to the party in power supported this policy of repression but the Legislative Council as a whole by not giving leave to discuss the application of the Criminal Law Amendment Act to the Madras Province have made it plain that they support the policy of repression.
In these circumstances I cannot be a member of a Legislative Council committed to this policy. Such European and other Moderate friends as I still might have will, I hope, appreciate my inability to retain a title conferred by Government when I wholly disagree with the fundamental policy of Government towards my country. May I appeal to the men of all parties who do not approve of the triple Boycotts and of Civil Disobedience immediately to adept full Swadeshi and pledge themselves to total prohibition and to an uncompromising scheme of national education and above all to a Brahmin-non-Brahmin—Adi Dravida unity and non-co-operator—co-operator unity as well as to Hindu-Muslim unity.