EXTREMISTS PREVAIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 January 1925, Page 8

EXTREMISTS PREVAIL.

BENGAL GOVERNMENTS LONE HAND.

THREAT OF TERRORISM

CALCUTTA, .Tan. 8. Th© refusal of the Bengal Council to ratify the special measures framed to deal “with anarchy reveals the extent ol the success of the vicious propaganda against the .Government. It is presumed that the measures will remain in force on the Governor e certificate, but the council’s refusal is a djclect encouragement to the forces against law and order and intensifies the serious position. The Mahommedan members have been iron over completely by the extremists, and the Government now stands practically unsupported. In Calcutta particularly there have been strenuous efforts made to win over to the extremist agitation the huge ignorant population of juto mill workers. Fortunately, in most cases these efforts have up to the present been unsuccessful. _ -Nevertheless the position is most serious. The Governor’s dramatic story regarding the conversion of an anarchist created a profound impression, hut is likely to have as little practical effect outside the council chamber. ANARCHIST’S CONVERSION.

Lord Lytton, Governor of Bengal, told the' dramatic story of the anarchist’s conversion at a meeting of the Provincial Legislature called to confirm the recent action of the Government in promulgating an ordinance to suppress terrorism. The anarchist had been acquitted in 1914. when charged with the political murder of a policeman. “When as a member of the Indian Students’ Committee,” said Lord Ltdten. “I visited Newcastle in 1921, T learned ..from all the authorities that a student;named Sen Gupta was the best student, the best scholar, and the finestcharacter that .had ever come to them. They could'not speak too highly of the wonderful influence for good which he exercised. “On my return to London I made enquiries, and found that this man wa« none other than the accused in a Calcutta bomb murder case in 1914. 1 looked into the records, and found unmistakable proofs of his guilt. “When I came to Bengal in the following year I made li.is acquaintance, and now am proud to call him my friend.”

The Governor related how Gupta had confessed his guilt in the murder case, how he pleaded not guilty before the the High Court, and been released, and how lie had then turned his thoughts in other directions, and decided to devote his life to keeping the youths from the terrorist movement. Gupta, added the Governor, had given permission to him to relate the story, but he emphasised that he would not implicate his confederates. The Governor concluded with an earnest appeal for joint action against anarchy, which contains a majority of extremists, rejected the appeal and refused to ratify the special legislation.