The “Englishman” and the Externment Order

THUS the Englishman in its issue of Friday:-- “Although the externment order on Mr. Nehru’s son came somewhat as a surprise, later news makes it clear that the Government of the United Provinces acted with consideration and justification. Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru was politely requested to give an understanding not to communicate with the Afghan delegates now in Mussoorie. There was no reason why this undertaking could not be given, especially as it was not the avowed intention of the young gentleman, according to himself, to get into touch with the foreign delegates.” The first part of the first sentence is a surprise to us, because we never knew that any repressive act of the bureaucracy, of which an Indian was the victim, could be a surprise to the Englishman whose motto in these cases has always been “the more the merrier,” but the second part shows that the surprise is only simulated and not real. Otherwise, there is nothing in “the later news” which could “make it clear” to any fair-minded person that “the local Government has acted with consideration and justification.” It seems that according to the ethical code of the Englishman when a man is politely requested to give an undertaking not to do something that is regarded as heinous or objectionable there is no reason why this undertaking should not be given. Here is a hint to the Police Commissioner of Calcutta. There are a hundred and one things which, we doubt not, are regarded as heinous in Calcutta as elsewhere. The Police Commissioner has only to ask the writer in the Englishman to give an undertaking not to do any of these things, and here he has the assurance that the undertaking will be readily given. To what absurd depths can presumably sensible persons descend when they choose to become partisans!