Last
week we expressed the belief that the Black Flag demonstration
would be a success. And so it has been. We congratulate
the people on this victory. But the methods and means
adopted by the State to suppress the spontaneous upsurge
of popular sentiment, have shocked all truly democratic
citizens, and it is now freely said that the days of
Downing Street Democracy are over and the era of Draconian
Democracy has begun. The most recognised and widely
accepted manner of exhibiting the resentment of the
people to anyone in power is by staging a Black Flag
Demonstration. That was why the D.M.K., wedded as it
is to peaceful and non-violent methods of agitation,
selected this particularly peaceful mode to show to
Pandit Nehru that the path of persistent vituperation
leads only to ignominy and contempt. Yes, the Madras
Ministry thought fit to attempt to stifle this demonstration
if it could, by unleashing its repressive forces and
throwing all constitutional freedoms to the four winds.
They could have at least patted themselves on their
backs if by all this sacrifice of the liberty at the
alter of Power they were able to save the Pandit's sensitive
eyes from seeing any black flag. But events turned out
otherwise. The calculation of the authorities had ignored
the most vital factor, namely the innermost feelings
of the public, which had only been reflected by the
D.M.K.'s decision. And so in spite of the Police having
clapped up party leaders in jail and in spite of the
Police having given a preview of their fangs on the
third January by using tear gas and lathis on the crowds,
the masses mustered in thousands at Meenambakkam and
when the Pandit's car drove out of the airport he was
confronted with a veritable sea of black flags accompanied
by the Vox Populi which said "Go Back Nehru".
This shows that the people cannot be so easily choked,
and it also reveals a trend which confirms our suspicion
that the government is drifting from democracy to dictatorship.
Oscar Wilde once defined democracy in his own style
as "a bludgeoning of the people by the people for
the people". What he said humorously has now come
to be a true statement—with this difference—that the
bludgeoning is of the people by the government for the
government! Last week, Madras has experienced this bludgeoning
in five ways:
—Refusal of permission to hold peaceful meetings
—Arrest of partymen on a disproportionately large scale
—Humiliating and inhuman treatment of those taken into
custody
—Unnecessary and savage Police violence on the crowds
—Disgraceful treatment in prison to those hurt and arrested
How far all this has shocked everyone is clear from
the forthright and unequivocal condemnation of government
action by public men and institutions who are far from
sympathetic to the cause of the D.M.K., but whose higher
sensibilities were outraged by recent acts of the State.
Mr. Trilok Singh, the General Secretary of the Praja
Socialist Party, speaking at a public meeting in Madras
on the 4th January, 1958, criticised the refusal of
the government to allow the D.M.K. meeting at the Beach
on the 3d. He said the arbitrary use of discretionary
powers was a clear violation of the fundamental rights
of the people.
The conveners of the Civil Liberties Union, in a statement
to the Press, have equally condemned the government
to the Press have equally condemned the government's
refusal to grant permission and also have added that
the Police are to blame for any disorder that may have
prevailed consequently.
Messrs. L.S.Karayalar and S.S.Mariswami, of the National
Democratic Congress party who were eye-witnesses to
the Police activities at Meenambakkam on the 6th, have
issued a statement characterising the lathi-charge as
indiscriminate and uncalled for.
"The Indian Express" has editorially inveighed
against the "Lawless Law" prevailing in the
State and criticised government action in barring the
public meeting and arresting party leaders.
This widespread and general revulsion of feeling should
show the government that its policy of repression is
out of date and highly dangerous.
Inability to brook opposition views is the first and
earliest symptom of totalitarianism. This malady appears
to have seized our administration and it behoves all
democratic forces to check this trend before the disease
gets chronic and malignant. Infantile mortality among
democracies is high and the most common cause of fatality
has been unbridled power vested in one party which gets
allergic to criticism or public condemnation. We must
guard against this, and any price is not too high to
pay for this effort.
"That nation is not governed", said Burke,
"which is perpetually to be conquered". We
remind this to our rulers, whose feet are pointing to
Tyranny's direction.
(Editorial
- 12-01-1958)