OCCASIONAL NOTE

A little volume on the “Ahmadiya” movement, just published by Mr. H.A. Walter of Lahore, contains an estimate of the strength of that movement which throws light on the exaggerated pretensions of some of those who have been appealing to the Joint Committee of the two Houses of Parliament. The Ahmadiya community, as is well known, was founded in the early nineties by one Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Khan of Qadian (since deceased), who claimed to be both the promised Messiah and Mahdi expected by Muslims. Admittedly the movement thus founded has made considerable progress. The Census of 1911 gave it 18,965 adherents. Mr. Walter, who has evidently made an exhaustive first hand study, both of the tenets of those who adhere to it and of the numbers in its ranks, states that at the very most there are not more than 70,000 followers of “Mirza Ghulam Ahmad at the present time.” Yet the movement had its official representative in London who informed Mr. Montagu and his colleagues that his co-believers numbered 700,000! Some of the recommendations of this body were of a naïf character, among them being one to the effect that “the salaries and wages of the people should be raised according to the recent expenses of living and the productive capacity of the soil.” On the whole it is not surprising that the Committee feel that fresh witnesses should from now on be discouraged from proceeding to England from India.

THE CULMINATION OF INSULT

BOMBAY, NOV 6

With regard to Mr. Gandhi’s manifesto advocating refusal to participate in the forthcoming Peace celebrations as a mark of disapproval of British policy towards Turkish settlement, a Satyagrahi writes in the Times of India protesting the disappointment and discouragement that the manifesto has caused Mr. Gandhi’s followers, and he adds, just as well could this apostle of Satyagraha say that unless the Reform Bill were passed there should be no celebrations; or some of our other extremist friends might go in for other broader measures being granted; or else there should be no celebrations; or even our Suffragette women might raise up a standard of rebellion. To mix up politics with the peace celebrations is the culmination of insult to His Majesty the King, as well as the other Powers.

THE FAZILKA

COLOMBO, NOV 6

News has reached Colombo that the British India mail steamer Fazilka, bound from Singapore to Madras with the mails of October 27, was driven ashore at the southern extremity of the Great Nicobars during the cyclone of Saturday last. All passengers and mails were saved. The European passengers, nine in number, together with the mails, are being transferred to the oil steamer Mytilus, other passengers being safely got aboard an American steamer which is returning to Singapore. The Fazilka is now firmly aground on a submerged rock quite close to the mainland of the Nicobars, and the possibility of salvage is doubtful. After leaving Singapore on October 27th, the Fazilka experienced extremely bad weather with almost continuous rain, and on the 30th ran into a cyclone. It was at about 2-45 on the morning of the 31st that she actually went ashore, and she is now seen sawing and bumping badly on the rock.

MIDNAPORE MURDER

Mr. K.K. Sen, Additional Sessions Judge of Midnapore, disposed yesterday of a case of dacoity attended with murder. On the night of the 26th of the month of Jaistha, Nakodi Patra, Rajon Samanta, Dinabandhu Samanta, Trailakya Giri, Kartik Giri and six others entered the house of Umai Maity of Sitampur within the limit of Basudevpur thana, murdered him and assaulted his wife and son. They then ransacked the house and got off with whatever they could find there. His worship, agreeing with the jurors, found all the eleven accused guilty under Sections 395 (dacoity) and 396 (murder) I.P.C. and sentenced them to transportation for life each.

CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE REFORMS BILL

From various quarters the complaint has reached the Government of India that, while most other classes of opinion have been placed before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Indian Constitutional Reforms, no opportunity has yet been given to officials who have still several years to serve in India of representing their views upon the question in issue. The claim that members of the public service who will be concerned with working the Reforms should be heard upon the subject is clearly reasonable, and in deference to a representation made to the Secretary of State by the Government of India the Joint Committee is arranging to take the evidence of Mr. J.E.C. Jukes, I.C.S., of Bombay, and Mr. G.G. Sim, I.C.S., of the United Provinces