Duke's Hotel,
35 St. James's Place,
London S.W. 1.
July 15, 1920
My dear friend:
I have not written to you for a long time but you have been as usual in my
thought and speech. I am in very bad health. But the twin questions of the
Punjab and the Khilafat absorb all my energies and emotions: but it is
vain to expect justice from a race so blind and drunk with the arrogance of
power, the bitter prejudice of race and creed and colour, and betraying such an
abysmal ignorance of Indian conditions, opinions, sentiments and aspirations...
The debate on the Punjab in the House of Commons last week shattered the last
remnants of my hope and faith in British justice and goodwill towards the new
vision of India... The discussion in the House was lamentable and indeed tragic.
Our friends revealed their ignorance, our enemies their insolence - and the
combination is appalling and heart-breaking.
Mr. Montagu has proved a broken reed... I enclose copy of my correspondence with
him on the subject of the outrages committed during the Martial Law regime upon
women as embodied in the Congress Sub-Committee's report and evidence. I
naturally assume that no single statement contained in the evidence has been
accepted without the most vigorous and persisting scrutiny. But the general
attempt seems to be to discredit the Congress Sub-Committee's findings
and to shift the responsibility of such outrages which cannot be denied, to Indian
shoulders.. The Skin Game with a vengeance. Speaking at a mass meeting
the other day, I said that what we Indians demanded was reparation and not
revenge, that we had the spiritual force and vision that ennobled us to
transcend hate and transmute bitterness into something that might mean
redemption both for ourselves and the British race, but that freedom was the
only true reparation for the agony and shame of the Punjab... The specialists
think that my heart disease is in an advanced and dangerous state, but I cannot
rest till I stir the heart of the world to repentance over the tragedy of
martyred India...
With greetings to all my friends, I am, as ever, your loyal and
loving friend,
Sarojini Naidu