§ 1. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether a Swaraj flag was hoisted alongside a Union Jack at the Bhagalpur exhibition owing to a threat from the non-co-operators to wreck the exhibition unless it was allowed to remain; and, if so, whether he can make any statement on the subject?
§ The UNDER SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Earl Winterton)The Government of India report that the facts of the case are as follow: The exhibition was entirely non-official, the committee which managed it including local Non-co-operators. The Commissioner of the Division took a great interest in it, and his wife was asked to open it. On the morning of the opening, the Commissioner was informed that the decorations included Swaraj and Gandhi flags, and he refused to take part in the opening until they were removed. On the assurance that this had been done, his wife opened the exhibition in the afternoon, but next morning it was found that one Gandhi flag in a prominent place had only been furled, and not removed. When the Commissioner insisted on its removal, the non-co-operators opposed the idea, and threatened to break up the exhibition. They suggested that the Union Jack should be flown alongside, and higher than the Gandhi flag to indicate Swaraj within the British Empire, and the Commissioner agreed to this course. The Governor in Council, on being informed, decided that no further action was possible, though he would have preferred a more severe treatment of the impertinence of the non-co-operators. The Commissioner was warned to be more 1107 vigilant in future, and to take care not to afford sympathy to a movement which might be turned against the Government. The incident was much resented by the local European community, and the jail exhibits were withdrawn. The Government of India have informed the local Government that they share the regret that more drastic action was not taken, and have indicated clearly their decision that in no circumstance should the Swaraj or Gandhi flag be flown in conjunction with the Union Jack, even if placed below it. My Noble Friend realises the importance of the prevention of such incidents in future.