UNREASONABLE as it was, both on account of its obvious untenableness and evident bias, the suggestion of Maulvi Abdul Haye, MLA, made to the Punjab Government a few days ago to prosecute Dr Moonje for certain observations he made in his address delivered as President of the Punjab Provincial Hindu Conference recently held at Ambala, has been treated by the Punjab Government exactly in the manner it deserved. The suggestion was untenable because, although certain portions of Dr Moonje’s address might be regarded as ill-considered or ill-advised, no interpretation could be put on it which could support the suggestion that there was incitement of hatred between different classes or communities. The whole of the speech was aimed at asking the Hindus to wake up to a realisation of their weakness and of the necessity of strengthening themselves by internal organisation, and it exhorted them jealously to guard their self-respect, the honour of their women and their ancient culture. To say of such a speech that it was calculated to promote a spirit of communal hostility is, to say the least, utterly unfair and unjust. And Haye’s bias in making this suggestion for prosecution is proved by his subsequent silence in respect of several fiery speeches made by Muslim leaders soon after he had conceived such anxious desire for the maintenance of communal amity through official prosecution. While he was so prompt in asking the Government to take legal action against a Hindu leader, he conveniently shut his eyes against the furious nature of some of the utterances made by his co-religionists at the last Special Khilafat Conference at Delhi, which, considered from Haye’s point of viewing Dr Moonje’s speech, were far more exceptionable than that.
