THE latest telegrams from Rawalpindi, including a detailed report of the incident from the Special Correspondent of the Associated Press, show that the trouble was not as unexpected as we were originally led to believe. This is what the correspondent says: “Strained feelings existed in Rawalpindi for a long time over the building of a cinema at the back of the Jama Masjid by certain Sikhs on a plot of land owned by Sardar Mohan Singh, President of the Rawalpindi Municipal Committee. The local Mahomedans objected to the building of this cinema in that quarter and several protested against the erection of this building. Some inflammatory speeches, it is alleged, were also made by some outside Maulvis in the Jama Masjid and other mosques and in public meetings where they asked the Mussalmans not to allow the cinema to be built at the back of the mosque. Attempts were then made by responsible leaders to settle the matter and for the time being the agitation ceased. But some time later, the agitation again commenced on the subject and speeches by outside Maulvis were again delivered at several places which, according to Hindu leaders, excited the feelings of ignorant and illiterate Mussalmans at Rawalpindi, and the fear of a riot was expressed by the local people on the occasion of Gurpurb. If the facts are as stated, it is perfectly obvious that, as in several other cases so in this one, these were all the usual signs of an impending communal trouble, and the local authorities had ample reason to be on the alert and take necessary precautionary measures to avert the catastrophe.”
