Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/263



Next to Maharashtra, Madras was the most active pro- vince in the cause of Home Rule; unfortunately its Satrap -was extremely anxious to loom in the lime-light. He therefore carried out his threat of repression by issuing Internment orders against Mrs. Besant and two of her colleagues. He had expected that the internment of Mrs. Besant would cow down the people. He must have been surprised to find his tyranny met with defiance. The whole country with one voice condemned his action. It was feared that this was only the first of a series of repressive measures contemplated by the Government. There was a widespread alarm that the internment of Besant was meant as a blow to her Home Rule League and that the Government would crush the Home- Rule Leaguers first and the Congressmen afterwards. Viewing the situation from this standpoint, even the Moderate leaders thought it their duty to join the Home Rule Leagues. (The Hon'ble) Mr.M. A. Jinnah and several other leading Congressmen and Muslim-leaguers in Bombay joined the Home Rule League immediately after the pubUcation of the internment order.More important still was the attitude of the Moderate leaders at Allahabad, who at this most momentous crisis joined hands with the Home Rulers and championed their cause. When we remember how, so far as the Punjab at least was concerned, the deportation (1907) of Lala Lajpat Rai had ademorahzing effect on the people, we can appreciate the awakening that had now come over the people, in that they refused to take this gratui tous act of repression with anything like fear or submission.