भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

nothing beyond the vaguest promises was done, not a single day's remission has been as yet positively granted to any of them barring a couple of Bengali P.P.s. An order was read out in the name of the Secretary of State and the Government that so far as the political prisoners were concerned, the Government was considering the question of granting some remission to them. The above consideration being guided by the opinion of the respective provincial Governments in the first instance and secondly, by the local recommendations of the jail authorities based on the jail conduct of the prisoners. Moreover, the personal opinions of the individual prisoner would be carefully weighed before any decision is arrived at! Now this language may mean much or what is more likely may mean nothing. No time is mentioned as to when the decision would be arrived at. And, when, in addition to that, one remembers that four years ago, the Indian Government had been pleased to assure me that they were even then having the question of Amnesty 'under consideration', one hardly can help suspecting that this reiteration of the same words may be asking for another four years hence. Again the clause referring to the personal opinions is very likely to be the curse of almost anyone who falls under the head of P.P.s., for if personal opinions means the opinions of the individual about the political situation in India—then, of course, that is quite sensible and natural—but how the Government is going to know about them? If by the statements of the individual concerned then, there could be no objection to that at all. But if—as is more likely to happen by hearsay or secret reports, then it would be better if the Government and the public would be frankly telling that they do neither wish nor want to consider this question at all. For being forced to live amongst such a distinguished company such as thieves, robbers and habitual convicts and in such a company alone—what chance is there that these would be reporting only truth about our opinions on politics, when these neither understand a bit of what opinions on politics mean, nor are ever wanting in the gift of instinctively hating anyone who is spotted out to them by the authorities as one whose opinions they are required to report. No sooner does an officer ask these 'gentlemen' in the jail to know and inform about A or B, than do these people come to the conclusion that a report against that individual would be more likely to increase their importance in the eyes of the authorities. And even the highest officers in an institution like jail cannot but depend on the reports of these men, who have themselves been convicts and criminals and raised to