56 M. K. GANDHI
Civil Disobedience. And those conditions were very
rigorous indeed.
THE CALCUTTA HARTAL Meanwhile the hartal organised by N on-Co operators in connection with the Prince’s visit was more or less successful in many places. lt was alleged that by intimi- dation and otherwise, the hartal in Calcutta on the day of the Prince's landing in Bombay was phenomenally com- plete. The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and the Anglo- Indian press took an alarmist view of the situation and expressed grave indignation against the passivity of the Government. With a view to suppress the activity of the Congress in this direction Government resuscitated part II of the Criminal Law Amendment Act which was then literally under a sentence of death, When volunteering was declared unlawful Congress leaders took up the challenge and called on the people to disobey the order and seek imprisonment in their thousands. Men like Messrs. C. R Das in Calcutta and Motilal Nehru in Alla- habad openly defied the order and canvassed volunteers in total disregard of legal consequences. They sought impri- sonment and called on their countrymen to follow them to prison. The situation was grave. It was then that Pundit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Sir P. C. Ray and others thought that the time had come when they should step into the breach and try to bring about a reconciliation between Government and Non Co·operators. With this view Pandit Madan Mohan and others interviewed leading Non·Co operators and those in authority Lord Ronald- shay, in his speech at the Legislative Council referred to the gravity of the situation and dehned the Erm attitude of Government. The Viceroy who had invited the Prince was natu- rally very indignant at the strange form of " reception " that awaited the innocent scion of the Royal House, Could anything be done at all towards a rapproachment3 THE Ds1>U1*A1*1oN T0 Tum VICEROY A Deputation headed by Pundit Madan Mohan Mala- viya waited on His Excellency the Viceroy at Calcutta
