File 522/1922 Pt 4 'Persian Gulf: Bahrein: Internal' [‎231v] (467/616)

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Enclosure No. 1.—Extract from “Bombay Chronicle’ } dated the 23rd April 1921
The Plight of Bahrain.
To
Sir,
The Editor of “ The Chronicle
The people of Bahrain have all along been consoling themselves by a belief
that the superior British authorities on being acquainted With the detai's of the
aggressions perpetrated against the people and encroachment made on their liberty,
would not approve of such a policy ; while in fact, it is to be regretted that the above
belief is now being shunned by degrees owing to some one of the three presump
tions, viz :—
( 1 ) That either the British Government have directed and are aware of the
course of policy pursued in their country, ignorant of the fact that it would tend to
convert the anxiety and fright of the people into desperation when they have lost
every hope of attaining justice and equity.
( 2 ) That the British Government relies on the Consul’s reports, believing the
petitions of the people contradicting. the former's reports. If it is
so, then at least it betrays negligence on the part of the British
Government with regard to investigating for justice in spite of the
people of Bahrain having requisitioned th'e Government to depute an
unbiased Commission to enquire into the grievances of the people of
Bharain.
( 3 ) That the British Government intend and mean to hold an enquiry into
the affairs at Bahrain but pending enquiry have not asked the Consuls
at the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to put a stop to their despotic policy, which is
the worst of the three. Whereas we on our part have been awaiting
the result though our patience has now betrayed us.
While we w^ere expecting a change in the policy wdiich has clearly manifested
itself to have marred the prestige and renown of Great Britain in the a ^ er jJ
Territories of the Arabian Peninsula, lo we see Major Delly (Daly) adopting es
ways of aggression, evincing further stupidity by further proving himselt o e
sole creator of the galling miseries for Arabs in their own country. So he as orc
conscript labour on the helpless natives of Bahrain driving them like catt e an su
jecting them to hard labour at “ Ard ”, announcing that he wanted to erec er
station for airships. He has transgressed the bounds of law, in ^ f • . ou ^ A
is unknown to him. He did not even ask Shaikh Isa, Chief of Ba rain > ?. gr
consent before putting his scheme for erecting the said station into enec .
he has announced to have fixed a heavy tax on all boats regardless o e] ,
(the pearl-fishing ones or otherwise having changed their numbers in o 0
figures which the natives are not expected to make out.
The most horrible act of his is that he has reduced the members ^
Chief’s family to the state of confinees in Bahrain ; for when most o ®
( for permit to enable them to go abroad on medical grounds or some s
urgent reasons the same was denied to them. Lately he seems to aV( j sue d
perturbed on reading articles in newspapers criticising the course o p°.! ^ em i 3 e rg
in Bahrain and attempted consequently to cause some respectable a ^ 1 J . neWS .
of the Ruling Chief by force to repudiate the said articles as false r ^
papers, but in vain ; for the latter even at the risk of exposing t ems^ ^
revenge on them, denied to agree with his request. It is likely t a s statement
ultimately may yield under his threats and helplessly may attest a a
he may dictate to them. v f SbaiM 1
We heard some time ago that the peop 1 e of Bahrain with their
Isa at their head had submitted their grievances to the \ icero} o nl ei)
report is now confirmed by what conversation we had with some I station
of Bahrain and they were very anxiously awaiting a reply to the salt F
hazarding their conjectures simultaneously in various ways. . ^ s ^ a .
We cannot but suggest to the benign British Government 1 j. the
tions into the affairs of Bahrain should not terminate in asking r I ^ ^ r gats
antagonists only, when it is evident that they, possessing powers, ca
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