مرفقات رسالة إلى وزير الدولة لشؤون الهند، رقم ٢١٣، بتاريخ ٢٧ نوفمبر ١٨٧٤: خلاصة المحتويات من رقم ٣ إلى ٣١، من إدارة الخارجية، فورت ويليام [و‎‎٤‎٤] (١٠٢/٨٧)

20. In order, however^ to enable Government to understand the significance
of the manoeuvre which appears to have been perpetrated by substituting for
the original petition, which was the subject of my yad No. 198^6, a mere accom
paniment to the said petition, I have the honor to annex herewith copy ot the
petition addressed to me by the Sindhees in question, side by side with copy ot
their petition addressed to His Excellency the Governor^ which lias been the sub
ject of Mr. Dadabhai's indignant remarks.
21. From a comparison of the petition to my address hereto annexed, with
the petition addressed to His Excellency the Governor, translation oi which has
been submitted by the Durbar with their khureeta un-der report, it will be seen
why Mr. Dadabhai has deliberately suppressed the one and cow merited on the
other. The petition to His Excellency the Governor is vague an its allegations,
and is couched in a tone which I am very far from approving of, and should not
have sent to the Durbar at all, had it come under my immediate observation,
which as before stated was confined to the peftition addressed to myself.
22. On the other hand the petition addressed to myself, which was the
exclusive subject of my yad No. 1986, appears to be far more specific in its allega
tions, and to be perfectly proper and respectful in tone. I moreover took the oppor
tunity of questioning the petitioners personally regarding the subject of then-
petition, and from their manner and general bearing, I am respectfully of opinion
that the allegations made are substantially correct. This opinion, moreover, is
confirmed by the fact which appears to have been disingenuously suppressed,
that Mr. Dadabhai was in fact induced, by my representations in my yad ]So. 1986
under reference, to grant the petitioners the immediate and emergent redress
sought, bv allowing them to cut their crops and promising consideration of their
case. On these conditions the Sindhees have at length returned to their villages,
and thus notwithstanding Mr. Dadabhai's piesent indignant protest, the main
object of my representation has in fact been gained ; and moreover what, undei
the circumstances of the Dussera festival above related, w T as a serious danger,
has been averted.
23. It only remains to notice the statement made in the khuieeta that
these complainants had never previously represented their grievance to any Dur
bar authority. This statement, I regret to state, I must pronounce to be
entirely without foundation; nor can I imagine how the writer of the khuieeta
could have been induced to represent to His Excellency the Viceroy in a foima
•public document, a fact, the falsity of which happens to be susceptible of speci
fic proof. These petitioners have been, as stated in their petition to my address,
(copy annexed), perpetually importuning the Durbar to grant them rediess
during the last eight months. 1 took care to question them particulaily on tins
point, and I believe their representations to be substantially correct. 1 hey have,
moreover, produced for niv satisfaction a receipt for a registered letter i ecent y
addressed to Mr. Dadabhai Nowrojee ; and they assured me that their chief re
presentative and karkoons have been in daily attendance at the Duibai or
weeks past, trying in vain to procure a settlement of their long pending giie\-
ances. In the face, therefore, of evidence of this nature, I can only suppose t lat
the writer of the khureeta has either been misinformed, or has wilfully intent e(
to deceive His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General. At the same
time I think it my duty to state, and 1 do it with much regret, that it is now
becoming the systematic practice of the new administration to ignore long pending
grievances, and to deny in unmeasured terms, that the petitioners ^ho have oi
months been importuning, first the Keaident, secondly the Commission, tlnu v
Government, have ever represented their grievances to any responsible in ar
official.
- 24. Having thus noticed the two main illustrations given of my alleged
unfriendly attitude, it only remains for me to notice briefly the remaining pomtb
alluded to in paragraph 3 above.