We arc unfeignedly glad that Mr. Gandhi, on his side,
has dropped his inadmissible demand about the police. Last week we expressed our concern about this because long experience has shown that when a Government throws over, or seems to throw over, those who are under a vow of loyalty to render the Government faithful service, it does something which, by injuring its own honour, undermines its power. This is really a vital matter. We do not mean that when a " True Bill " can be produced against the police there should not be full trials with their sequel of adequate punishment. Constitutionally, however, the police owe their dis- ciplined service to the Government which employs them, and the Government alone can penalize or reward its own servants. A Government which handed over the police to the incalculable decisions of some extraneous authority would be false to one of the first principles of statecraft. If Mi. Gandhi has waived his claim because he accepts the Viceroy's arguments on this subject, we have one of the best proofs of a reasonable temper.
*
Previous page
