Life of Ahmad — Page 584
ELEVATION OF RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION as 584 public peace. I moved this point long ago, and in a former memorial to the Government set forth in plain terms the methods by which such an end could be smoothly achieved. ' Early in October 1898, Ahmad as submitted to Lord Elgin, the then Viceroy of India, a memorial, which was also printed and publicly circulated, in which he explained how religious controversies caused trouble and created agitation and excitement among the public. The N u r Afsh a Ĕ of Ludhiana, dated July 8, 5, 22, August 29 and September 1898, again wounded the feelings of the Muslims just as the Ummah a tul Mu’min i n had done and the Lahore Anjuman again sent a memorial. The Promised Messiah as , therefore, suggested that the use of abusive language in religious controversies should be brought within the purview of the law 143 and proposed: 1. That a law should be passed which, while leaving the followers of every religion free to 143 It was also in the interest of the Government to take up the suggestion. Political malcontents were taking advantage of religious conflicts to excite the people against the Government. It was the perception of this which led the Government to pass the Sedition Act of 1897. But in spite of that enactment the country continued to drift from law-abidingness towards disaffection. The law, in fact, was not productive of any great consequence, because India is pre-eminently a land of religions and its people are prone to be more quickly excited over religious questions than over questions of politics. The Sedition Act made no provision for the prevention of religious quarrels, and at the time when it was passed, the Government did not perceive the necessity of any such provision. But the point which was missed by statesmen was perceived from his seat of solitude by Ahmad as , the Promised Messiah.