The Qadian Diary — Page 82
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad 68 away with about 5,000 heads of cattle inflicting a loss of about twenty lakhs judging by the present prices. British Major escorted these refugees to some distance. He can say how many cattle this convoy had. If they did not have any, where did they go ? Every villager normally possesses cattle. ( xx ) Milch animals belonging to Qadian people were also looted by the Police and Military. There is not enough milk now for the town. People are asking for tinned milk for their women and children. Qadian being a rural town ordinarily has a large number of milch animals. The Community encourages their keeping by a system of easily payable loans. ( xxi ) Convoys from Qadian were not allowed to take Ahmadi women. When the D. C. , Sialkot, pointed out this to the D. C. , Gurdaspur, he said that refugees from outside objected. When it was said that when trucks were taken by Ahmadi soldiers to evacuate their families, what right had the local officers to usurp them, he had nothing to say. ( xxii ) Convoys from Qadian were also subjected to general searches lasting some time for six hours or more. All unsewed clothes and many sewed clothes were taken away, even table knives were taken away as also licensed arms, which have not yet been returned. This was against the definite understanding between the two Dominions. We have statements given to us by those who had to surrender arms. They are men holding respectable positions in life. For instance one is an ex-Imam of the London Mosque, another is a retired Captain and yet another is a retired Inspector of Police, father of Col. G. N. Ahmadi. ( xxiii ) Convoys to Qadian were stopped for one week. The design was to attack and destroy Qadian. The design actually succeeded. This town which had held out for a month and a half was cut off from outside, looted, the residents squeezed into