The Qadian Diary — Page 86
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad 72 down a few important facts with a view to getting from you an adequate reply. But before I do so I feel it necessary to put it in black and white the importance and sanctity of this holy town of Qadian. As you are well aware this town is held in the highest esteem and is looked upon with very deep rooted sentiments of love and devotion by millions of Ahmadies living in every part of the world. The fact of the matter is that to an Ahmadi Qadian is much dearer and much more precious than his life and all the worldly belongings, and to preserve this town intact he deems no sacrifice too great. But at the same time respect for law and order and for the established government is so instilled into the hearts of Ahmadies that they have been trained to abide by law even under extremely provocative conditions and circumstances. That is why repeatedly our representatives have requested both the civil and military authorities stationed at Qadian to make the Government policy clear to us as to what the Government of India wanted us to do in connection with our staying on in Qadian as peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Time and again our various representatives, Syed Mahmudullah Shah, B. A. , G. F. Malik, M. A. and Mirza Abdul Haq, B. A. , LL. B. , asked these authorities to tell us specifically and unambiguously the real intentions and wishes of the Government of India whether they wish us to continue to live here or to evacuate from this town, so that if the Government scheme was that we should vacate the town then we should seriously think of ways and means to comply with the orders of the Government. We made it clear to the Government authorities that we were ready to co-operate whole heartedly with the Government even under the present unfortunate conditions and circumstances ; and right from the Brigadier Pranch Pai down to the Officer Commanding the military contingents posted at Qadian on the one hand and from the Deputy Commissioner