The Qadian Diary — Page 87
Letters, Correspondence, and Articles 73 to the Ilaqa Magistrate on the other were contacted by us in this connection. Everyone of these officials verbally assured us that the Government’s intentions were that we should stick on to Qadian and that our homes and hearths and our lives and our property would be protected under all circumstances. But what actually happened is briefly as follows:— 1. Soon after the announcement of the partition of the two Punjabs and the inclusion of Gurdaspur in East Punjab, Qadian was cut off not only from the outside world but from Batala and Gurdaspur as well completely by rail, post, telegram, or by telephone and by vehicular traffic. 2. All the Muslim villages within a radius of twelve miles of Qadian were attacked by organised Jathas under the direct and indirect instigation and protection of the Police. Not only that; the villagers in possession of licensed arms were deprived of them. 3. Respectable and responsible members of the Ah- madiyya Community of Qadian were arrested, taken to Gurdaspur and were put behind the bars. We were helpless even to put up a defence for them. Our two representatives, Mirza Abdul Haq, leading advocate of Gurdaspur and Raja Ali Mohammad, a retired Settlement Officer, Lahore, tried to go to Gurdaspur three or four times but were denied all means of transport and escort. One day both these gentlemen left Qadian by car but when only three miles away from the town, they had to turn back. Captain Magh Singh had warned them that their car would be confiscated by the Deputy Commissioner