The Qadian Diary — Page 93
Letters, Correspondence, and Articles 79 were forcibly abducted by non-Muslim goondas who under cover of general confusion and uproar took the opportunity of getting hold of the young trembling and frightened girls and confined them in the neighbouring houses, where unspeakable outrages were committed. Only a few of them have been recovered to tell their tales of woe and dishonour. 23. The curfew was clamped on the town in spite of the fact that not a single incident had occurred to justi- fy its imposition. But whenever it was lifted it was noticed that the period of curfew had been taken ad- vantage of for indiscriminate looting and robbing by the non-Muslim inhabitants who were exceptionally active during the curfew hours. Several time our peo- ple saw with their own eyes from their house tops non-Muslims indulging in lawlessness and robbing; many of these were definitely recognised. We are forced to draw the conclusion that the curfew was imposed to handicap us and to help our enemies who committed many crimes with impunity. 24. In view of all the facts enumerated above we are constrained to believe that the oral assurances of the Government through its accredited Military and Civil officials about the protection of our lives and property are belied by their actions. We are being treated, to all intents and purposes, as prisoners of war. As has been remarked above we are law-abiding to a fault, and if the Government honestly thinks that our presence here is a menace to its stability or if it is convinced that we should quit this place, all that