Page:A Nation in Making.djvu/85
- 8
The Contempt Case: Imprisonment
The leaderette in the Bengalee—prosecuted for contempt of court—public excitement—the trial—condemnation and imprisonment—demonstrations of sympathy; attitude of the Statesman—'Good cometh out of evil'—a national Fund—my life in prison—my release.
The next incident in my journalistic career that I think should be placed on record is the Contempt Case, for which I was sent to prison for two months. I claim the honour (for such I deem it) of being the first Indian of my generation who suffered imprisonment in the discharge of a public duty. The Swarajists now make imprisonment a qualification for public service. Well, I claim that I possess it, even from their standpoint, and that I was qualified long before any one of them.
The facts of the Contempt Case are these. On April 2, 1883, the following leaderette appeared in the Bengalee:
'The Judges of the High Court have hitherto commanded the universal respect of the community. Of course, they have often erred, and have often grievously failed in the performance of their duties. But their errors have hardly ever been due to impulsiveness, or to the neglect of the commonest considerations of prudence or decency. We have now, however, amongst us a judge, who, if he does not actually recall to mind the days of Jeffreys and Scroggs, has certainly done enough, within the short time that he has filled the High Court Bench, to show how unworthy he is of his high office, and how by nature he is unfitted to maintain those traditions of dignity which are inseparable from the office of the judge of the highest Court in the land. From time to time we have in these columns adverted to the proceedings of Mr. Justice Norris. But the climax has now been reached, and we venture to call attention to the facts as they have been reported in the columns of a contemporary. The Brahmo Public Opinion is our authority, and the facts stated are as follows: Mr. Justice Norris is determined to set the Hooghly on fire. The last act of zubberdusti on his Lordship's part was the bringing of a saligram, a stone idol, into court for identification. There have been very many cases both in the late Supreme Court and the present High Court of Calcutta regarding the custody of Hindu idols, but the presiding deity of a Hindu household had never before this had the honour of being dragged into Court. Our Calcutta Daniel looked at the idol and said it could not be a hundred years old. So Mr. Justice Norris is not only versed in Law and Medicine, but is also a connoisseur of