THE MADRAS CIRCULAR AGAINST NON-CO-OPERATION. – The Tribune

The Madras Government has issued a circular amending the rules regarding the participation of Government servants in political meetings and giving freedom to them to do all that lies in their power to combat the non-co-operation movement. In explaining what the Government servants can do in this direction, the circular says that the non-co-operation movement, as preached by many of its advocates, “tends to become revolutionary” and, therefore, it is no longer incumbent on Government servants to maintain silence in regard to it but they have to oppose it by adopting certain active measures that are open to them. It now becomes part of their official duty to combat this movement, but it is not stated whether failure to do so will entail official displeasure, possibly accompanied with some form of punishment. The methods suggested by the circular, however, are the correction of mis-statements in the ordinary course of their duties and the setting right of popular misconceptions. Whether they have to do this by issuing circulars, or proclamations or by delivering addresses at official durbars or by exercising personal influence over people going to them on official business, does not seem to have been made clear. But the circular says that “while it is not desired that Government officers should themselves convene meetings to combat non-co-operation, the Government would fully approve of their participation in such meetings when convened by non-official leaders of public opinion, particularly by members of the Legislative Council, upon whom the Government confidently relies to vigorously counter-act the movement so opposed to the real interests of the people.”