The following letter sent by Mr. J.B. Pennington, I.C.S. (Retd.) to Mr. Gandhi is published in “Young India” — Dear Sir, I do not like your scheme for “boycotting” the Government of India under what seems to be the somewhat less offensive name of “Non-Co-Operation”; but I have always given you credit for a genuine desire to carry out revolution of peaceful means and am astonished at the violence of the language you use in describing General Dyer on page 4 of your issue of the 14th July last. You begin by saying that he is “by no means the worst ‘offender’,” and so far I am inclined to agree, though as there has been no proper trial of anyone it is impossible to apportion their guilt; but then you say “his brutality is unmistakable”, “his object and unsoldierlike cowardice is apparent,” he has called an ‘unarmed crowd’ of men and children — mostly holiday makers — a rebel army.” “He believes himself to be the saviour of the Punjab in that he was able to shoot down like rabbits men who were ‘penned’ in an enclosure; such a man is unworthy to be considered a soldier. There was no bravery in his action. He ran no risk. He shot without the slightest opposition and without warning. This is not an error of judgment. It is paralysis in the face of ‘fancied’ danger. It is proof of criminal incapacity and heartlessness,”etc.
You must excuse me for saying that all this is mere rhetoric unsupported by any proof, even where proof was possible. To begin with neither you nor I were present at the Jallianwala Bagh on that dreadful day - dreadful especially for General Dyer for whom you show no sympathy -, and therefore cannot know for certain whether the crowd was or was not ‘unarmed’.
