1339 WITH the acceptance of Mr. Shastri’s resolution on repressive measures in the Council of State and especially in view of Sir William Vincent’s speech on the occasion, we thought we had seen the last of the Defence of India Act. This impression gained strength from the crop of repressive actions in so many parts of the country during the last few days under the ordinary law. It is easy, therefore, to imagine our feelings when a copy of the order served upon Pandit Rambhaj Dutt Choudhary under the Defence of India Act was received in this office. We cannot say that it was a surprise to us; if it had been so, we should not have been unceasing in our protest against the continuance of the repressive measures on the Statute Book and in our demand for their immediate repeal. It is this very possibility of powers vested by these measures being used whenever the Executive considers that there is a suitable occasion for their use that constitutes the chief danger from them. It is okay to say, as Sir William Vincent recently did in the Indian Legislature, that pending the report of the Committee which was to examine them, it was the intention of the Government not to use these measures except when they were forced to do so. The question is, who is to determine when the Government can or cannot help using these measures? So long as the Government itself is the judge, the public cannot possibly feel sure that it is judging right. Indeed it must be frankly admitted that even where the Government had a good case, the public often than not would refuse to see eye to eye with it just because it was itself the judge. In the present case, the public is in the dark as to the reasons which have led His Excellency in Council to take this drastic action against a public man of the standing and character of Pandit Rambhaj Dutt.