Government propaganda

WHETHER or not the Central Provinces (CP) Government intends to dissolve the present council, signs are not wanting to show that it is carrying on a vigorous campaign to discredit the Swarajists and expose their tactics to the public. We have before us a number of leaflets printed at the Government Press, Nagpur, during the last month in which the writer, whose name is not disclosed, has tried to explain the immense harm done to the people of the province by the obstructive attitude of the Swarajists. Whatever may be the value of the arguments used in these leaflets and the facts represented therein, it may be seriously questioned whether the government is justified in using the services of its Press and evidently the departmental agencies to carry on a party campaign of the kind attempted in the issues of the leaflets. Leaflet No. 100 is headed ‘Folly of Obstruction’, No. 101 ‘Madak Smoking Bill and the Swarajists’ and No. 102 ‘Agricultural Department and the Swarajists’. In all these, the action of the party in opposition to the government has been criticised in the usual partisan spirit. Methods of this kind are perfectly legitimate when adopted by rival parties during an electioneering campaign, but we doubt if they can be adopted by the executive in power with justice and fairness — unless it relinquishes office and contests the council seats to regain its power. Evidently, the CP Government is trying to win over the CP voters to its side and weaken their support of the Swaraj Party — a scheme which, if it proves successful, will harm the Swarajists.

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