To the Editor of 'The Hindu'

To

The Editor of ‘The Hindu’

Sir,

I appeal to the people of India – in whose name the Government of India is carried on – against the injustice of the said Government in proscribing; my two innocuous Tamil booklets Kanavu (Dream), a poem and Ariloru pangu (one-sixth), a short story – obviously on the presumption that the latter are seditious. I hold that those who have reported to the Government that my booklets contain expressions which may not be permitted by its law are ignorant persons. I ask for a re-examination of the contents of these booklets by competent persons. I have already approached the Government of Madras on this subject both my means of private communication and writings in the Press. But, so far, my efforts have been unavailing. I make this further appeal to the Indian people and demand justice to my booklets at their hands, not in my own interests so much – for these booklets mean almost nothing to me from the points of view of money and fame – as in the interests of what little of freedom of the pen is left to us in British India. If you proscribe love poems and social reform stories on the ground that they issue from the pen of a suspected person, you greatly exceed your limits. I pray that the public, press should take up this question.

8-10-1912                                                                                         SUBRAMANIA BHARATI