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Bloomfield Murder Case : Early in August Justices Mitter & Fletcher) of the Calcutta High Court annulled the death sentences pronounced by the Sessions judge on four bonded labourers for the death of a certain Bloomfield. On 14th, Bande Mataram commented: “Cases like this Bloomfield murder raise a crucial point. When the whole basis of a political system is the despotic rule of a small alien handful over the immense indigenous numbers, it is an essential condition of its continuance that the persons of the foreigners should be held sacred…. While therefore there may be two opinions among Anglo-Indians as to the advisability of allowing European murderers of Indians to go free, there can be no two opinions on the necessity of avenging every loss of a European life by the execution of as many Indians as the police can lay their hands upon…. Terrorism is indispensable, whether it be the naked, illegal & unashamed terrorism of Denshawi or terrorism in the fair disguise of legal forms & manipulating for its own purposes the Criminal Procedure Code & the Evidence Act.” On 28th, a London news-report: “The planters at Behar, the cradle of Buddhism, are incensed by the judgment of the Calcutta High Court annulling the death sentences pronounced by the Sessions judge on the murderers of Mr Bloomfield, the owner of an indigo factory. For refusing to accede to the demand of a number of villagers to change their names in the Kacheri registers Mr Bloomfield was assaulted & left senseless, dying a few hours later without regaining consciousness. Of seven men arrested four were sentenced to the extreme penalty, against which the successful appeal was made.” [S/a Pouchepadass’ Champāran & Gandhi, OUP]