Ilbert Bill : drafted in 1883 by Courtenay Peregrine Ilbert on the orders of Liberal Viceroy Ripon, being Law Member of Ripon’s Supreme Council (1882-85). A pleased Ripon appointed him Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta Univ., for 1885-86. All that Ripon’s Bill sought was to abolish the bestiality enshrined in the Criminal Procedure Code of 1873 framed by Macaulay as head of Gov.-Gen Bentinck’s the Law Commission. Even if under that Code criminally charged Europeans could only be tried by European judges & magistrates, though in Presidency towns Europeans charged by British police could be tried by Indian magistrates & judges. Of course, the sentences these Indian magistrates/ judges passed could be overturned by the higher courts manned by European judges. ― As soon as Ripon’s Bill was tabled in the Supreme Council at Calcutta, Europeans in India & Europe made common cause & not only whipped up an unprecedented mass agitation against the bill but showered insults on Ripon & boycotted him in every way possible. At the same time a few intrepid Indian politicians dared praise Ripon’s sense of justice & through forums still open to them tried to rouse support for the Viceroy & his effort. Naturally, within the year, Ripon’s Bill was withdrawn by Dufferin who rectified Ripon’s Bill thus: Even if a European criminal could be arraigned before an Indian magistrate or judge he could claim to be judged only by a jury consisting of 50% of his own race which, in effect, re-established the Cr. Code of 1873. What continued was the equally old Code: an Indian charged with a crime could be judged by exclusively European magistrates, judges & juries with no knowledge of the language in which their evidence was written – one famous example was the conviction of Tilak. Back in London, Ilbert was appointed Parliamentary Assistant Counsel & Counsel to the Treasury 1886-1901 & Clerk to the House of Common’s for 1901. Ilbert authored The Govt. of India, 1898; Legislative Methods & Forms, 1901. [Buckland; S. Bhattacharya: 114, 457, 483]
... during 1875-76 and again in 1878 on account of Manchester hostility to the newly started Indian mills in Bombay. Again, during 1883-84 when popular feelings ran very high as a sequel to the Anti-Ilbert Bill agitation by the Anglo-Indians and the imprisonment of Surendra Nath Banerjea, the Boycott of British goods was strongly advocated by a section of the Indian community. Again, in 1891 as a sequel ...
... born to rule and that they would not submit themselves to the jurisdiction of competent Indian Judges . It was this arrogance of the British that obstructed the passing of the 'Ilbert Bill' in 1883. This bill involved a 'fundamental principle of justice and fair play to the children of soil'. It was a modest proposal of Ripon's Government seeking to establish racial equality. But the ...
... who had read the novel itself. Composed around 1875 and included in the novel in 1882, the potency hidden in the song hadn't been suspected till twenty-three years later. Neither during the Ilbert Bill agitation nor the trial of Surendranath Banerjee in 1883 that provoked students' demonstrations was Bande Mataram sung as a battle-cry. It was first sung from the Congress platform by Ra ...
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