The Great Calcutta Killing – Who Is Responsible

Speech of Dr S.P. Mookerjee at the Bengal Legislative Assembly on 20th September 1946 in support of the no confidence motion against the Muslim League Ministry headed by Mr U.S. Suhrawardy for the responsibility of the ‘Great Calcutta Killing’, on 16th August, 1946 the ‘Direct Action Day’ called by Mr M.A. Jinnah, President of Muslim League.

Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee: Mr Speaker, Sir, since yesterday we have been discussing the motions of non-confidence under circumstances which perhaps have no parallel in the deliberation of any legislature in any part of the civilised world. What happened in Calcutta is without a parallel in modern history. St Bartholomew's Day of which history records some grim events of murder and butchery pales into insignificance compared to the brutalities that were committed in the streets, lanes and by-lanes of this first city of British India. We have been discussing, Sir, as to the genesis of these disturbances. Time will not permit me to go through the detailed history and course of events during the last few years. But let me say this that what has happened is not the result of a sudden explosion, but it is the culmination of an administration, inefficient, corrupt and communal, which has disfigured the life of this great province. But so far as the immediate cause is concerned, rightly reference has been made by members belonging to the Muslim League and also to the opposition that we have to look to the resolution that was passed at Bombay at the all-India session of the Council of the Muslim League.