Chapter 214: Maclean wants it all

It was not a conflict, hard knives had to be used and soft knives had to be prepared, and public opinion was never a very important thing.

Starting from a British Ceylon which was affected by British India but still able to control the situation could be used as a reference point to keep the action in British India within the proper limits, after all, for the sake of the situation in the whole world, it was not possible to weaken India too much.

Considered from the strategic point of view, in British Ceylon on the Hindu action, of course, there are benefits, certainly for the maintenance of the British Empire, Alan Wilson can not be British India split into seven or eight pieces, otherwise it will not be able to check not far away in the Middle East in the world of the Religion of Peace, and likewise to be wary of the subcontinent a plate of scattered, become the Soviet Union or the north of a large country’s backyard.

India must therefore be strong enough to defend itself, and it would be best if it could cause trouble for others.

But equally India must not be allowed to become too powerful and affect the interests of the British Empire, again it would not do, India’s influence is limited to the coastline of the subcontinent and must never cross the border.

In the telegram to the British Ceylon Commissioner Donald Maclean in the middle of the telegram, of course, can not say so bluntly, since the history of the Cambridge Five to idealize the record of the world, then Alan Wilson would like to see, this idealization is true or false.

Colombo, the capital of British Ceylon, Donald McLean, in the midst of the crowd’s roar of approval, swinging the golf club, the golf ball drew a wonderful arc, although there is no hole in one, but the distance from the victory is also imminent.

Not far from the hotel balcony, some gentlemen and ladies, enjoying the tropical scenery, chatting in twos and threes, and even chatted to Fei Wenli in British India.

“How dirty is that place in India, why did our movie queen go there? If you want to relax you still have to come to Ceylon, General Mountbatten’s first few years, he was here most of the year, but the last year, I don’t know what happened, he stayed in New Delhi all the time.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to come to Ceylon and play golf and watch the horse races? Why don’t we appeal to the Viceroy’s Office in New Delhi to invite Vivien Leigh to come to Ceylon as a guest?”

“Commissioner, it’s a telegram from New Delhi, should we read it, or tomorrow?” As Maclean was about to make a clean sweep of victory, a secretary came up to him with a telegram from the Viceroyalty of British India in his hand.

“Go and wait for me in the lounge, I’ll be there in a minute.” McLean, with his ball cap on, waved his hand with blissful disinterest, and pointing to the parasol in the lounge area, instructed, “There are drinks over there, make yourself at home.”

Then swinging his club, completing the victory of this tournament, the people nearby rose up and cheered, excited about Donald Maclean’s victory, and in the applause of the crowd, Donald Maclean returned to the rest area.

Had to admit in his heart that actually being a commissioner in the colony wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Getting used to it was actually not bad, the days were easy and far less hectic than the original.

No wonder in London, Alan Wilson always mentioned from time to time to return to British India, this side of life is really cozy, brought over a cup of coconut juice, Donald Maclean before bringing over the telegram from New Delhi.

“The Secretary of State for India has just left the subcontinent, and before leaving highlighted the importance of the Clean India campaign. It is very much hoped that British India, as well as the colonies under its influence, will change its present ethos.”

“In fact, we have had plans for a long time, but we have been too concerned about the image of British India to make up our minds. There is no more brazen crime in this world than that against women and children, let alone both. And British India, as well as neighboring Ceylon, is the worst hit by such crimes.”

While other gentlemen and ladies were still entertaining themselves at the Galleys Green Golf Course, Donald Maclean, with a serious face, scrutinized a telegram from New Delhi.

Because of the low status of women in India, the poor at the bottom would sell their young daughters to temples for a little money. At the same time it was thought that by virtue of this, it would bring good luck to the family.

Sometimes there would be elders from the temples, who would see a girl in the fields or wherever, who looked good, and would go directly to the girl’s home and ask the girl’s family, in the name of the gods, to sell the girl to the temple.

Most of these girls are between twelve and thirteen years old, and rarely are there any girls over fifteen years old who are chosen, and when they are chosen, their fate is to be married off to the gods, for the gods do not come to the cave, and the ones who exercise the right of the gods to take the place of the gods as husbands are the monks in the temples.

They believed that by having a relationship with a woman of the gods, they could get closer to the gods. Since then, the holy woman has been on the path of devotion to the monks.

And the idea that the holy woman received was that it was a dedication to the faith, and that in the next life it was possible to become a human being, to flip the class, to be rich and famous.

“Fark!” Donald Maclean was in a bad mood throughout, and looking up at the gentlemen and ladies on the golf course could not bring the good mood back.

Among Alan Wilson’s telegrams, there was no hidden attempt at all, hoping that British Ceylon would be the first to launch an operation to raid the Hindu ghettos in the north. If successful, British India would follow suit.

The telegram did not hide even a little, even Ceylon is a Buddhist country, and the presence of British troops can control the situation, are openly and honestly written in the telegram, is to take British Ceylon to test the waters.

Candor to the point of saying that the current British India may sometime set off the next independence rally, the British Empire must now weaken the influence of Hinduism, have been clearly stated.

Why to weaken the influence of Hinduism, Donald Maclean formerly only served in the country, of course, do not understand. But after being the Commissioner of Ceylon, he gradually understood what was going on.

Colonization is certainly beneficial to the British Empire, but everything has two sides, there is never a one-sided benefit. The British Empire began to receive the British India backlash. Not only did the British colonies in Southeast Asia, Malaya, Saigon and other places and even Xiangjiang River began to appear different degrees of Indianization.

Even British Yemen-Somalia, which was known to be the most difficult for the peaceful religion of thought to invade, also saw Indianization, and ethnic Indian communities emerged there as well.

British Ceylon, because of its proximity to the subcontinent, could not itself escape the submerged influence of Hinduism, and the situation was even a little more serious than in the other colonies.

Now the Viceroyalty began to prepare for the independence of British India and to start eradicating Indian influence in these colonies. It was only fitting to start with British Ceylon.

In fact, members of the Congress Party, who had already said similar things about the relationship between Ceylon and India since time immemorial, the evidence of which was the influence of Hinduism in northern Ceylon, had not yet become independent, and were already thinking about the rest of the British Empire’s heritage, and had begun the path of the great powers in sound and fury.

Among the telegrams though the ugly face of imperialism throughout, the ass sings the praises on the side of colonialism. On another occasion, the Ceylon Commissioner might have given it contempt, but now Maclean was clearly not in the mood.

“Contact the Trincomalee Garrison immediately and tell them I’m going to make a trip to discuss a little problem with the base commander.” MacLean put the telegram away and instructed the secretary who had just delivered it.

“Just send the telegram directly.” The secretary sitting opposite McLean was greatly confused, not knowing how in a short time, how the Ceylon commissioner seemed like a different person, who had just been talking and laughing on the golf course.

“It’s better to talk face to face. It’s not clear on the telegram, and I’m not Allen, who even sends so many telegrams.” Donald Maclean grimaced, not giving a good face because of the telegram that had disturbed the good mood.

He was certainly dissatisfied with Allen Wilson ideologically, and in bed with imperialist colonialism. But he was also a Briton, and choosing between India and the British Empire, he was surely defending British interests.

And the group of Indian holy women, he did not know the existence of this group before, he could pretend not to see. Now that he knew about it, he had to eliminate it.

Even if it was exploited to some extent, he had no problem with it, it was ultimately a good thing.

McLean soon left the Galleys Greens Golf Course and now had two things to do, the first was to ascertain, if such groups existed in the temples in the Hindu areas of the Tamils in the north.

The second thing was, to contact the British troops at the Trincomalee Naval Base, something that is more credible when it is one’s own family.

In the evening, in front of Donald Maclean, several bald Buddhist monks were already seated, and after being informed of the purpose of the Ceylon commissioner, looked at each other, “We are aware of this behavior, the Gopuramta temple, and the temple dedicated to the war god of Shiva’s son, and there are quite a number of other temples in the area where the Tamils live where this kind of thing exists.”

“Thank you, I just need to know if such things exist.” MacLean thanked a few of the monks in front of him, “Buddhist temples don’t exist for such holy women, do they.”

“I wouldn’t venture to say that it doesn’t exist at all in temples throughout Ceylon, but it’s contrary to Buddhist thought. If it appears that is a personal matter and has nothing to do with religious tradition.”

“Then several monks please return.” Donald Maclean signaled with his eyes to the secretary next to him to send a few monks back, and waited until the secretary returned to order, “Inquire about all the Hindu temples and prepare the car, I’m going to Trincomalee Naval Base in the morning.”

Idealists are efficient, the next evening Donald Maclean was already in the middle of the Trincomalee Naval Base, not far from the bay docked several Royal Navy warships.

Maclean spent a long time in command, stating that it was New Delhi’s instruction to British Ceylon to act first, and going over the various analyses in Alan Wilson’s telegrams, stating that it was to safeguard the interests of the British Empire and to remove the Indian influence that had been preying on British Ceylon.

“Well, since it’s New Delhi’s instructions, the Navy is willing to participate in this one. Just tell us the objectives!”

“No specific targets, all Hindu temples are to be searched.” Donald Maclean said in a single word, “No one particular one, all of them.”