ABSTRACT
Muslim League supporters had set about trying to enforce the compliance of the rival community to the League sponsored hartal right from the previous night. The decision of the Bengal Government to declare the Direct Action Day as a public holiday was not taken in by the nationalist press with good humour. In the Ripon College League supporters tried to hoist a Muslim League flag on a pole, which the Hindu students had brought down. This was followed by a pitched battle between the two communities and League supporters were found to have even brandished a gun in course of the battle. The Muslim League had requested for 500 gallons of petrol. Suhrawardy did not grant this request as the head of the Bengal Government. But he issued petrol coupons in the naine of individual ministers and coupons worth 100 gallons in the naine of the Chief Minister.
