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and Education Councils. The official challenged the NUC’s member, saying that his

Party had boycotted all Government Councils and had thus far ‘obstructed the first

opportunity of the Bahrain people to participate in the Government’. He further

recommended to him and his Party to abort the idea of going on strike, he

reminded him of the help he and his committee had received in the
past, and that which H.M.G. had often shown sympathy with C.N.U.
[NUC] objectives, they were not always in agreement with their
methods.

As to the reason for the NUC’s boycott of the Health and Education Councils Al-

Shamlan explained that, had they participated, their other demands would not be

met and Belgrave would have had the ability to overrule the two Councils’

decisions. 737

Al-Shamlan was the only member of the NUC who attended the meeting with

the Ruler on the 22July. The Acting Secretary excused the rest from coming as he

claimed that they did not know the reason for the latest meeting, a matter Gault

believed that even Al-Shamlan felt to be a poor excuse. A statement was made by

the Ruler and an official written response was submitted to the NUC. 738

The response by the Sheikh to the NUC was based on two points. The first

being the Administration Council as the Ruler notified members of the Party that it

was his intention to have the Council continue its work through its current format.

The second point was on the position of the Government’s Adviser. In that regard

the Ruler proclaimed:

737 TNA, FO 371/120549, Minutes between E.F. Henderson and Al-Shamlan on 21 July 1956, 24 July
1956.
738 TNA, FO 371/120547, Gault to FO, 23 July 1956.

© Hamad E. Abdulla 238