UNREST IN INDIA

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17612, 15 November 1922, Page 9

UNREST IN INDIA

SIKH SHRINE TROUBLES. THOUSANDS OF AKALXS ARRESTED. (Ey CMe—Press Association—Copyright.) (Anatnliaa and N.Z. Cable Aaaooiatiok) DELHI, November 13. The Akali Sikh troubles in th Punjab continue unabatod, and thj leaders are seizing all opportunitie to stir up unrest. Altogether 500 Akalis have been arrestod.

Sir William Vincent, recently pw sented to the Legislative Assembly a Simla a statement detailing the origl and the present position of the trounl at Guruka Bagli, the Sikh sliriu twelvo miles from Amritsur. A number of Akalis (Sikh fanatics forcibly seized tho shrine in Sopten ber, 1921, but loft tho housos an land belonging to the shrine in pos session of the mahant or priost, wh had always been regarded as tho right ful tonant thereof. At tho begiuuini of August, however, a number o Akaliß, under the instructions of th Sikh Temples Committoe, cut down . tree on this land, ostensibly for us in the shrine. The mahant complain ed to the police, who arrested th Akaliß. The latter, boing subsequent ly convicted of thoft, were soutenee to six months' imprisonment. 0 August 22nd other Akalis, apparent! acting on instructions, cut down thre more trees, whereupon a dctachmen of police was sent to protect the pe« eon of tho mahant and his propert, from further mischief. The damage continued on succeed ing days, and by August 24th th police were compelled to arrest 11 Akalis. Thereafter large numbers o Akalis continued to arrive at Ouruk Bagh, and attacked the police o AugUßt 25th, but the police disperse them. Simultaneously with the d« apateh of bands of Akalis to Ouruk Bagh, meetings were held in tho mori ing and evening at Amritsar, a which violent speeches were delivere inciting the Sikhs to continue thei lawless resistance to authority a

Ouruka Bngh. H The action of the Sikhs' Tompl I Committee forced the district author: |j ties to institute proceedings ngaine j| the leading members thereof, th 3 president and seven others being ai | rested on charges of abetting unlawfi IJ assembly, riot, theft, and trespass o || August 26th. . I By the end of August the Akali 1 at Ouruka Bagh numbered 3000 fl 4000. They constantly attempted t squat on the mahant'a land, and ha to be forcibly removed by' thopolici In consequence of the continued influ of Akalis into the Amritsar distric picketß were placed on the princip: roads in order to turn back new a: rivals. After this bands cohstantl attempted to force their way pastth police pickets, who were compelled t disperse them by force, but the polu I only used batons and no firearms, an with the minimum amount of fort necessary. Numbers received mine injuries, but not a single fatality kt hitherto been reported during the dl persalß, and reports of allege brutality and excesses on the part < the police are absolutely unfounded The only object of these disporsa has been.to avoid the necessity c wholesale arrests, but the. authority have now decided to revert to tl method of arrests, and are devisin other means to prevent the unlawfi intrusion on property. The real significance of the abov incidents has been obscured by efforl to 'excite odium against the Goveri ment, but the real issue is wheth< the Government are to discharge the: primary duty of protecting indiv duals or abdicate their functioi thereanent under the threat of fore In this matter the Government ai dealing with men who publicly declai that they have the right to seize an administer any Sikh shrine. The Qoi ernment does not admit that any sue right exists, but they have repeated) declared iheir willingness to introduc measures to provide for the remoyi of incumbents of shrines who at abusing their trust. The Governmen hope to introduce a revised Bill thori anent shortly. Meanwhile the Goveri ment will continue to protect th rights of private property, using th minimum force necessary. The situation ia engaging the car* ful attention of the Punjab Goveri ment, whose officers throughout hav discharged their difficult and dii tasteful task in the most sympatheti manner. The Commissioner is exploi ing every possible method of tei minuting the existing situation.