SUPPRESSION OF RIOTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19975, 9 July 1930, Page 11

SUPPRESSION OF RIOTS.

RECENT FIGHTING AT PESHAWAR. ACTION OF AUTHORITIES UPHELD. (UNITED FBKSB ASSOCIATION —B? ELECTBIC TELHQEAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (Received July Bth. 8.25 p.m.) DELHI, July 7. The action of the civil and military authorities in firing to suppress the riots at Peshawar on April 23rd was entirely upheld by a committee of enquiry, which pays a tribute to the courage, resource-, and forbearance of the men under great provocation. The committee is of the opinion that armoured cars are unsuitable for the conditions prevailing in Peshawar, and -suggests the thorough consideration of ihe question of employing cars in quelling civil disorders. The Government of India endorses* the report and promises to consider the recommendations. PICKETS AT CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY. STUDENTS UNABLE TO SIT FOR EXAMINATION. (Received July Bth, 8.25 p.m.) DELHI, July 8. A thousand students were unable to sit for the law examination at Calcutta University yesterday owing to picketing by Congress volunteers, including fifty women of high caste Indian families Evetv entrance to the hall was blocked and the candidates who refused to leave were bodily removed THE WEEK IN INDIA. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT. LOSS OF YIGOUR INDICATED. (BBITISH ' OFFICIAL WI BE LESS.) RUGBY, July 7. In the House of Commons, at the request of Mr W. Wedgwood Benn (Secretary of State for India) various questions regarding the composition and terms of reference of the round table conference on Indian affairs were postponed until Wednesday. The weekly summary of the situation compiled by the Government of India, and circulated to members of Parliament, describes as the chief event of the week in India the declaration of the All-India Congress Working Committee to be an unlawful association under the Criminal Law Amendment Act. The committee consists at full strength of about 15 persons, who, for a considerable period, had been playing a promient part in the organisation and direction of the civil disobedience movement. Not only had they -urged >be public, to defy the law and refuse payment of taxes, but they had circulated an incitement to troops and the police to fail in their duty in dealing with the civil disobedience movement.

Simultaneously the committee's president, the Pundit Nehru, and the secretary were arrested and sentenced to six months' simple imprisonment each. ! Hartals in various towns followed, but many of them were, incomplete, and i there had been no clashes with the | authorities. Popular demonstrations had been most marked in Bombay City, where conditions continued unsatisfactory. In spite of the activities of the Congress the situation shows distinct signs of improvement in several directions. The position on the frontier is rapidly returning to normal. Elsowhere there are indications that tha movement is losing some of its vigour, and most of the provinces report a slackening of efforts. The conviction is growing that the civil disobedience movement cannot succeed, and commercial and industrial circles are showing increasing concern regarding the consequences of its continuance. There is an increase in constructive effort toward a constitutional solution 'of the political problems, and the Mohammedans in particular are devoting much attention to the presentation of their case at the London conference. While the situation has still many unstable elements, these are not so numerous or so pronounced as a few weeks ago.

THE SIMON REPORT. (Received July 7th, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, July 7. Mr Wedgwood Benn informed the House of Commons that up to the present about 33.000 copies of the first part and about 26.000 copies of. the second part of the Simon Report have been sold in Great Britain.