SITUATION IN INDIA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20036, 18 September 1930, Page 11

SITUATION IN INDIA.

WEEKLY SURVEY.

FAILURE OF PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. (BBITIBB OFFICIAL WIB.ELES3.) EUGBY, September ie. The Government of India, in its usual weekly survey of the situation, says: "The general trend of public opinion outside National Congress circles regarding the breakdown of the recent peace conversations is to lay the responsibility on the Congress leaders. The absence of anything in the nature of a practical constructive programme shows how far the Congress leaders are from the everyday affairs of the administration, especially in the provinces, since the acceptance of their proposals would condemn the reformed Provincial Governments at the beginning of the new constitution to financial stagnation, and would deprive them indefinitely of the means of carrying out a progressive policy in the fields of education, medical relief, scientific agriculture, and other beneficent activities.

"Their proposal that picketing should continue even after the civil disobedience movement is abandoned is also unpopular, since it represents action in restraint of trade, which would prejudicially affect the interests of thousands of Indian traders without any limit of time. The trading community is realising more than ever the significance of the Congress tyranny, and this particular threat is likely to hasten the revolt against their methods. "Moderate opinion is rallying on the support of the Indian Round-Table Conference as the agency through which practical issues can be examined and discussed in an atmosphere of reason and goodwill." Progress of the Campaign. Meanwhile, says the survey, there is a progressive decline in enthusiasm in places where the Congress activities were prominent early in the civil disobedience campaign, and in places to which the movement has recently extended vigorous action has more rapid and effective results than similar measures had a few months ago. Nevertheless the need for such action has been increased by the growing tendency to violence shown by the rank and file. The profession of non-violence has been frequently ignored, and force has been required to restore authority. The success achieved by the Congress in tho boycott of election to legislative bodies has varied in different places. Broadly speaking, the Mohammedans will not tolerate interference in elections to the seats reserved for their community, and the Congress left them alone.

In regard to the non-Mohammedan seats the success of the Congress was most marked in some of the Gujerat districts, where comparatively few Hindus voted.

The educational boycott, says the survey, is definitely on the decline, and likely to fail within a few weeks. The main activities of the Congress will then probably be a boycott of foreign goods, and a "No Tax" campaign, the latter aimed at enlisting the sympathies of the rural classes. Attempts may be mado to revive breaches of the Salt Laws.

Kegarding the North-West Frontier, except at the head of the Kurram Valley, where a fair amount of sporadic fighting occurred, the tribal areas of the province remained quiet during the week. It was reported that an emissary from Kabul had reached the hostile tribesmen in the Peiwar area, with orders from the King and Prime Minister of Afghanistan to cease their activities.