DISORDERS IN INDIA

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23718, 17 August 1942, Page 5

DISORDERS IN INDIA

Messages Indicate Improvement

MORE INCIDENTS REPORTED (Received August 16, 11.30 p.m.)

(N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, August 18. The main news from India reaching London in agency messages is of a steady improvement in the situation at Ahmadabad, Poona, and Delhi, and m the United Provinces. A communique issued in Delhi says that since the beginning of the trouble at New Delhi 40 have been killed and 55 injured. Of the injured 28 have already been discharged from hospital. It is reported that in a new outbreak of disorder at Dakor, police fired on an unruly mob, killing five and injuring four. At Benares one was killed and 18 injured, including two magistrates and four constables, when police fired on a crowd, which refused to disperse. In Calcutta the police used revolvers to disperse rowdy elements. Several Indians were injured. The streets of Nagpur have been largely cleared of obstructions, and shops are reopening, but nervousness prevails. Police and military fired on three gangs of hooligans who set fire to a hospital mortuary, barricaded roads, and looted a building. Mr Gopinath Bardoli, a member of Congress and former-Premier of Assam, has been arrested. The situation in Nagpur and Calcutta, was yesterday reported to be still tense. Troops and police in Nagpur thrice fired volleys against stonethrowers. All schools and colleges there were closed. The University of Calcutta has advised schools and colleges to act similarly. Bombay’s death roll totals 32. Arrests in Bombay since the outbreak of the disturbances totals about 600. Mobile military police units continue to patrol the troublesome areas. There was some interference with traffic in Calcutta on Friday, and the police had to disperse processions in parts of the city. Eight persons were admitted to hospital after the police fired on an unruly mob. The crowd reassembled and stoned a motor-car, injuring the five occupants, including a military officer and a woman. Of the total of 64 mills in Bombay S3 were working on Friday, compared with 37 on Thursday. “Civil disobedience in India is slowly being driven underground, 1 * says the Bombay correspondent of the "New York Post.” “Most of Mr Gandhi’s leading disciples are in prison, but younger . officials of the Indian National Congress, little known to the' public, are; trying to take over the campaign. ♦ “The more - conservative members ol the Congress Party have been bewildered and Inactive spectators of the week’s violence.” Although rioting in India is dying down observers do not think that the Indians are calling off their campaign to /oust the British. They predict that the present violence will be replaced by Mr Gandhi’s policy of passive resistance. . DEATH OP GANDHI’S SECRETARY (Received August 16, 6 p,m.) n , ' . „ LONDON, August 15. ■ It is officially announced in Bombay that Mr Gandhi's secretary, Mr Mahadar Desai, has died of heart failure ■ while under detention. , Mr Desai had long been an outstanding member of the Congress Party, He was several times arrested and was gaoled for a year in 1938, EGYPTIAN FRONT ■ 'ENEMY- IAGftTERS &UNK v-p;L COAST : (SfeCCiyed' August 16, 11 pm.) (N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, August 16. To-day’s Cairo communique says: “Apart from patrol activities on Friday night there is nothing to report from our land forces. Our fighters yesterday attacked targets in the battle area. “At least three enemy lighters were sunk and others damaged by our light bombers and fighter-bombers off the North African coast, “One enemy fighter was shot down yesterday over Malta. ■ The Malta defences also destroyed two enemy bombers during Friday night.” AIR OPERATIONS IN AFRICA AERODROMES ATTACKED IN SARDINIA (8.0. W.) RUGBY, August 14. “From August 11 to August 14 air operationss over the Alamein battle area have been on a reduced scale,” says the Air Ministry News Service. “Our fighter-bombers carried out a series of attacks oh gun positions, and on August 14 light bombers effectively raided landing grounds and other objectives in the Fuka and El Daba areas, Escorting fighters shot down one Messerschmitt 109. “Enemy air activity has been, slight and few air combats have taken 'place, “Tobruk harbour was raided by strong formations of bomber aircraft each night from August 10 to August 13, and numerous fires and explosions were observed along the waterfront and among military installations in the town. “Smaller attacks in which naval aircraft participated were directed against Mersa Matruh and other objectives along the North African coast. Enemy coastal shipping moving off the coast between Tobruk and Mersa Matruh has been consistently dnd effectively attacked. One lighter and two E-boats were sunk and others severely damaged during the period under review. In one such operation our long-range fighters shot down two Junkers 52’s. “Our fighters carried out on August 11 highly successful operations against enemy aerodromes at Elmas and Declmomannu, in Sardinia. Seven multiengined aircraft were set on fire and another damaged. A hangar at Elmas was left in flames. “Fighter aircraft at Malta have taken a heavy toll of enemy aircraft attacking one of our convoys in the Mediterranean.”

SHIP SUNK NEAR AUSTRALIA ALL OF CREW ESCAPE (Special Australian Correspondent) (N.Z.P.A.) SYDNEY, August 15. The failure of a Japanese submarine captain to examine the starboard side of an Allied merchant vessel allowed the crew to escape in the sole remain' ing lifeboat. The vessel was torpedoed off the coast of Australia and the men were picked up 16 hours later. The attack was made at 2 a.m., a torpedo striking amidships. The port boat was blown away and the sub* marine surfaced on the port side, but the crew made their escape on the starboard side. The ship sank in 15 minutes.

In the morning the boat was sighted by an Allied aeroplane, and later a launch picked up the crew.

New Indian Factory.—ln spite of many difficulties, India has just witnessed the completion of an important munition plant. This factory will produce alloyed steel not previously manufactured in India and will facilitate the manufacture of field guns, anti-aircraft guns, and light machineguns.—Rugby, August 14.