STATEMENT BY NEHRU ON PUNJAB

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25276, 30 August 1947, Page 9

STATEMENT BY NEHRU ON PUNJAB

Pakistan Criticised For Lack Of Co-operation

“HYSTERICAL, UNORGANISED MIGRATION”

(NJE. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, August 29. Pandit Nehru, Prime Minister of the Dominion of India, on the eve of his second visit within a week to the riot-affected provinces of East and West Punjab, said at a press conference that what was happening on both sides of the border was “a competition in retaliation,” says the New Delhi correspondent of “The Times.” Pandit Nehru added that the situation in East Punjab was more under control than that in the West Punjab (The Pakistan portion). He bluntly indicated that the Pakistan Government had been unco-operative in dealing with the grave situation. He revealed that the organisation of the joint Boundary Force was being discussed with the object of having each Dominion assume responsibility for security measures in its own territory. Pandit Nehru said his Government had not wanted to encourage mass migration, but if the east and west movement had to take place it would have to be done methodically with Government help rather than in the hysterical, unorganised way in which it was now taking place. There was full cooperation with the East Punjab Government, but co-operation by West Punjab was sadly lacking. Pandit Nehru said yesterday that the Indian Government’s first objective, apart from restoring peace and order was to rescue the trapped Hindu and Sikh minorities in West Punjab. He had asked for Pakistan’s co-operation, but so far he had not received Pakistan’s assurance of co-operation in the evacuation of the stranded minorities.

“Swift action and co-operation between the two Governments is the only way to save the situation for our two countries,” said Pandit Nehru. He added that a mass exchange of populations with East Punjab Moslems moving into Pakistan and West Punjab Hindus and Sikhs moving into India, would be discussed with Pakistan. The movement, which would involve* millions of people, would be done methodically and not at present. Pandit Nehru raid that there had been brutality and bestiality to an extreme degree on both sides. It was difficult to estimate the number of deaths, but they were on a big scale. High Government officers from Karachi, Lahore, and elsewhere had not shown the sense of responsibility which should govern their utterances at the present moment. Efforts to End Lawlessness All reports indicate that strenuous efforts are being made to end communal lawlessness in the Punjab. Today the Joint Defence Council will meet in Lahore, at the request of the Pakistan Government. lYie GovernorGeneral of Pakistan (Mr Jinnah) and Pandit Nehru will attend. It is expected tnat a joint appeal for a cessation of communal disturbances will be made after the meeting. Pandit Nehru to-day was sharply critical of what he described as ’‘highly tendentious messages” which foreign correspondents had dispatched abroad about the situation in the Punjab. He declared that August 15 (the date of the transfer of power) had made a difference, and there was such a thing as abuse of hospitality. He strongly objected to what he called the habit that some correspondents had acquired of patronising India. A 8.8. C. correspondent, who has just completed a 1000-mile tour of the Punjab, says that the conditions are closely akin to those of a civil war in some areas. It is impossible to assess the total casualties, but a senior officer told him that the number of would probably exceed 1,000,090. These refugees themselves spread communal strife, for wherever they went disturbances were likely to occur.