BRITISH OFFICERS CRITICISED

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25300, 27 September 1947, Page 9

BRITISH OFFICERS CRITICISED

Conduct of Punjab Force REPLY BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW DELHI, Sept. 25. The Indian Prime. Minister’s Secretariat, replying to criticisms of British officers of the former Punjab Boundary Force by Pandit Hridya Nath Kunzru, a member of the Constituent Assembly, said: ‘‘The' Army had to face a difficult .situation. The officers and other ranks worked under great difficulties because of the division of the Army.” . Pandit Kunzru said yesterday that if the boundary force, of which the commanders were 90 per cent. British, had acted impartially the refugee situation could have been brought under control, but they must bear discredit for failure and catastrophe. The Indian communique regretted that the charges were made against British officers, ‘‘who as a rule discharged their duty to the best of their ability. The Government must express appreciation of their work.” Reuters says it is feared that Pandit Kunzru’s charges will incite violence against the British in India. Movement of Refugees An Indian Army communique said that more than 1,500,000 Moslems and non-Moslems were foot-slogging to East and West Punjab. During the last 10 days, 450,000 Moslems hqve been sent to Pakistan and 150,000 Hindus and .Sikhs have crossed into India. There are 850,000 Moslem refugees in East Punjab and an equal number of Hindus and Sikhs on the move in West Punjab. Giving them ample protection was out of the question, said an Army spokesman. Fifty thousand Moslem refugees were inoculated in one camp at Delhi because of suspected cholera. A British officer was killed to-day defending a refugee train at Ambala. Nine villagers and 16 Moslems were killed when United Provinces police drove off *lOOO Moslems who were attacking the village of Sari. Four persons were killed and two injured at Ambala when police opened fire on a mob which was looting fodder. A British officer was severely wounded while enforcing the curfew at Amritsar.

Attacks on Trains Several thousand Moslems attacked a Sikh and Hindu refugee train, at Kamoke, about 25 miles west of Lahore yesterday, and killed about 340 Sikhs and Hindus and wounded 250, says an announcement by the West Punjab Government.

The troops escorting the train killed 78 of the attackers and wounded a similar number.

The Moslems attacked from the rear and forced their way into the last four carriages. The attack lasted for 40 minutes. The train returned to Gujranwala, where the wounded were admitted to hospital. Describing the Moslems’ attack on the train, the Lahore correspondent of the ‘Daily Express” says that thousands of Moslems waited outside Lahore for the next escape train to India to halt, and then swarmed aboard it All was over in 40 minutes. The Moslem attackers speared, clubbed, and knifed the passengers until they were driven off by heavy fire from the train’s military escort. The Moslems were seeking revenge for the Sikhs’ attack on the Moslem train near Amritsar on Monday. A Pakistan communique issued today says: “Details of the attack on the Moslem evacuee train near Amritsar show that the train carried 4500 Moslems from Alwar. There appear to have been about 1000 wounded, which leaves more than 3000 killed. “When the train was attacked the British officer in command of the escort which consisted of 13 Hindus and eight Moslems belonging to the Royal Indian Army, began organising the defence. He was at once killed by a burst from automatic weapons. The Hindus in the escort are reported to have surrendered. The eight Moslems died fighting. “Members of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (described as a militant Hindu youth organisation) and Sikhs made the attack which lasted apparently without interruption for two hours.”