Mass Arrests Of Agitators

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30530, 27 August 1964, Page 13

Mass Arrests Of Agitators

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW DELHI, August 25. More than 2700 Communists have now been arrested since the Indian Communist Party started a five-day nation-wide campaign yesterday against rising food prices.

However, the worst of India’s food crisis is past, the Food Minister, Mr C. Subramaniam, said today.

Rice and wheat are both scarce in India, and the next six weeks until winter crops are harvested will be. critical for the Government. About 1200 Communists were arrested today in New Delhi, Bombay, Jaipur and other cities. In New Delhi, the demonstrators . picketed leading banks, including the branch of the British-owned National and Graindlay, and the Delhi Stock Exchange. Yesterday, the Communists picketed grain markets, district courts and banks. Trial Of Strength More than 100,000 Communist volunteers plan to risk arrest during their campaign —the party’s first big trial of strength with Mr Shastri’s Government. Mr Subramaniam said today that with the prospect of almost bumper monsoon crops, as well as steps taken by the food ministry, the situation has begun to ease. Mr Subramaniam said the effect would not be felt by consumers immediately, although the wholesale price

index for cereals had fallen last week for the first time since May. He said hoarded grain had already begun to move to markets. He hoped to achieve selfsufficiency in food grains in four to five years if his schemes to increase output were successful.

He said he hoped to stabilise prices slightly below the present level. There had been a 22 per cent rise in prices of food grains in the last 18 months, compared with 27 per cent in the previous 10 years, but this had, in fact, made up the lag in agricultural prices behind industrial prices during the same period. Reports of more arrests of Communists are still coming in.