Hungry Indians Fight For Food

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30558, 29 September 1964, Page 17

Hungry Indians Fight For Food

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW DELHI, September 28. Food ’riots and student demonstrations have erupted throughout hungry India. Police have killed at least five looters during attacks on granaries and arrested thousands. On another front Indian troops were reported to have fought hand to hand with Pakistani soldiers near the cease-fire line in the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir.

There was one bright spot, however, for the Prime Minister, Mr Lal Bahadur Shastri: he easily survived a Leftistinspired nationwide call for a general strike that failed because of disunity among his political opposition.

In Nagpur, Vice-Chan-cellor P. P. Deo, of Nagpur University, charged the police with “atrocities” in putting down a student riot in the central Indian city.

Food shortages and price Increases—the underlying cause for most of the turmoil —continued to plague the Government.

In spite of American shipments of 600,000 tons of wheat monthly, the food shortages have reached the critical stage in several States.

Heavy rains which destroyed crops in many sections of the country continued to cause flash floods in some areas. One flood killed 38 people on Sunday. The fighting along the cease-fire line in Kashmir was reported to be the heaviest in years. The “Times of India,” often close to the Government, said about 400 Pakistani troops went into action last Wednesday in the Uri sector. There were many casualties in the close combat. No official confirmation was available of the report.

which added that the Pakistanis used heavy weapons and that tanks and anti-tank guns mounted on jeeps were seen near the battle site. Students, long a frustrated, dissatisfied element in Indian politics, clashed with police for a variety of reasons. In Cuttack, eastern India, one of the worst riots grew out of a quarrel between a shopkeeper and a student over an unsettled bill. Before this riot was put down, 100 persons—including 30 policemen—were injured and 90 were arrested. Mr A. K. Misra, the Assistant Commissioner of Orrisa

State Military Police, was dragged from a jeep and beaten.

In neighbouring Bihar State, two people were killed when police fired on 1000 demonstrators led by Leftist Samyukta Socialists in a protest over food shortagesand rising prices. Three were killed in south-

ern India near the city of Hyderabad when police fired into a mob of looters who were attacking granaries. Food grain shops were also looted in Agra, site of the Taj Mahal. In many cities police used tear-gas or charged into crowds swinging lead-tipped bamboo clubs called lathis.- Some mobs fought back by hurling barrages of stones.