OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 20 May 1930, Page 9

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

SITUATION IN. HANI)

NO WEAKENING OF CONTROL

British ■'Official Wireless. (Received 20th May, 11 a.in.)

RUGBY, 10 th May.' A (lotailed appreciation •of the situation, iv India,, rocoived from the Govevnmont of India nt the week-end, was circulated to members of Parliament this evening-by the- Secretary for India, Mr. Wedgwood Bonn. While the situation according to this survey still contains elements of 'uncertainty and instability, there has been no weakening' of control by the Government authorities, and in several directions', there have boon signs of improvement during the week. • . NORTH-WEST FRONTIER. Regarding tho tribal situation on ,the north-west frontier a favourable sign waa the absence of hostile movement by any tribe as a whole. In some districts tho rulers had made tho Government loyal offers of assistance. In others thcro'had been-;some unrest.' In Waziristan, for instance, this was due to the deliberate, dissemination of false reports about the Posnawav disturbances-! and the situation in India by malcontents connected with the Congress. On tho whole, the tribal situation showed signs of improvement towards the end of the week, but is still unstable. ■ In tho north-west province) itself vigorous action has beon taken to improve the position, and tho Seditious Meetings Act is'now in force in Peshawar, Bannu, and Kohat. Congress committeos. have been declared unlawful associations^ in the last two places, whore tho polico, with military support, havo arrested prominent.agitators. Peshawar City is still occupied by troops, and feeling is still'strong, but conditions are gradually .returning to normal, and leading citizens are" working to improve the situation. ■ ' TROUBLES CONFINED. The troubles aro confined to a portion of the Peshawar clistrict and a few villagos near Bannu City. A movable column has\operated in Charsadda Tahsil of the Peshawar district with good offect against the "Bod Shirt" organisation, and certain villages which had been helping the Haji of Turanzia: The "Bed Shirt" organisation has been declared unlawful, and certain prominent members arrested. The position in tho province has definitely improved during tlio-woek. There has been practically no opposition to the action taken by tho authorities, and no clash' with the people. There are indications that the public are getting tired of hartals and the loss of business involved. HOSTILE PROPAGANDA. Tho rural areas, ..except in Gujerat, continue in goncral to be little affected, but efforts aro being madQ to extend hostile propaganda into villages and to incite tho rural classes not to pay land revenue and certain , other taxes. Breach, of tho salt law by manufacture have become progressively negligible, but there have been attempted raids by bands of volunteers on salt works. The -deliberate dissemination of malicious and alarmist rumours continues, although the absurdity of many of the rumours is to somo extent defeating their purpose. . MINORITIES LOYAL. The minority communities in general and the Mohammedans in particular have been heartened by the Viceroy's announcement of last Tuesday and the assurance that no solution of the political problem will be regarded as satisfactory which dies not com: mand the consent of important minorities and- give them a- sonse of security. The Congress, however, is sparing no effort to mislead them by misrepresentation and by promises incapable of performance. Labour still remains unaffected. Bogavding- the resolutions of the Congress Working Committee,' recently passed at Allahabad, the Government of India anticipates that the immediate" result will,be an increase in the picketing of foreign cloth and liquor shops and an early attempt to start a campaign against the payment of land revenue and taxes. GOVERNMENT FIRM. The Government's statement adds: It is clear that the Congress, intends to carry on its mischievous programme regardless of all consequences. Intensive picketing of cloth and liquor shops, involving direct ' interference with the business of traders, cannot fail to increase the . dangers of disorder. The programme generally is calculated to arouse antiGovernment and racial feeling. Its object is to make government impossible, and. to achieve this end those responsible for it are prepared to sacrifice the present and future interest of country. To prevent this the Government -will use its full resources. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. • Mr. Wedgwood Benn, replying to a question, said that the Government. of India and local Governments were in constant touch with the sections of Indian opinion opposed to -tho civil.disobedience movement. The Government had received many assurances of support from influential individuals and organisations, and in particular * the minority communities, which had in general dissociated themselves from the movement.

Ho stated, in reply to other questions, .that a committee of inquiry on the disorders in Peshawar would begin its sittings in a week's time. He mentioned that the story circulated to the effect that the British troops in Sliola,pur had been removing so-called Gandhi caps from- tho heads of wearers in public streets was untrue. Mr, Bonn esti-

mated that tho insidence of the salt tax per head per annum of the population of India was betwoen 4d and 4Ad.