UNREST IN INDIA

Evening Star, Issue 21054, 17 March 1932, Page 8

UNREST IN INDIA

♦ MOVE TO OBTAIN HOME RULE SYMPATHY WITH CONGRESS ON THE WANE. ' “ Were you to raise the question among the Indians as to the reason for the shooting of British Government officials they would assure you that it is not for any dislike of the British race or of any hate for individual Britisher, but it is to emphasise their disapproval of the present system of government in India and to convince the British Government that they intend to obtain Homo Rule.” This statement was made by Miss A. E. Henderson, who for the past thirty-five years has been resident in India (principally in the Punjab) as a missionary, when interviewed by the ‘ Star.’ The unrest had been growing for years, she continued, and it was not altogether due to the movements of the Indian National Congress. The terrorist movement was directly opposed to the Mahatma Gandhi teaching, which was, of course, non-violent, civil non-co-operation. The trouble could be traced back to the old quarrel in Lord Curzon’s time over Bengal. The movement to-day was practically confined to the eastern united provinces and Bengal. “ When the Congress officials were arrested for defying the orders of the Government the general body of Congress sympathisers took the arrests very quietly, and made no demonstrations whatever. 1 think that public sympathy with the Congress is nmv on the wane. The trading public is sick and tired of‘the boycott.”

There was no element of religious persecution in any of the movements of the Congress, which had been trying for the past two years to secure the cooperation of the Indian Christians. But the Government was endeavouring to safeguard against this. The only effect the movement had had upon mission work had been the necessity to close certain schools and colleges under missionary guidance in large cities as a result of tho order to boycott Government colleges.