INDIA QUIETER

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1942, Page 6

INDIA QUIETER

LITTLE MASS DISORDER PROSPECTS OF SETTLEMENT LONDON, August 12. The India Office in London has issued a statement on the latest official reports from India. These show that the disturbances which have occurred so far have been of a sporadic and limited character, and have had virtually no effect on the country s industrial war effort. The statement savs that the countryside is unaffected', and that in Calcutta and the surrounding district, which are responsible for by far the greatest part of India’s war .production, there have been no repercussions from the arrests of the Congress Party leaders Authoritative information received in London to-night indicates than though reports from the provinces arc not complete, the • initial measures taken have not had serious results. Only in Delhi, Bombay, and tne Uniteci Provinces have any serious clashes with the authorities been reoorted. F.ven there the trouble has been localised in a few centres like Bombay, Ahmadabad, Poona, Delhi, Lucknow, and Cawnpore. There was no trouble in many centres where disturbances were expected. Even such centres of potential disorder as Baidoli and Sholapur are reported to b. quiet. It will be some time before the situation can be judged definitely, bu official information from Delhi tonight is that wherever disturbances have occurred, the situation is well in hand.

IMPROVEMENT CONTINUED RUGBY, August 13. Reports received from India injhe past 24 hours are still reassuring, lhe situation in Bombay City and 01,1 Delhi has been much nearer to noimal. From some provinces, including Bengal, Punjab and Madras, only a very isolated incidents were reported, with some student demonstrations. There have been some disturbances in the city of Nagpur. The general impression is that ioi the time being, at elast, the excitement is dying down, even in Bombay, the province most affected, though special precautions are sun necessary. SERIES OF MINOR RIOTS (Recd. 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 13. The Indian situation is well in hand. There were no incidents in Delhi, and only minor incidents m Bommob at Dacca raided the local Indian Magistrate’s Court, broke the windows and set fire to the records. The district judge attempted to save tne records but was attacked with lathis and brickbats. A guard was forced to fire a revolver to save his li£e. A crowd in central Madras set fire to railway stations at Tenali and Chirala. The police fired, killing four and injuring ten. . Sporadic disturbances m Poona included setting fire to a police post. Trouble flared up in the business area of Ngapur. Hooligans broke into railway goodsheds, looted gram, damaged railway installations, smashed watermains, and cut telephone wires. Crowds made a bonfire of the contents of a suburban post office. The police opened fire at three places. The police at Secunderabad used tear gas to disperse crowds throwing stones. Three police officers were beaten up and the district magistrate and police superintendent injured by stones. , , __ Hooligans raided three post offices at Lucknow, destroyed some property and took cash. A partial strike is being observed, but nearly all the Moslem shops, in the predominately Moslem localities are open. Some shops in old Delhi re-opened, and the authorities are taking steps to re-open other shops retailing essential supplies. Curfew in Delhi has been extended for two more days, and prohibition on processions and meetings extended to three days. Nehru’s sister was arrested at Aeslahabad.

KOREAN REQUEST LONDON, August 13. A Chungking message reports that the Korean Independence Party asked Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Churchill, M. Stalin and Kai-shek to mediate in the Anglo-Indian conflict. They requested Mr. Roosevelt to recommend rational methods of settlement, and implored Mr. Churchill to release the Indian leaders. They sent identical messages to the other two asking them to use their influence for the release of the leaders. The party believed a settlement of the Indian problem would bring earlier victory for the United Nations. TURKISH OPINION RUGBY, August 13. Public opinion in the Middle East unreservedly condemns the Indian Congress Party policy. One Turkish Deputy comments on the incongruous demands that the British leave India, and at the same time defend India. Comment also was made that in a country under Japanese control, Gandhi and Nehru would not have been allowed to remain alive. The Irquil newspaper states: Axis rule as demonstrated in the occupieo countries should have been a lesson to India, but Gandhi and his colleagues have evidently not considered what had happened, and continued to prevent a solution of the Indian problem, for their own selfish purpose.