INDIA’S CUTTING UP PROCESS

Grey River Argus, 28 June 1947, Page 5

INDIA’S CUTTING UP PROCESS

NEW DELHI, June 26. The Viceroy, announcing the creation of a new States Department, said it would be organised so that “at an appropriate time it can be divided up between the successor Governements without dislocation.” Moslem, Hindu, and Sikh leaders following a meeting with the Governor, Sir Evan Jenkins, have launched a concerted campaign to end communal strife in the Punjab. Mr Patel will take over the new “Indian States Department” to deal with relatioins of the present interim Government with the Maharajahs and Nawabs. The departmeni replaces a. British-manned .political department. The Congress Government of Madras province has recalled a senior police official who was lent Tiavancore to act as inspector-gen-eral of police there. The Premier of Madras, declared: “This is the first reaction to Travancore’s declared attitude to Indian union. Tt is an action full of political L. B. Ghopatkar, president of the Orthodox Hindu Mahabasha is in Madras campaigning to “militarise Hinduism.” He said that if a movement was begun against Travancore the Mahasabha would resist with all its power.

FORTY SHOPS SET AFIRE IN AMRITSAR

(Rec. 10.40). NEW DELHI, June 27. Forty shops were burned out or badly damaged in Amritsar yesterday during communal disturbances, which continued beyond nightfall. The fire damage is estimated at thirty-five thousand sterling.

Railway workshop men in north Bombay began a token strike to-day over a wage disagreement with the Government, and they stoned to a standstill all local services on the Government-managed Great Indian Peninsula Railway. Police fired on the strikers who were stoning trains, killing one and wounding three.