DELHI AGREEMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 214, 24 August 1931, Page 8

DELHI AGREEMENT

GANDHI ANXIOUS TO PREVENT BREAKDOWN.

SEEKS INTERVIEW WITH VIC® ROY. Delhi, Ant 9H Gandhi telegraphed the Viceroy seeking an interview. It is understood he assured the Viceroy of hu desire to prevent the breakdown of the Delhi agreement and is anxious for a heart-to-heart talk with the Viceroy. THE AGREEMENT. WHAT WEBB THE TEEMBi The discontinuance of the eivil disobedience movement in India and the abandonment of the activities employed in connection with it were announced in a long statement issued in New Delhi and read in the House of Commons by the Secretary for India, Capt. Wedgwood Benn, last March. The statement gave the text of the settlement reached in the conversations between the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, and Mr. Gandhi. As regards constitutional questions, the scope of future discussions was stated, with the assent of His Majesty’s Government, to be the further consideration of the scheme for the constitutional government of India discussed at the Bound Table Conference. In pursuance of the statement made by the Prime Minister on January 19, steps were to be taken for the participation of representatives of the Indian Congress in further discussions on constitutional reform. Civil disodebience was to be effectively discontinued and reciprocal action taken by the Government. Effective discontinuance was stated to mean the effective discontinuance of all activities by whatever method pursued in furtherance thereof and in particular:— (1) The organised defiance of provisions of any lews. (2) The movement for the non-pay-ment of land revenue and other legal dues. (3) The publication of news sheets in support of the civil disobedience movement. (4) Attempts to influence oivil and military servants or village officials against the Government or to persuade them to resign their posts. It was agreed that the discontinuance of civil disobedience connoted the definite discontinuance of the employment of the boycott of British commodities as a political weapon and of picketing except within the limits permitted by the ordinary law, such picketing to be unaggressive. Mr. Gandhi drew the attention of the Government to specific allegations against the conduct of the police and represented the desirability of a public inquiry into them. In the circumstances the Government saw great difficulty in this course, and felt that it must inevitably lead to charges and countercharges and to militate against the re-establishment of peace. Having regard to these considerations, Mr. Gandhi agreed not to press the matter. GOVERNMENT CONCESSION. The action of the Government was to take on the discontinuance of the civil diov K — — L stated in detail and included the with - drawal of ordinances, etc., promulgated in connection with the movement. Pending prosecutions filed in connection with the movement and relating to offences not involving violence or incitement to violence would be withdrawn and those prisoners released who were undergoing imprisonment in connection with the movement for offences not involving violence. Fines not realised were to be remitted. Additional police imposed in connection with the movement at the expense of the inhabitants of a particular area were to be withdrawn at the discretion of the local Government. Subject to certain qualifications, the Government undertook to return moveable and immovable property seized in connection with the movement under Ordinances or provisions of the Criminal Law. The Government was unable to eondone broaches of the existing law relating to the salt administration, nor in the financial conditions of the country to make a substantial modification or modifications in the Salt Acts. For the sake, however, of giving relief to certain of the poorer classes it was prepared to extend its administrative provisions on the lines already prevailing in certain places in order to permit local residents in villages immediately adjoining areas where salt can be collected or made, to collect or make salt for domestic consumption or sale within such villages, but not for sale to or trading with individuals living outside them. In the event of Congress failing to give full effect to the obligations of this settlement, the Government declared it would take such action as might in consequence become necessary.