Situation Deteriorates

Northern Advocate, 29 August 1947, Page 5

Situation Deteriorates

A Punjab Boundai-y Force communique announced that the communal situation was considei’ably deteriorating in West Punjab and casualties among both communities were steadily increasing. Attacks on trains wei’e increasing and children had been killed.

Thi’ee Indian Ax - my divisions, deployed in mechanised and cavalry columns through the. Punjab, have not been able to halt what amounts to a Sikh rebellion, which is taking the foi-m of a mass slaughter of Moslems, says a Sydney Morning Hei'ald correspondent. Within 13 days of being granted Dominion status, the Governments of both India and Pakistan are faced with a situation rivalling in bloodshed the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The extremist Pakistan Press is urging that Moslem troops should be sent to the Punjab, a move which might pi’ecipitate war between the two Dominions.

Millions of peasants ai'e on the march, penniless and starving, trying desperately to escape the danger ai-ea. The refugees have shown an increasing lack of faith in Indian Army units. The British battalions have been withdrawn from the Indian Ai'my divisions on the frontiei’, and the withdrawal of British officers has brought a slackening of discipline. , Some think that the Indian Government has refrained from employing British-offi-cei’ed Gui-kha battalions for fear of political objections. A 22-hour daily curfew has been imposed for four days in the old city of Delhi after an attack on a train in which seven passengers were reported killed.

In Lahore today rioters killed six people and injured 15 in an attack on a non-Moslem convoy as it was entering the city.

The Prime Minister of India (Mr Nehru) declared in New Delhi today that the Indian Government’s first objective, apart from restoring peace and order, was the rescue of trapped Hindu and Sikh minorities in West Punjab.

He had asked Pakistan’s cooperation, but so far had not received Pakistan’s assurance of cooperation in evacuation of the stranded minorities.

Mr Nehru is leaving tomorrow for a week’s tour of North-West and East Punjab with the. Pakistan Prime Minister (Liaqat Ali Khan).