Stem Measures To Check Punjab Riots

Northern Advocate, 30 August 1947, Page 5

Stem Measures To Check Punjab Riots

(New Zealand Press Assn.—Reuters—Copyright)

(Received 11 a.m.) NEW DELHI, August 29. MILITARY planes will be used against rioters in Punjab. The Indian and Pakistan Governments will establish concentration camps for the detention of members of armed bands. There will be shoot-on-sight orders against armed bands found committing crimes. These decisions were made by the Indian and Pakistan Joint Defence Council. It was also decided to abolish the Punjab Boundary Force, which was set up a month ago to maintain order in the disputed Punjab districts.'

The meeting decided that India and Pakistan would be responsible for the maintenance of law and order in their own territories.

separate headquarters to control the boundary area. Mrs Rejkumari Amrit Kaur, Indian Health Minister, after touring refugee camps in East and West Punjab, in company with Lady Mountbatten, said: “The communal virus has definitely entered the army.” It was not possible to trust refugees to escort by troops belonging to another community. She expressed fears of widespread epidemics among the countless thousands of refugees displaced from their homes.

The Viceroy (Lord Mountbatten), who presided, left of Simla immediately after the meeting. In announcing its decision to abolish the Punjab Boundary’ Force, the council said the reason was that the task for the force had grown “out of all proportion to its responsibilities.”

Indian and Pakistan units of the force would be removed to their own sides of the border, and mixed units would be split as soon as possible.

There was a danger that disease would contribute heavily to the rioting deathroll.

India and Pakistan would establish