GANDHI ENDS FAST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21297, 26 September 1932, Page 9

GANDHI ENDS FAST

SETTLEMENT REACHED

THE DEPRESSED CLASSES PROVINCIAL COUNCIL SEATS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September 25, 5.5 p.m.) CALCUTTA. Sept. 24 A settlement, was reached this afternoon between the Hindus and Gandhi, who thereupon ended his fast.

On Monday a draft of the pact, which includes 150 seats on provincial councils for (lie depressed classes, is| to be drawn iij) for submission to the Government, with an appeal to expedite its decision.

Prior to the settlement Gandhi was growing weaker. 110 could not keep awake during the day and his voice was feeble. He condemned those of his followers who were fasting in sympathy with him and appealed to them to exert their energies in the eradication of "unlouchabilitv."

Writing on March 11 to Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of Stato for India, Gandhi said: "I hold that a separate electorate is harmful for tho depressed classes and for Hinduism, whatever it may be from a purely political standpoint. To appreciate tho harm that separate electorates would do to them, one has to know how they are distributed among the so-called caste Hindus and how dependent they aro on the latter. As far as Hinduism is concerned, a separate electorate would simply vivisect and disrupt. For me the question of these classes is predominantly moral and religious, fore, respectfully inform the British Government that in the event of its decision creating a separate electorate for the depressed classes I must fast unto death. As far as I can see now, my discharge from imprisonment would not make the duty of fasting any less imperative." In a letter to the British Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, on August 18, Gandhi said: "I have to resist your decision with niv life. Tho only way I can do so is by declaring a perpetual fast unto death from food of any kind save water, with or without salt and soda. The fast will cease if during its progress the British Government, of its own motion or under pressure of public opinion, revises its decision and withdraws its scheme of communal electorates for the depressed classes, whose representatives should be elected by the general electorate under a common franchise." Gandhi commenced his. fast on September 20.

EIOTS IN KASHMIR HINDUS AND MOSLEMS SERIOUS CASUALTY LIST (Received September 25, 5.5 p.m.) CALCUTTA, Sept. 24

Firtv people were seriously injured in Hindu-Moslem riots at Srinagar, Kashmir, yesterday. The trouble originated from students attacking a " health week " demonstration arranged by the Government to improve the condition of the citv.

Shops were looted and set on fire. Troops were summoned and they restored order. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

IMPROVED POSITION LESS CONVICTIONS RECORDED British "Wireless RUGBY, Sept. 23 .Although recently there had been a slight deterioration in ill© Indian civil disobedience situation in Bengal and the United Provinces, a general improvement occurred duriug August. The total number of convictions, 3046, including 73 women, was considerably less than in July. The convictions since the beginning of the movement on January 4. have totalled 58,774, and the number undergoing imprisonment at the send of August was 21,422, including 843 women, a decline of 3210 on the previous month.