UNREST IN INDIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 24

UNREST IN INDIA

MAHSUDS SUFFER HEAVY LOSSES. DELHI, June 11. $ Refugees from Bokhara and 'iurkestan, arriving at Peshawar, tell a story of tyrannical ill-treatment. The Bokhara Bolshevists are making a levy of ninetenths on all produce, and are forcibly circulating worthless notes. The railways are being entirely used for the transport of troops and munitions to Wazinstan. The popularity of Abdul Razak is waning, and money and ammunition are running short. He swears on the Koran that the British will evacuate the district in five days, but the tribesmen are sceptical. There is much fighting around Jandola. The Mahsuds attacked under a covering fire, but were repulsed with heavy losses. Our casualties were four killed and four wounded. Many convoys were attacked, necessitating the use of artillery and armoured cars. GANDHI WAXES SARCASTIC. DELHI, June 11. Referring to Lord Reading’s Simla speech, M. K. Gandhi writes to the paper Young India, raying that it was clothed with an air of unreality. It faned to recognise past failures, and therefore failed to deliver a sincere message to expectant India. He waxes sarcastic about the infallibility of British rule, and Lord Reading's statement that racial mequaltiy must cease. Gandhi concludes: “There is no more Unreal proposition to the ear of an Indian than this, because experience belies it. The superiority of his race is a passion, and has become almoot a religion, w ith the average Englishman ; nor does he strive to conceal it from view. It obtrudes upon you in India, as it does in the colonies, where it is written in the statute books. DETERMINED ATTACKS ON PICKETS. DELHI, June 13. Advices from Lahore state that three determined attacks on frontier pickets were repulsed with heavy losses. Our casualties numbered three. Zashah, leader of the audacious Afridis, was killed in a private quarrel. He was known as King of the Raiders. He evaded arrest for 20 ■years. REBELS SUFFER FROM DROUGHT. DELHI, June 17. There was a stiff fight 14 miles west of Bannu, on the Tochi road. An armoured car, when returning from a reconnaissance, was attacked from a deserted village. Two battalions were sent to its assistance, and they forced the Mahsuds to retire. This they did stubbornly to the south bank of 'the river, suffering heavy losses. Our losses were 13 killed and 13 wounded.

Peshawar reports state that the Wana Waziris are suffering badly from drought. Abdul Kayak lacks supplies of food rations, consequents the Waziris arc deserting him, and are returning to British territory with their usual promises of good behavK"—. Owing to uie drought the Afridis, in their anxiety, are supplicating heaven for rain. One of their primitive methods is that of preventing the women from feeding their babies, hoping that their cries will cause Providence to pity them, and grant the prayers of the parents. Another method is that of men encircling their necks with ropes, as a sign that they are slaves, and that God will grant them maintenance.