INDIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 19

INDIA

GANDHI’S PROPOSED BOYCOTT. BOMBAY, July 9. The piece goods merchants, at the invitation of Gandhi, met to discuss whether or not they were prepared to take a vow to deal in the country only, to make piece gyrocls, and to abstain from ordering piece goods from foreign countries. As the result of the meeting so far only six out of 40 merchants have taken the | vow. The others have not yet made a j decision. RIOTS AT ALIGARH. DELHI, July 11. > Terrible riots took place at Aligarh (in 1 the North-west Provinces) during the trial of the local secretary of the .non-co-opera-tion movement. A mob looted and burned public buildings and the nolice quarters. Attache, were also made on the Treasury, which was gallantly defended by four policemen armed with obsolete MartiniHenri rifles, and firing buckshot. They held out all day, but the police in the township were beaten everywhere. Five dead bodies were found, but it is not known how many others were killed or injured. The magistrate telegraphed to Agra- for military aid and all available arms. When reinforcements arrived the . mob sullenly dispersed. j A special correspondent telegraphs that j parts of the city resemble the devastated ! areas in France, British and native troops ! are picketing the town. Forty arrests have been made. IX DO A F GIIA X X EG O IT A TIT N S. LONDON. July 15. It is understood that Kemalist troubles, and Bolshevist activities in the Middle East are detrimentally affecting tile IndoAfghan negotiations, which hitherto were progressing favourably, and they have now .reached something like a deadlock. PRINCE ' F V\\ i.EiS'S TOUR. DELHI, July 15. Mr Geoffrey Do Mnntmoreicy, who was appointed chief secretary to the Prince of ; Wales’s Indian tour staff, leaves for Eng- : land immediately. Official circles believe j that the Prince’s visit will be attended with consequences as favourable as those I experienced in the other dominion tours, j The press, with the exception of a couple ! of non-co-operation organs, indicates that the Prince is assured of a warm welcome. The Viceroy has appointed an Advisory : Committee to co-operate with the Political I Department in supervising the arrangements for the visit. The Maharajahs of Gwalior and Bikanar attended the first

meeting, at which a provisional programme was arranged. The Prince’s visit to Delhi in the middle of February will b® marked by a number of imposing functions. Gandhi’s threatened boycott of th® visit is not taken seriously by the mesa.