INDIAN AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 3590, 2 January 1923, Page 17

INDIAN AFFAIRS

MEETING OF MERCHANTS. DELHI, December 22. A general meeting of Indian merchants at Bombay resolved in favour of retaliatory measures against the British colonies where Indians are ill-treated, also urging that the Government, if it fails to secure equal treatment for Indians in other parts of the Empire, should adopt similar restrictions against colonials in India, and that the Indian commercial community be called upon to adopt an effective policy of boycott POLICY OF PROTECTION RECOMMENDED. LONDON, December 23. The Indian Fiscal Commission’s first report has been issued in the Blue Book. It recommends the Government in India to adopt the policy of protection, expressing the opinion that India’s industrial development has hitherto not been commensurate with her size, population, and resources. The commission suggests the appointment of a permanent Tariff Board to investigate the industries’ claims for protection, and condemns unreservedly the existing cotton excise duty in view of its history and associations. It recommends India to ctart again with a clean slate, regulating the excise policy solely in India’s interests. No feneral system of Imperial preference should be introduced, and any preferences found porsible should be granted to the United Kingdom as a free gift. Regarding other parts of the Empire, preference should be granted only through mutually advantageous agreement. QUESTION OF BRITISH BOYCOTT. LONDON, December 25. A Gaya correspondent reports that the National Congress will meet on December 26. Interest centres on the question whether the non-co-operators should seek election to the Legislative Councils at the 1923 elections, on which all attempts at a compromise have hitherto been abortive. The Subjects Committee by a narrow majority adopted a resolution to be submitted to Congress to report within two months that British goods can successfully be boycotted. RECALCITRANT TRIBESMEN. DELHI, December 23. During the last 10 days there has been much activity on the Waziristan frontier. On December 17 aeroplanes bombed the Ahmadwam area. The airmen surprised the enemy, who lost several killed and wounded, and they suffered heavily through the destruction, of cattle and villages. The machines all returned safely to Dardoni. During the morning the troops advanced a mile and a-half from Kotkai, and occupied the commanding hills. One soldier was wounded by a sniper. During the night the tribesmen advanced towards Kotkai. In the ensuing action the 91st Punjabs, in an exposed position, came under heavy fire, and the casualties considerably delayed their withdrawal. Luckily the enemy did not follow the withdrawal. Our losses were three killed (including an Indian officer) and three missing (believed to be killed), and 28 wounded. The enemy had eight killed and 12 wounded. • On the night of the 18th the enemy, reinforced, was seen entering opposite Kotkai. from which they were expelled by shell fire. On the 19th 11 aeroplanes operated against further villages. The results are not yet known. Our pickets report all quiet, except for sniping. THE NATIONAL CONGRESS. , DELHI, December 26. Four thousand delegates attended the opening session of the National Congress at Calcutta. In his presidential address, Mr R. C. Das insisted that the Government" must be by the masses, not by the middle classes. He favoured securing elections to the Councils in order to carry out a policy of non-co-operation, and vigorously denounced a plea for law and order, which he described as the last resource of bureaucracies. He maintained that no regulation could be law unless it was based on the people’s consent, without which obedience was not obligatory. He urged that India’s ideal should he the nationalism ■ of one great nationality, and that an Indian nation was in sight, the development of the law of which was along the path of a swaraj. Non-violent non-coperation was the only means of attaining a swaraj. He emphasised the importance of India’s participation in the freat Asiatic Federation in replacing the ’an-Islamic movement, and in constituting a union of Asia’s oppressed- nationalities. He disapproved of the granting of provincial autonomy with responsibility to a central Government, favouring instead the expression of a collective will through the medium of the creation of practically autonomous small centres. He urged the appointment of a committee to draw up such a swaraj scheme. He considered the present system of re formed councils absolutely unsuited to th nature and genius of a nation which re-

fused to recognise it as the real foundation of a swaraj. The president expected that non-co-operators would secure a majority at the Council’s election;*, and could then demand their own constitution, failing which thev should oppose all the Council’s’ work. 'Bureaucracy would then have to yield or withdraw reform Acts. In either event it would be a triumph for the nation. He urged the Congress to organise labour and peasantry, otherwise they might form their own organisations disassociated from the swaraj’s objective. The Congress, by 70 votes to four, adopted a resolution that contesting seats for the Councils was opposed to religion. The decision is expected considerably to influence the controversy. THE INDIAN ARMY. DELHI, December 26. A resolution will be submitted at the forthcoming session of the Legislative Assembly recommending a stoppage of the recruitment of British soldiers for the army in India by one-third, and also urging the Indianisation of the army in the course of 15 years bv the gradual elimination of the British forces and their replacement by Indians. ASPH\ r XIATION OF PRISONERS. DELHI, December 26. The trial of Sergeant Andrews and a number of policemen who were in charge of a van in which a number of Moplah prisoners were recently asphyxiated ended in the acquittal of all the accused.