UNREST IN INDIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 21

UNREST IN INDIA

TROUBLE WITH AKAI.IS. DELHI, July 15. Police cavalry arrested an important leader of the Babbar Akali gang, who is suspected of being concerned in two attempted murders, in addition to a double murder. The police also captured the famous vanishing press duplicating machine, on which revolutionary leaflets were printed. As the name indicates, it had no fixed home, but was conveyed from place to place, being deposited temporarily with members of the Rabbar Akali gang or with trusted sympathisers. Most of the infantry detachments have now been replaced by police and returned units, but the cavalry will remain for some weeks longer pending replacement by mounted police, who are now beincr enlisted. No serious occurrence has been reported for nearly a month. The chief outlaws are being badly harried by the Government forces. A DRASTIC RESOLUTION. DELHL Julv 16. The Legislative Assembly negatived a motion threatening the withdrawal of support by the Government of India to the League of Nations in consequence of the grievances of Indians in the mandated territories of Tanganyika and the former German islands in the Pacific. The supporters of the motion pointed out that most of the unrest in India was due to the grievances of Indians abroad; but the Government supporters retorted that the proposed remedy would be worse than the disease, for India must jealously guard her position in the League of Nations, of which she was one of the principal bers.BRITISH LIEUTENANT SHOT. DELHI, July 16. Another frontier outrage is reported near Piazharaghza, where Lieutenant W ebster, of the Sappers and Miners’ Corps, was shot dead while engaged in road work. The murder is believed to have been committed by the adherent of a wealthy khan, who has recently- shown active hostility to the British. TAKING OVER NABHA. DELHI, July 16. Arrangements are being completed for taking over the administration of Nabha State. The Sikhs, however, are agitating against the transfer of power and the Sikh League has declared that it will continue the agitation till the Maharajah of Nabha i 3 reinstated. STATUS OF IMMIGRANTS. DELHI, July 17. The Assembly debated an unofficial resolution moved by an Indian member in favour of the appointment of a committee to consider the question of the continuance of the financial grant to the League of Nations as a protest against the treatment of Indians in the mandated territories and Pacific islands. The leaders of the Nationalists and Labourites, both of whom were former representatives at League assemblies, and other members strongly opposed the resolution, stressing the usefulness of the League, and pointing CDt that the recent labour legislation in

India was largely due to the efforts of the International Labour Organisation, which forms part of the machinery of the League. They considered that the resolution was premature, and that the interests of the coloured races would ne likely to suffer if India withdrew from the League. The motion was withdrawn. APPOINTMENT OF NATIVE OFFICERS. SIMLA, July 8. The Government has been deluged with questions in the Legislative Assembly regarding the Inclianisation of the army. Indian politicians stated that the progress was unsatisfactory, and that Indians could not yet be appointed to the Royal Artillery, Engineers, and Air Force. Lord Rawliuson, Commander-in-Chief in India, replied tersely that these are distinct British units, and are only in In ilia for a short while. He could not admit Indians to them, though it would be feasible to organise Indian units. Another proposal was that 25 per cent. of all the King’s commissions should be reserved forthwith for Indians. That was opposed on the ground that the Government was not prepared to run any risk by a too speedy' substitution. Figures were quoted to show that out of 43 Indian candidates at the Sandhurst College examinations only 13 emerged successfully. It has been found that Indian officers are most unwilling to transfer from their present units to the eight units selected for Indianisation. The Government has announced that in future Indians leaving Sandhurst will be posted in these units without being given the optioii of choosing. INDIAN GOVERNMENT CENSURED DELHI, July 19. After a heated debate the Assembly passed a vote of censure on the Government of India, with a majority of nine, for its intervention in connection with the Alliance Bank’s affairs. The motion was moved by a prominent Indian member, and was strongly supported by other Indians. Their contention was that the Government had no right to afford relief to the Alliance Bank sufferers unless it was prepared to give relief to other bankrupt concerns, which it had refused to pledge itself to do. The Minister of Finance, in replying, declared that the Government took the action it did in order to prevent a financial panic. He denied that there was any racial feeling on the part of the Government because many of the depositors in the bank were Turopeans.