AFFAIRS IN INDIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 28

AFFAIRS IN INDIA.

AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT ARRANGEMENTS NOT AFFECTED. RUGBY, August 25. An official statement issued from 10 Downing street to-night says that the arrangements for the Indian Round Table Conference will not be affected by the change of Government. The Prime Minister will be chairman of the conference, and Lord Sankey will preside at the forthcoming meeting of the Federal Structure Committee. Lord Reading will continue to lend assistance in the work; MR GANDHI FOR LONDON. A LAST-MINUTE DECISION. DELHI, August 28. Mr Gandhi has definitely made up his mind to represent the Congress at the round table conference, and he will sail to-morrow. Final agreement was reached last evening, after which Mr Gandhi and his entourage made a dramatic lastminute dash for Kala station, near Simla. It. it understood that the settlement between the Congress, committee and the Government has given all round satisfaction. The Congress stalwarts who will accompany Mr Gandhi are Mrs Sarojini Naidu and Miss Madeline Slade, who is known as Mirabai. She is the daughter of the late Admiral Slade and is an ardent devotee of Mr Gandhi. RUGBY, August 28. According to a communique and cor respondenee issued by the Government of India in connection with the decision of Mr Gandhi to attend the Round Table Conference in London, the settlement be tween Lord Irwin and Mr Gandhi, pub lished on March 5, remains operative The Government will continue to ob serve the settlement, and will carefully consider representations, and Congress undertakes once again to fulfil its obti gations under the settlement. The communique and the correspond ence shows that Congress acquiesced in the refusal of all its demands other than that for an inquiry into the •alteration in respect to revenue collection in the Surat district. CALCUTTA, August 20. Disturbances followed Mr Gandhi's arrival at Bombay from Simla, en route to England. A crowd of hostile Communists carried banners inscribed “ Gandhi Goes to London on Bended Knees.” Communists held a demonstration on the Ballard pier, protesting against th* 3 Congress “ surrender ” to the Government. They were set upon by Gandhi supporters, who burned their flags and beat the demonstrators with poles. A number were injured. Mr Gandhi addressed a crowd of many thousands in the pouring rain before the liner Rajputana sailed. Eleven Burmese rebels, including Saya San, leader of the revolt in the Shan States, have been sentenced to death, and 18 others to life transportation.

EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS. LARGE AREA AFFECTED. CALCUTTA, August 28. Earthquake shocks, which have been taking place in North-west India since Tuesday, culminated on Thursday night with a series of severe tremors, which shook the area between Karachi. Quetta, Lahore. Multan, and Hydera bad. Railways and telegraph lines were broken, and several people were killed at Loralai, near Quetta. One report says that Sharigh, a town 82 miles from Quetta, “disappeared.” CALCUTTA, August 30. A partial restoration of communications reveals extensive damage over a •wide area in 'North-west India as a result of severe earth tremors since Tuesday, culminating in a severe shock on Thursday night. The full casualty list is at present unprocurable, but it is known that many were killed in Baluchistan. At Sharight Town, an extensive Indian bazaar, which, was fortunately evacuated after the first tremor, has completely disappeared into a huge fissure, while at Mach the gaol was seriously damaged. Two warders were killed, and the prisoners were removedunder military guard. Four civilians were killed by the collapse of houses. The railways round Quetta are blocked, many towns are still isolated. The earthquake appears to have originated at Sharight, between Quetta and. Harnai, the first tremor lasting nearlv two minutes.