IMPROVEMENT IN INDIA

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1930, Page 11

IMPROVEMENT IN INDIA

LESS -HOSTILITY' SHOWN CAMPAIGN OF DISOBEDIENCE ECONOMIC EFFECT SEVERE British Wireless. . Rugby, Aug. 5. The Government cf India issues the following review of the situation up to last Saturday. Subject to the comments given below there has been no change during the week, and the improvement manifested during the past few weeks is maintained. In Waziristan the settlement with the various Mahsud sections is proceeding very satisfactorily. On tho northern border and in the Peshawar district the •situation remained somewhat obscure throughout the week, but there hae been no overt act of hostility . There is no change in the situation in Bannu, a city in the North-West Frontier Province. The process of disarming the disaffected portion of the rural area continued throughout the week. During the week it has be-eii. necessary to apply the prevention of intimation ordinance to the Central Provinces, where picketing had become more, intensive and the methods more forcible. The unlawful instigation ordinance, which makes penal instigation to the non-payment of land revenue and other dues, has been applied to the United Provinces, where Congress propaganda has been carried on in some villages. Breach of the forest law appears to be extending in the Central Provinces and in the Bombay Presidency, and in some places it has been accompanied by wilful damage to standing trees. PICKETING OF SCHOOLS. The picketing of schools and colleges continues in some towns and in Calcutta has necessitated the successive postponement of certain law examinations. Generally, however, this part of the Congress programme does not appear to be achieving any considerable success. The position in Gujerat continues to improve. More village officers have withdrawn their resignations and in several districts the collection of the land revenue is proceeding better than was expected. The economic position in Bombay City is deteriorating. On August 1 six mills closed, involving 13,090 operatives. It is anticipated that other mills will close in the early future, owing to .inability to fiinance further production. The economic effects of the civil disobedience'movement’ are not confined to Bombay, although they are perhaps most pronounced in that city. In Amritsar, which is an important centre of the piece-goods trade, the ban on foreign goods resulted in tho locking up of a very large amount of capital with tfie inevitable consequences that trade finance was seriously affected and that the movement of Indian-made goods was impeded. It is reported that sales of piece-goods dropped in the month of June from an average of 25 to 2 lakhs. The Madras Government reports that in several places large numbers of weavers have been thrown out of employment owing to the civil disobedience movement. The operation of economic force may be expected to encourage increasing opposition to the continuance of the movement. LEADERS TO MEET GHANDL DISCUSSION OF SETTLEMENT. Rec. 8.30 p.m. Delhi, Aug. 5. The Viceroy has given permission to Pandits Motilal Nehru and Jahawarlal Nehru to meet Ghandi in the Yeravada gaol to discuss a settlement of the political situation. It is emphasised that the calling off of the civil disobedience and the no-tax campaign is a specific condition precedent to consideration by the Government of any suggestion which the three Congress leaders may make after the discussion in gaol. It is understood the Viceroy is determined not to allow any more vaccilation on the part of Congress to accept the Government’s terms.