SITUATION IN INDIA.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18024, 20 May 1930, Page 7

SITUATION IN INDIA.

GENERAL REVIEW. *

SOME HOPEFUL INDICATIONS.

STILL ELEMENTS OF; UNREST.

(Official Wireless.) (Received May 20, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, May 19. Detailed appreciation of the situation in India received (from the Government of India at the week-end, was circulated to members of Parliament this evening by Captain Wedgwood Benn, Secretary for India, as follows:—While the situation still contains elements of uncertainty and instability, there has been no .weakening of control by the Government authorities, and in several directions there have been signs of improvement during the week. Regarding the tribal situation on the north-west frontier, a favourable sign was the absence of hostile movement by any tribe as a whole. In some districts the rulers had made the Government loyal offers of assistance; in others there has been some unrest; in Waziristan, for instance. This was due to the deliberate dissemination of false reports about the Peshawar disturbances and the situation in India by malcontents connected with Congress. On the whole, the tribal situation showed signs of improvement towards the end of the week, but is still unstable. Vigorous Action Taken. In the north-west frontier -province itself, vigorous action has been taken to improve the position and the Seditious Meetings Act is now in force in Peshawar, Bannu and Kohat. Congress committees have been declared unlawful associations in the last two places, where the police with military support have arrested prominent agitators. Peshawar city is still occupied by troops, and feeling is strong, but conditions are gradually returning to normal, and leading citizens are working to improve the situation. Disturbances are confined to a portion of the Pehawar district and a few villages near Bannu City. A movable column has operated in the Charadda-Tahsil -portion of the Peshawar district with good effect against the Red Shirt organisation and certain villages which have been helping the Haji of Turanzia. The Red Shirt organisation has been declared unlawful, and certain prominent members arrested. The position in the province has definitely improved during the week. There has been practically no opposition to the action taken by the authorities and no clashes with the people.

Getting Tired.

There are indications that the public are getting tired of hartals (strikes) and the loss of business involved-

The rural areas, except in Gujerat, continue in general to be little affected, but efforts are being made to extend hostile propaganda into the villages and to incite the rural classes not to pay land revenue and certain other taxes. '

Breaches of the Salt Law by manufacture have become progressively negligible, but there have been ‘ attempted raids by bands of volunteers on the salt works.

The deliberate dissemination of malicious and alarmist rumours continues, although the absurdity of many of the rumours is to some extent defeating their purpose. Minority communities in general, and Mohammedans in particular, have been heartened by the Viceroy’s announcement of last Tuesday and the assurance that no solution of the political problem will be regarded' as satisfactory which does not command the consent of important minorities and give them a sense of security. Congress, however, is sparing no effort to mislead them by misrepresentation and by promises incapable of performance. Labour still remains unaffected. Regarding the resolutions of the Congress Working Committee recently passed at Allahabad the Government of India anticipates that the immediate result will be an increase in picketing of foreign cloth and liquor shops and an early attempt to start a campaign against the payment of ■ land revenue and taxes. A Mischievous ProgrammeThe Government’s statement adds: “ it is clear that Congress intends to carry on its mischievous programme regardless of all consequences. _ Intensive picketing of cloth and liquor shops, involving direct interference with business of traders, cannot fail to increase the dangers of disorder. The programme generally is calculated to arouse. anti-Govemrhent and racial feeling. Its object is to make Government impossible. To achieve this end, those responsible for'it are prepared to sacrifice the present and future interest of the country. To prevent this the Government will use their full resources. Assurances of Support. Captain Wedgwood Benn,. replying to a question, said the Government of India and the local Governments were in constant touch with those sections of Indian opinion opposed to the civil disobedience movement. The Government had received many assurances of support from influential individuals and organisations, and in . particular minority communities, which had in general dissociated themselves fiom the movement. The Minister stated in reply to other questions that the committee of enquiry on the disorders in Peshawar would begin its sittings in a week’s time. He mentioned also that a story circulated to the effect that British troops in Sholapur had been removing so-called Gandhi caps from the heads of wearers in the public streets was untrue. Captain Wedgewood Benn estimated that the incidence of salt per head per annum of the population of India was between 4d and 4id.