UNREST IN INDIA

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21836, 17 September 1942, Page 4

UNREST IN INDIA

4.30 O'CLOCK EDITION

POLITICAL DISSENSION APPLICATION REJECTED HOPES OF SETTLEMENT (United Preg« As«n.—tier. Tel Copyright) (Received Scd+ IT. 3.15 p.m.) NEW DELHI. Sept. 16 It is understood that the Viceroy, the Marquess of Linlithgow, has rejected the recent application tav the committee of the Hindu Mahasabha for permission to discuss the political situation with Mahatma Gandhi and other detained Congress leaders. Messrs Sapru and Jayakar, who are representative of the Indian nonparty group, made the following joint statement:—“Even now an attempt should be made to establish a national Government with the help of the Moslem the Hindu Mahasabha and other political parties, who should be left free to negotiate with the Congress leaders behind bars.” Mr Joshi, Labour member for Bombay, in a statement in the Legislative Assembly, said: “The Indians want to win the war and fight the Japanese. The Government has blundered in dealing with the problem. It was wrong not to take advantage of negotiation, wrong to arrest members of the Congress while there was still a chance of negotiation. The Government must retrieve the situation by taking the initiative for conciliation. Members of the Congress cannot be asked to call off their movement while they are gaoler!. The Government should release them.” Casualties In Disturbances Sir Reginald Maxwell announced that according to the latest reports 340 people were killed and 850 wounded by the police during the rerent disturbances. Militarily an additional 318 were killed and 153 wounded. Casualties among the police and civil officials were 40 killed and a very large number injured, not including post office and railway employees. It is officially announced that in the Japanese air raids on British India 285 people were killed. The secret ary of the civil defence department stated that Japanese planes carried out seven raids against British India, primarily against military targets. Two raids were also made against Imphal. the capital of Manipur State. There have been no attacks since May. Sir Reginald said the firing by the police was controlled and perfect discipline was maintained among the troops and police. There was no indiscriminate firing, and magisterial inquiries into all cases of firing reported that allegations of excess were without foundation. EXCITING EXPERIENCES NEW ZEALANDER’S ORDEAL (United A.sn Flor, T ,i r 0 p yr ight) (Special Correspondent) LONDON. Sept. 16 News has reached London that Mr D. Bruce Smith, formerly of Canterbury College, who escaped to Bombay from • Singapore, is joining the Indian Engineers. Mr Smith, a Public Works Department engineer, spent three years in Malaya, chiefly building bridges. He was commissioned in the volunteers when the Japanese attacked and prepared defence positions. He left. Singapore after the capitulation and was going to Java when the Japanese sank his ship by bombs, after which the survivors landed on a small uninhabited island, being bombed while in the lifeboats and when ashore on the island. Many of the passengers and members of the crew were killed and others died from wounds during a week on the island, when the rations comprised two meals daily, each consisting of one biscuit, one-twenty-fourth of a tin of corned beef, and half a cigarette tin of water. Most of the women and children were taken off the island after three days by a ship going to Java, but the Japanese captured the ship. The remainder of the survivors were later picked up and arrived at Sumatra, from, whence Mr Smith was taken by the Royal Navy to Ceylo