CIVIL WAR INEVITABLE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 25, 7 May 1947, Page 6

CIVIL WAR INEVITABLE

MIRACLE NEEDED IN INDIA PROBLEM OF PAKISTAN That civil war in India is inevitable unless someone accomplishes a mircle is the opinion of Lieuten-ant-Colonel A. H. Johnston who, with Mrs Johnston, returned from India recently. The Hindus, with the domination of the Mogul Emperors still in their minds, are frightened of the effects of Pakistan. They . consider that it may lead to a renewed domination of India by the Moslems. The old raiding spirit of the hill tribes is still with them, said Colonel Johnston. On one- occasion he was visiting a hill tribe at Mullaghori, near the Khyber Pass. He noticed a very old man who clutched his rifle to him and would not part with it. He asked him, through an interpreter, why this was so. He replied that he was keeping it by him for the day, 'which was not far off, when they would sweep through India again, raiding the Hindus. “India has its strikes too,” said Colonel Johnston. “Tramway employees have been on strike in Calcutta so long that the grasg. is growing up over the tracks.”

The English company which owns the tramway will not accede to the demands of the Indians and the strike may go on for months, he said.

A great number of ships are locked up in the harbour at Calcutta. Harbour board employees are on strike and the channel which leads to the open sea has not been dredged for some weeks. The ship on which Colonel Johnston left Calgets inside Germany.” channel before it siltedup.