Fear Driven Refugees Leave Punjab

Chronicle (Levin), 3 September 1947, Page 5

Fear Driven Refugees Leave Punjab

(N.Z.P.A.-

fieuter J

Copyright )

Received Tuesday, 7.0 p.m. LAHORE, Sept. 2. More than a million homeless, fear driven refugees are estimated to be on the move in two-way streams between East and West Punjab. An army commnnique states that more than 100,000 nonMoslems crossed oue bridge over the Stlej River in the last 36 hours. The Daily Express eorrespondent says there are Sikhs and Hindus whose turn has now come to flee from the commnnal terror as the Moslems in th ; Pakistan area of the Punjab open a war of revenge. It is estimated that 1,000,000 non-Moslems are moving out of Pakistan leaving behind them burned and looted villages and uncounted mutilated dead. Armed Moslem bands are harrying them ceaselessly as they make for safety aeross the b order in Indian territory. ■ Their panic rush is the sequel to the arrival in Pakistan of 500,000 survivors of the Sikh war of extermination in-East Punjab. An army commimique claims that the evacuations are proceeding more smoothly but attacks on refugee caravans continue with troops inflicting casualties on murder bands on both sides of the boundary. The Daily Mail says the Moslems in Lahore, which is a Pakistan city, have started to move again following strong rumours that Sikhs from the east plan an invasion. The army reports increasing tension in the East Punjab districts of Jullunidur and Ludliiana where the Sikhs attacked 10,000 Moslem refugees moving away. Refugee caravans carried with' them 200 wounded, When the Simla district train reached Delhi yesterday it was learnecl that 50 passengers had been removed and killed en route while the police and Indian army officers looked on. This is an isolated incident on the Simla line. i The worst train attaeks have been in the Punjab. Strong military guards are to be set on all trains between Delhi and Lahore. Reuter's eorrespondent in Lahore says that tlie last 200 Sikhs and Hindus in" Shaikpura are huddled amid flies and iiltli in a tiny courtyard- in the blackened, reeking town, which was ! once a flourisliing trading centre. The ! men among them broke into tears when 1 Pandit Nehru, who is touring the riotdevastated areas, assured "them of speedy evacuation. The Punjab Boundary Force has done a very fine job and but for its existence the slaughter would be 10 or lO'O times worse, says the Lahore eorrespondent ! of the Times in referring to the de- : cision to disband the force. This force | was one of the most calumniated in his- ! tory. However, there was great opposi- | tion, even in the highest Government quarters on both sides, and it would be wound up immediately, the responsibility for maintaining peace and ordei on either side of" the boundary being talcen over by the armies and civil administration of the two Governments. Two . eriticisms of the Boundary Force were valid: (1) It tended to blur responsibility, both as between the military ahd the .ciyil au'tliqritiqsUand between the two Governments; (2 f its i troops, subjected to trenietfdous emotional pressure, became increasingly partisan, although their partisanship was negative rather than positive.