HINDUS ON STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1921, Page 3

HINDUS ON STRIKE

- MEETINGS AT FIJI.

AN UNFORTUNATE SHOOTING

The Auckland “Star’s” correspondent at Suva (Fiji) reporting on the strike of Indians employed on the sugar plantations, writes us follows : “The large meeting of the Indians on strike, allowed by special permit, to consider the Governor’s reply to the deputation of Indians who went to see him, was held at Saru, near Naon, on the west coast of Yiti Leva,-on Thursday, April 28th. Over 2000 Indians were present. The Rev H. Piper, who acted as interpreter with the deputation, delivered the Governor’s message, which pointed out that by leaving work without notice the Indians had broken the law, and the Government could not help them.- He advised them to go to work, and make their requests for more pay in' a proper manner. Tf they got no redress they would then be in a position to v the Government to intervene.

The meeting listened most attentively to Mr Piper as he urged them to return to work, and it is believed that the majority of the men favoured his views ,although the leaders urged them to stay out. ,AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR. In the. middle of the meeting there was a dramatic interruption. News came that an elderly Indian, walking to attend the gathering, had been shot dead hy a white overseer. At once the meeting was in a state of excitement. The incident was distorted to suit the occasion, and some of the extremists wished to make political capital out of the affair. They proposed the gathering bring in the body of the. man reported to be dead and hold a religious ceremony. They were dissuaded" from this, and the meeting decided not to return to work. The facts about the shooting were that FlightLieutenant Reid'was out pigeon-shoot-ing, and a bullet lilt a tree, ricochetted. and the diverted missile hit an old Indian walking along a road. The man was hurried to a hospital, and an operation performed, the patient dying under the chloroform. Tt was a most unfortunate affair, at a critical moment. REPATRIATION TO INDIA. The meeting passed a resolution asking the Government to provide steamers to repatriate the Indians to India. Since the meeting there are indications that n considerable section of the Indians are ready to break away and return to work. There are a great many Indian cane farmers with small holdings, and these men are getting anxious about getting their cane crushed, and their influence is largely in favour of ending the strike. At Labnsa all the domestic labour has now come out and joined the strikers. The estimated revenue from the export duty on sugar is £BO,OOO and if there is no crushing this year the colony’s finances will suffer severely and the C.S.R. Company will have trouble in fulfilling its contract with New Zealand.