INDIAN RIOTS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1930, Page 5

INDIAN RIOTS

BOMB THROWN

INJURES WOMEN AND CHILDREN

FURTHER RIOTING

1 United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright, j

(Received this day at 8 a.m.)

DEJJrII, May 26

A panic was caused at Dhadrakali fa.ir, Amritaer, when a bomb exploded in tiie midst of tiie crowd of sightseers, injuring thirty, mostly women and children, i here is no due as to the perpetrator.

There was fierce rioting at Rangoon to-day between Burmese and Andhra dock coolies. The casualties at midday totalled eighty, and there were Liiree dead. AH shops in the city are

closed. Bitter street battles occurred between gangs of coolies. Fifty were injured in a clash between cloth mill rioters and picketers at Delhi, when rival elements stoned each other.

Further raids at Wadala salt works Bombay by congress workers resulted in seventeen congress men and five European police sergeants being injured. Over a hundred arrests were made.

After nightfall there was a second raid. The police fired unci thirty-five raiders were wounded. A grave position prevails at Biulda following Saturday’s riots. It is reported there have been many deaths and scores of houses were burnt by rioters while stabbing and looting continues.

A GOVERNMENT REPORT

THE POSITION OUTLINED

(British Official. Wireless)

(Received this dav at noon.) RUGBY, May 26. The Government of India’s appree-

iation of the situation up to May 24th, states the tribal situation in north-west* frontier is definitely easier and the internal situation in the no*6h-\vest province shows improvement. The chief weapon of antiGovernment agitators is now the dissemination of false reports but active steps are being taken to counter these statements. It gives further information rega!rdii»g the -riot at Mymensingh at Bengal on 14th May, when a large hostile mob failing in an attempt to prevent the delivery o' excise liquor to vendors attacked the magistrate, police and excise staff with brickbats. Persuasions, warnings and charges by the police failing

;o secure a dispersal of the mob which

continued its violent attack, the police were ordered to fire, About forty Government servants were . injured aind fifty-three rioters were treated at the hospital of whom one died. During the week under review

there has been no serious outbreak but in several places the police have had to disperse disorderly crowds. In Sholapur conditions are fast becoming normal and if i y hoped martial law may shortly be discontinued. Persistent efforts to spread hostile oropaganda in Punjab villages continue. Apparently the villagers have been little affected, except in Guga-

it, where the situation is causing

anxiety. The chief feature of the campaigi

against the salt laws has been the change of tactics in Bombay Presidency. Technical breaches of the law have been largely abandoned, in favour of mass action. These tactics definitely failed at Shiroda where the raids have been abandoned. They achieved a temporary success at Wasala on 18th May but subsequent attempts failed. The chief efforts of the Congress have been made at Dharnasana. On the ''2lst a crowd estimated at two thousand six hundred tried to force their way in, but the attempts were foiled thanks to tli e skill and endur anca shown iby the police and the timely arrival of troops; also by the moral effect of their presence, whicl gave much needed relief to the police

On the 22nd the police cleared the Congress camp and the position is now' quiet, although there are incli cations that the attempt will shortly ho resumed.

Congress continue? their policy ol dissemination 'of deliberately false reports and rumours and every effort is being made by Congress by means of propaganda to stimulate antiGovernment and racial feelings. An assurance |given to minorities by the Viceroy on May 13th continues to receive their warm approval, which is inereasinjg. in strength as they appreciate the implication oi methods o f ’ mass action as now practised by Congress. The conviction is growing among Mohammedans tbas the civil disobedience movement is opposed to their interests and security of labour is at present steady.