The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JULY 21, 1930. DEFENCELESS INDIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JULY 21, 1930. DEFENCELESS INDIA.

| Among tiie many questions raised by the demand of the Indian Nationalists for autonomy and independence, the grave problem of defence plays a conspicuous part. Through a series of of geographical accidents, comments the Auckland Star, India is, and always must be, exposed to invasion along the north-west frontier; and as a historical fact, in past ages many successive hosts of invaders, forcing their way into India at this point, have established tyrannies there and have for centuries dominated the helpless peoples whom they have subdued. For it happens that the tribes inhabiting the hill country beyond the frontier are /ferocious and warlike, while many of the races of Northern India—and more especially the Bengalis who are loudest in their demand for “freedom”— have never shown any ability to defend themselves against armed invaders. For time immemorial Northern India has been at the mercy of foreign conquerors. Persians and Tartars and Afghans and Mongols in turn have made themselves masters of Northern India, and always they have brought with them great hordes of the savage mountaineers who live by plunder in the broken and precipitous “'hi liter hind.” Path an and iA'fi'rdii, Aha|aai : and Kukkn Kohl have been names of evil omen to the dlwtellei’s in the rich river-plains of North ever since history began there, and to-day it is as certain as ever it has been in the past that, at the slightest s’gn of weakness in India's outworks, the fierce lull men who are t always awaiting their opportunity beyond the frontier will gather once more in their countless thousands to swoop clown upon their prey. In the recently published work of an experienced Anglo-Indian “The DiUnnma in India,” by Sir Reginald Craddock, who has spent forty years of his life there—it i,« predieted that if once the protection of the British Raj is withdrawn the Afghans and all the warrior tribes of the mountainland beyond the frontier will nour clown upon 'the Punjab, to if under and slay. But it is not simply external foes that India, will have to fear. It is only the prestige of the British flag or the fear of TVPfMn’n wrath that now overawes the lawless and protects the man of peace. “The business of the great cities would stand still in awe and amazement, and the credit iso long built up by the British peace would totter and crash in the panic.” The danger from without would not

bo the only peril to- be faced. “The great princes and chiefs would raise their standards and collect their forces, and the soldiens of the Indian Army would Hock to their banners.” Bengal, rich and deleiicoless. would bo as in olden days “the common theatre of countless invaders.” Further to the .south ‘“the Mopjlas, like hill torrents, would illojjd over peaceful Malabar, bringing death and desolation to the helpless Hindus.” And everywhere through this vast area, peopled by more, millions than Eur-, ope holds, ‘‘Sikhs and jYlahrattas, Rujputs and Mohammedans, would be locked in deadly conilict.” What safeguard have the people of India that the worst horrors of the days of Akbar or Surajah Dowlah of Hyder Ali will not be re-enacted through the length and breadth of India when once the British Raj has disappeared.