IN INDIA

Hokitika Guardian, 2 September 1930, Page 5

IN INDIA

INDIAN AGITATION. M . •

'Lf <■ POLICE FIRE ON CROWD. {United Press Association.—By Electno Telegraph.—Copy light, j DELHI, Sept.vj ili. Grave .rioting occurred in Bombay yesterday, when the police hied at {■j'r cotton mul Motel'S, fifty ot whom were injured. ™ 'V-. > ,■. v: ■' DELHI, Sept. 1. Bengal terrorists were active during the week-end. Two bombs were tntown in Alymemsingh at the homes' of a Detective Inspector and of an Excise Sub-Inspector. Two were injured jn the former’s house.

WEEKLY OFFICIAL REPORT (Official Wireless.) (deceived this day a* noon.) RUGBY, Sept. 1. The extraordinary circumstances attending the'serious dash between Government forces and a large armed party of Hathi Khel Wazirs, which occurred near Dome] in the Bannu district last' week, are described in the Government of India’s weekly appreciation of the situation, issued tonight. . It appears that mixed forces of regular infantry, frontier constabulary and police had moved out from Bannu in the early morning to occupy the ground, where a meeting under the hostile Mulla Fazl Oadir had been advertised, and to effect the arrest of the leading agitators. Mulla and his adherents appeared with a large gathering of armed follower and sent a message stating they were prepared to surrender themselves for arrest, but only on condition' that they were y permitted to march with their armed, following first to the place or meeting and thence to Bannu gaol, where they would .give themselves up. A magistrate .and a political tahsildar were sent to parley with the leaders, but. ,a hostile. Lashkar of Mulla’s following, meanwhile continued its. advance;towards an adjoining hamlet. There they came up against a platoon of- infantry, which moved out to stop the Lashkar’s advance. Captaim Ashcroft, who was with the

platoon, was attacked by one member of the Lashkar, and while attempting fyv to defend himself was shot dead from behind. • A general engagement at close quarters with hand to hand fighting took place. The Government casualties were 0 killed, including Ashcroft, and 10 wounded, and the hostile casualties aire 42 killed, including Mulla Fazl Quadir, 80 wounded und more than 80 taken prisoners. The situation wiis cl cured up with

the chief of the loyal Hath! Khcl i.fJVaxir Maliks, who sent a tribal Lashkar in pursuit of the hostiles. Regarding the situation elsewhere, the weekly report states the Peshawar district border remained quiet and the area of hostile activity movjed south-west towards Kurram and Tochi Valley. The situation at present is all in hand but containsserious possibilities.. • •

Reference is made to the terrorist activity in Bengal already reported. The Legislative Council by passing the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act recently furnished the executive with special powers to deal with the movement. It is hoped their vigorous use will bring it under effective control, but the difficulties of preventing isolated outrages are considerable. The report mentions the educational boycott is losing strength and picketing at Allahabad University has been abandoned owing largely to- tEe opposition of the students themselves. The native boycott of foreign goods still continues and remains the main success of the .Congress, and in consequence the many thousands of Indian dealers are increasing. The report expresses the view that generally., enthusiasm for the civil disobedience movement is declining, but as its failure becomes more pronounced the activiteis of those wh'o favour violence are likely, to increase.