CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 January 1932, Page 5

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

(British Official "Wireless '

UNREST IN INDIA GOVERNMENT DETERMINED TO PRESERYE , ORDER SUPPRESSION OF TERRORISM

; RUGBY, Monday. The arrest of Gandhi on whose adice the Indian National Congress dejrmined upon the renewal of tHe !ivil Disobedience Movement indictes that firm action is to be taken to reserve order in India. It is authoritatively stated that the lovernment of India, with the full aprpval of the Government of the Unit- " j Kingdom,. will use all statutory Qwers to combat what is in effect a hallenge to the Government in carryl'g out its most elementary responsiilities. The grounds for action of Congress, part from the Prime Miister's anoiuncement at the end of the Round able Conference (which the Congress jgards as wholly inadequate but fiich was accepted by the Round able Conference itself as promising jrther fruitful negotiations) are the [dinances which the Government of idia recently put into force to cope ith grave emergeneies in three proijices. The Bengal ordinance gives the rovincial Government the powers ecessary to protect officials and jpubi against a widespread and dangeris terrorist conspiracy. Jndependence Movement

In the Northwest Frontier Province movement aiming at eomplete indeindence seriously endangers peace ld order within the province and •avely imperils the defences of India ; a most critical point. Its leaders g'ected the proposals of the British overnment for a constitutional admce in the province though these roposals had the aipproval of all irties at the Round Table Conferice, and to further their ends they e endeavouring to exploit the eco- . imic distress and embroil the unable warlike tribes of the frontier. Special measures in both these ■ovinces are elearly necessary so ng as such activities last. In the United Provinces a eamiign has been set on foot by local anches of Congress with the object inducing the peasantry, who make Ithe great bulk of the population, withhold their rents, out of which large part of the Government renue is paid. Here again the ecomic distress is being exploited, but s United Provinces Government has Uy recognised the difficulties of the Itivator arising from the world-wide il in prices, and on the recommend:on of a committee, consisting mainof eleeted representatives of the ricultural classes in the legislature, ricultural rentals in the province ve been adjusted generally to the el ruling in 1901 when the price el was the same as in the past year. is measure has meant the sacrifice 110 less^than £800,000 per annum of enue by the United Provinces Govment at a time when its resources otherwise seriously strained. Usurpation of Government. 'he main case against Congress, rever, is that it is in effect trying set itself up as a parallel GovernntT and is not only obstructing iry measure taken by the Governnt to maintain law and order, but also endeavouring to make contutional reform and the work of i Round Table Conference abort3n the rejection of its claim to eolinate service in the government of lia, Congress has set itself to ence its claim by open instigation the people to break the law and ist its operation. Phe end in view is to bring the rernment in India to a stand'he assumption is made by Coniss that the ignorant peasantry can taught to defy the law without de'ting from the ideal of non-violence, ; history shows that outbursts of lence, which spare no class or creed, ' the inevitable eonsequence of h teaching. Protective and decisive isures against the leaders of such novement are regarded as imperai, but the Government is equally ermined not to be diverted from its icy of political advance for India ich was pointed out in the Prime lister's statement at the Round >le Conference. Government's Policy he three committees foreshadowed that statement will embark for Inon January 15 to pursue inquiries essary for the completion of the stitutional plan. A consultative imittee of the Round Table Conince is being set up in India to exhe other aspects of the problem ; Gandhi's name is included in the of members. i is the considered policy of the ;ish Government to pursue steadits plan of negotiation with the ict of obtaining the greatest mea- \ of agreement on constitutional stions, and to bring to their conration every leader of 'Indian opinwho is willing to co-operate. Hiilst an alternative constitutional anism is being brought into existe, the Government will carry out, hout hesitation its responsibilities jthe maintenance of order in India, calls for the support of every Inj who desires to guard his counfrom widespread disorder and mis-