GANDHI’S FAILURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 941, 7 April 1930, Page 9

GANDHI’S FAILURE

HOME-MADE SALT IS UNFIT TO EAT IGNORED BY AUTHORITIES Lnitcd I*.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 0.35 a.m. DELHI, Sunday. Gandhi lias arrived at his destination at Dandi, and will inaugurate his campaign of mass civil disobedience by marching with volunteers to the seashore, drawing water in pots, and leaving it in the sun to evaporate. After that the salt will be manufactured, thus flouting the law. The Nationalists throughout India have planned demonstrations to break the salt tax laws, and in many centres salt will be manufactured publicly. Today the Bombay Government announces that the salt to be manufactured by Gandhi from natural deposits contains chemicals which are injurious to human consumption. Judging from reports from the provinces 'there is little indication of any wide sympathy with the movement. The disappointment of Gandhi at not. having been arrested by order of the Government is becoming more acute, but it is believed that he has a new card ready to play when he is certain the Government’s plan is to ignore him. The belief is held that Gandhi will not be arrested unless he so forces the issue as to leave no other alternative for the Government. The authorities have made elaborate plans in case of disturbances. Armed police have been drafted to Dandi and British troops are being held in readiness at various centres in the Bombay Presidency. Sir Frederick Sykes, the Governor of Bombay, was due to leave Bombay this morning for a tour of the Presidency, but after a meeting of the Executive Council his trip was postponed, presumably owing to developments of Gandhi’s movement.

Gandhi easily leads the field in amassing honours in the civil disobedience campaign. He had the satisfaction of producing over a ton of salt, which is by no means palatable and comes under the Government edict as unfit for human consumption. The authorities are ignoring Gandhi’s efforts. The police, however, took swift action in another distric of Bombay, where they arrested Katari, one of Gandhi’s chief lieutenants, and 55 volunteers. Reports from other parts of India prove that the opening of the campaign was reduced to a farce. UGLY BOMBAY OUTRAGE’ The Mayor of Calcutta, J. M. Sen Gupta, leader of the National Congress Party in Bengal, who has just served a sentence of 10 days’ imprisonment for sedition, today presided at a meeting held under the auspices of Calcutta trades unions. A resolution moved by Sen Gupta was carried, calling upon all workers to join in a general strike as a protest against the interference of th« police with the carter’s agitation. Several thousand railway strikers who attacked the Victoria terminus station at Bombay was dispersed by the police, who opened fire. More than 30 of the strikers were injured and taken to hospital. Some British people who were returning from a cinema in a motor-car were stoned by the strikers. Two of the party, including a woman, were injured.