THE TROUBLE IN INDIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1920, Page 11

THE TROUBLE IN INDIA.

TEN MINUTES' EIRE ON MOB,

HOW AMRITSAR RIOT WAS SUPPRESSED. London, Dec. 10. The "passive resistance" against the provisions of the Rowlatt Act, directed against revolutionary and anarchial crime in India, led to violent outbreaks of disorder in April last in Calcutta, Bombay and the Punjab. Those eventfr were chronicled, as far as they were made public, in The Times. On Thursday, May 22, the Secretary of State for India made a statement in the House of Commons describing the salient points of what had occurred. In the course of this statement lie insisted that it was idle to consider an inquiry until "the fire had 'been put out." That stage having now been reached, the Commission under Lord Hunter opened its inquiry at Lahore on Novem'ber 11. Very little news reached this country by telegram respecting the proceedings of Lord Hunter'g Committee, appointed to investigate the disturbances in April last in Bombay, Delhi, and the Punjab, "their causes, and the measures taken to cope with them." But the Indian mail has now brought full details of the evidence in regard to the sensational events at Amritsar, where, public disorder was. severely repressed. Brigadier-General R. E. H. Dyer, then in command of the sth Brigade at Jullunder. described how he had dispersed a meeting held contrary to a proclamation which he had issued, and repeatedly read, during the course of the same morning, by opening fire, when between 400 and 500 persons were killed and about 1500 wounded.

GENERAL DYER'S EVIDENCE. General Dyor, who came from his command in Banu to give evidence, stated that on April 10, in response to a request for help, ho sent 100 British and 200 Indian soldiers from brigade lieadoiKirtera at .Tullunder to Amritsa.r. On the following day, in consequence of telegraphic information, he motored there, arriving at 0.30 p.m., and assumed command. The widest publicity was given in all parts of the city by public rending of a proclamation warning the people against assembling together on pain of being dispersed by force of arms. He was himself engaged for three hours in the morning in making this known in the city. But in the afternoon he received news that a crowd was assembling at '.Tallianwala Bagli. He immediately marched n(T with a striking force, consisting of 2.i British rifles, 2.5 I Tr.dian rifles, 40 Gurkhas armed with [kukris, and two armored cars. Some piequets dropped ofT en route at their assigned posts. On arrival they found that a man was addressing some 5000 people who had congregated, and within 30 seconds of his arrival, at about 5 o'clock, ho ordered fire to be opened. "I think it is quite possible I could have dispersed the crowd without firing, but they would have come back again and laughed, and I should have made what I considef to be a fool of myself. In my view, the situation at Amritsar was a serious one indeed, and communications I received from the neighborhood were indicative of a serious rising. It was, in fact, a widespread movement, and a military situation not confined to Amritsar. . I looked upon the crowd as rebels, and I considered it was my duty to fire, and fire well."

'■A VERY HORRIBLE DUTY." Asked by Lord Hunter whether there was any other course, General Dyer replied, ( "No, Sir. I looked upon it as a duty,' a very horrible duty." About 1(150 rounds were fired. The shooting was individual, and there was no volley shooting. As regards the wounded, his force was not in a position to render medical aid. It was not his job to go and aid them, but they could have come for help. Next day ho issued orders permitting the burying and burning of the dead. On the night of the firing he went into the city and found everything was quiet. Subsequently answering Mr. Justice Rankin, who asked whether the firing was not n form of frightfulness, General Dyer replied in the negative. He continued firing until they ran short of ammunition. He had two armored cars with him, but could not take them inside the enclosure. Supposing tho passage had *been sufficient to take cars in. lie would probably have opened fire with machine-guns. He meant to punish those who had disobeyed the order and give them a lesson. His idea was that, from a military point of view, it would make a wide impression throughout the Punjab. If he had delayed action he would have been liable to Court-martial. Asked by Sir Cliimanlal Setalvad whether ho took any measures to attend to the wounded, lie replied, "No, certainly not. It was not Inv job. Hospitals were open, and they could have gone there." Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the then Lieutenant-Governor, telegraphed approving his action.

THE CRAWLING ORDERGeneral Dyer told Lord Hunter his reasons for making Indians crawl on all fours in the street where Miss Sherwood was murderously attacked: — "We look upon women as sacred. I searched in my mind for a form of punishment that would meet the assault. I did not know how to meet it. I feltthe street should be looked upon as sacred. and said that 110 Indian shall pass along there, and, if they have to pass, they must do so on all fours. It never entered my mind that any man in his senses would voluntarily go through that street."