FIVE DOMINIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1942, Page 2

FIVE DOMINIONS

SUGGESTED ESTABLISHMENT IN INDIA WAVE OF VIOLENCE SUBSIDING. BUT DISORDERS CONTINUE IN SOME AREAS. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) NEW DELHI. August 25. Malik Sir Firoz Khan Noon, Defence member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, has suggested that India should be divided into five Dominions, the delegates of which would sit in central authority to control defence, customs, foreign relations . and currency, with power of secession from a reaccession to the central authority. The Dominions would be completely independent, like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, except in matters for which the united efforts of the central authority and the Dominions would be essential. Dominion status would be granted to the following provinces:—Bengal; the Central Provinces, the United Pro r vinces and Bihar; Madras; Bombay; the Punjab, Baluchistan, Sind and the North-West Frontier. The wave of violence in India is rapidly subsidising, the correspondent of “The Times” in New Delhi says, and law-abiding sections in some areas are co-operating with troops and police in rounding up looters. Demonstrations in Bengal continue on a reduced scale. There have been individual instances of damage to Government and also public utility property in Madras. A stay-in strike in one mill at Coimbatore led to a riot in which two were killed. The police at Cawnpore fired on a violent crowd, resulting in four casualties. It is premature to assume that there will be no more trouble. Clandestine Congress tracts are being circulated widely. Congress members at Bihar are distributing pamphlets calling on public servants to resign. Congress supporters in one area in Bengal are urging non-payment of rents and taxes, also free manufacture of salt. A Lucknow communique reports that in two instances in which the police were forced to fire, eight were killed. Collective fines of £l5OO and £560 were imposed on two villages. A communique issued by the Government of the Bihar and Orissa province says that 17 people were killed on August 19 in the Buxar area when police and troops fired on crowds. There were serious riots at Katra and Asanol, troops firing on crowds. Sixteen people were killed at Sasaram on August 14 when the authorities fired on a mob led by dacoits.