§ MR. C. J. O'DONNELLTo ask the Secretary of State for War if he will lay upon the Table of the House the scheme of Lord Kitchener for the defence of the North-West Frontier of India, or such an outline of it as will enable this House to judge whether an outlay of £9,000,000 is being efficiently incurred; and whether he will guarantee that the soldiers of the Native Army, Sikhs, Brahmins, Rajputs, Gurkhas, Biluchis, and others, will not be employed on work such as building, which, according to their customs, they regard as servile and derogatory to their caste feelings.
578 (Answered by Mr. Secretary Morley.) The scheme is under the consideration of the Government, and I hope to be able, in the annual survey of Indian affairs, to give such an outline as the hon. Member desires, so far as the public interest permits. I am assured that there is no intention whatever to employ soldiers of the Native Army on work derogatory to their caste feeling.