HC Deb 01 July 1908 vol 191 cc751-2
DR. RUTHERFORD

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that the Thakur Ram Singh, a noble of the State of Bikanir, was not released from his imprisonment in August, 1906, nor were his estates restored to him, but that he was merely brought out of the fort at Bikanir and detained in that City, that he was not allowed to go outside the city limits or permitted to go to his village, or to hold communication with anyone, and that his estate is still in the hands of the Courts of Wards of the Bikanir Raj, no accounts being furnished to him; will he say whether he is still so detained and forbidden even to execute a power of attorney in favour of any person to conduct his case before the authorities, or to represent him in the matter of his grievances; and whether inquiries by the Government of India will be ordered to secure that justice may be done.

MR. BUCHANAN

My information is that Thakur Ram Singh was released in August, 1906, but I have no knowledge of any conditions as to place of residence, etc., attached to his release. As regards his landed property, one village was confiscated in 1905, and the rest of his estate was placed under the management of the Court of Wards of the Bikanir State, until such time as he should have satisfied the State that he had reformed his chraacter and attitude towards the State, or until his son should have attained his majority. The confiscated village has, I understand, been restored, but I have no information as to whether the conditions necessary for the return of the estates from the management of the Court of Wards have been fulfilled. As stated in reply to a question by the hon. Member on 17th March last, the circumstances are not such as to justify a departure from the established policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of a native State.

MR. REES

I wish to ask whether incidents such as those brought to notice in this native State are not characteristic of rule according to native ideas and methods such as the hon. Member and his friends profess to desire to see adopted in British India?

MR. BUCHANAN

The policy of the Government of India is not to interfere with native States in conducting their affairs in accordance with ideas which prevail in native India.

MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)

Is it not the case that this particufar incident required to be confirmed by His Majesty's Government?

MR. BUCHANAN

Certainly.