§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the Under-Secretary of State for India (1) whether his attention has been called to the facts connected with the expulsion of Lalas Pyari Lal and Devi Dayal from the Jullundur Cantonment, Punjab; whether Lala Pyari Lai is 65 years of age and is the head of a respectable firm of bankers and traders; what is the nature of the charge against them which has led to their expulsion without trial and solely on the order of the cantonment magistrate, Lieutenant-Colonel A. Newnham; whether he will cause full inquiry to be made into all the facts of the case and, pending such inquiry, order the restoration of Lala Pyari Lal to his home; and (2) whether his attention has been drawn to the case of Badri Dass, of the Jullundur Cantonment, who was fined twenty rupees for having allowed a band, of which he was secretary, to play in connection with a religious festival of the Jains, and for which he had obtained a special permit from Colonel Falcon, the commandant of the cantonment; whether on appeal the sentence was reversed and the fine ordered to be refunded; whether Lalas Pyari Lal, subsequently expelled from the cantonment without trial, is the head of the local Jain community, and grandfather to the said Badri Dass; whether Lieutenant-Colonel Newnham, who fined Badri Dass, also issued the order of expulsion against the grandfather; and whether inquiry will 184 be made into the whole circumstances to ascertain the fitness of Colonel Newnham for the position he now occupies?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe Secretary of State has written to India for information on these matters.