Sir J. D. REES(by Private Notice)asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has any information to give before the House rises on the situation in Malabar?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe White Paper issued yesterday contains all the information received up to 6th December. I have received since that date nine other telegrams which are for the most part detailed military reports of operations. They show continued progress in capturing rebels and reducing the area affected. I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the summary for the week ending 12th December, with other details.
§ Lieut.-Colonel ARCHER-SHEECan the right hon. Gentleman give the House any information as to the situation in Calcutta?
§ Mr. MONTAGUI have brought down no further information beyond that which has appeared in the Press.
§ Colonel Sir C. YATEHave all the agitators now been arrested, and are they to be tried or interned?
§ Mr. W. THORNEShot!
§ Mr. MONTAGUI cannot give an answer as to every agitation in India. I think in every case in Calcutta agitators who have been arrested for breaches of the law are being, or have been tried in the Courts.
§ Mr. W. THORNEWill the right hon. Gentleman give the House the definition of an agitator?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat would take much longer time than we can spare at present.
§ Mr. MONTAGUI think so. It is a public inquiry; I think the report will be public.
The following is the Summary referred to:
Kachins, Gurkhas, and Special Police have all had successful encounters with rebels during last few days, and have killed about 200, besides taking some prisoners and a number of weapons including firearms. In Suffolks' engagement, enemy attacked in desperate fashion and 31 were killed; principal leaders, with diminishing number of followers, still remain to be dealt with, but their position is becoming desperate, and there are increasing signs that rebellion collapsing so far at least as active resistance concerned. Fighting gangs penned into hills behind Mannarghat road. From Kalikava to Nilambur road, from Nilambur to Edakkara and south-east of Calicut Taluk surrenders continue, and though number of arms handed in not very great, there can be no doubt that moral effect considerable. In another message it is stated that the military authorities are agreed that if existing units are kept fully up to strength, for which arrangements have been made, the number of troops now on the spot is sufficient to deal with those rebels who are still defiant, to prevent the rebellion spreading, and to enable the peaceful element of the population to reassert themselves. Other messages report that the total Moplah casualties up to the 9th December included 1,826 killed and 1,500 wounded. 5,474 have been captured and voluntary surrenders are 14,241. There are also other applications to surrender which are being dealt with in turn. The figures include surrenders by persons of every degree of complicity from passive sympathy to active fighting, but the gang leaders and gangs, as such, have not yet surrendered.