§ 11. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has yet received from the Government of India the Report of the District Commissioner into the incident at Kalakati, Bengal, when 37 rounds of ammunition was fired into in unarmed crowd by a contingent of the Eastern Frontier Rifles, acting under orders from the district magistrate and the local superintendent of the police; and whether it has been decided to hold an independent public inquiry into the whole affair?
§ Earl WINTERTONThe Divisional Commissioner's Report is on its way by mail, together with the local Government's conclusions, and my Noble Friend has so far received only a brief telegraphic summary of it. Until he receives the full text of the Report, and the Bengal Government's views upon it, my Noble Friend does not propose to make any further statement about it. So far as I am aware, it is not intended to hold an independent public inquiry. I observe that the hon. Member repeats in this question his description of the crowd as unarmed, although the reports which I published in answer to his question on the 24th March made it quite clear that the description was incorrect.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWill the report be published when it arrives?
§ Earl WINTERTONMy Noble Friend would require to see the report before he can make any statement on that subject.