§ 1. Mr. WELLOCKasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether any bonfires of foreign cloth have been permitted in India within recent weeks; whether any such bonfires have been prohibited and, if so, how many; and whether any arrests have taken place in connection therewith?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Earl Winterton)The burning of foreign cloth is not of itself an offence and such bonfires have taken place in India, but the lighting of a bonfire, for example in a public street, may call for prohibition by the authorities. I have no information as to the number of cases in which prohibition has been found necessary or how many arrests may have taken place, but as instances of both I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to himself on the 7th March and to the hon. Member for Penryn and Falmouth (Mr. Pilcher) on the 11th March.