HC Deb 23 July 1930 vol 241 cc2146-54
51. Mr. FREEMAN

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has received a copy of an official report signed by chief medical officers and 18 doctors as to injuries done to unarmed and non-violent citizens during the recent raid at Dharasana, including 973 detailed severe injuries to the head, chest, abdomen and other sensitive parts of the body on 450 individuals by running horses, lathi blows, and in other ways; and whether he will take further steps to secure that the minimum force necessary is employed by the police in preserving order?

Mr. BENN

In order to give my hon. Friend and the House the fullest information in reference to these charges I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT two communiques by the Government of Bombay which deal in detail with the occurrences in question.

Following are the communiques: Communique dated 11th June, 1930, issued by the Director of Information, Bombay.

The Dharasna Atrocities.

For some time past considerable prominence has been given in the Press to accounts describing atrocities alleged to have been perpetrated by the Government officers whose duty it has been to defend the Salt Works at Dharasna from the raids of the Satyagrahis. These stories have given graphic descriptions of the alleged atrocities; volunteers have been beaten unconscious with lathis, their bodies have been dragged along the ground, pierced with thorns and flung into ditches and almost unmentionable deeds performed upon them. They have been charged with cavalry armed with sticks, ridden down and trampled upon by mounted European officers, numbers of them sustaining wounds which could only have been caused by horses' hoofs.

To obtain first hand information concerning these atrocities the following gentlemen, Messrs. G. K. Devadhar, President of the Servants of India Society, Hussain Tyabji, Ex-Judge of the Small Causes Court, Bombay, Amritlal Thakkar of Dohad and K. Natarajan visited Dharasna and have issued statements recording what they have seen and heard. These statements well repay examination, more especially with a view to seeing how much was actually seen and how much was heard by their authors. One statement made by Messrs. Devadhar, Tyabji and Natarajan, which appeared in the Press on the 5th instant, says that these gentlemen, presumably on the 3rd June went round the Congress hospitals at Untdi and Bulsar and discovered that the proportion of wounded and injured was comparatively large though deaths and serious cases were few. That statement does not take us very far; it suffers from a certain vagueness as to what is meant by the proportion of the casualties but it admits that the number of serious cases was few. Little evidence of the atrocities was therefore obtainable at the hospitals. Then, in order to see the way in which a salt raid was repulsed they proceeded to a private field which was at such a distance so as not to be a hindrance to the authorities and make their presence unobjectionable. from there they saw the raids stopped at a great distance from the salt depot and could see how the volunteers were made to stop and were brought back towards Untdi after they had been informed that they were all arrested. So much they saw but the account then goes on to say one of the complaints repeatedly heard was that after being arrested the volunteers were not led but were beaten with lathi blows and lathis were poked into their ribs. This would not appear to indicate that such deeds were actually witnessed nor would it appear to substantiate the foul atrocities attributed to the police. The report then goes on to say that "it appeared" that the volunteers were allowed to do this, then ordered to do that and then on their refusal belaboured with lathis and chased by galloping sowars and so on. One thing it does say the authors saw and that is that after the Satyagrahis were driven out of the salt boundary mounted European sowars rode at full gallop with lathis in their hands beating indiscriminately everybody they saw anywhere between the spot where the Satayagrahis had reached for the raid and the village itself. They actually galloped at full speed through the streets of the village scattering men, women and children and terrorising them. The villagers ran into the lanes and closed themselves in the houses. But if by accident they were unable to escape they were beaten with lathis. What, however, was the sum total of the damage done by this dreadful charge? In the words of the report one man received serious injuries by the galloping of a horse. Another man received lathi blows and his Gandhi cap was forcibly snatched away. If such a charge as described above had ben actually carried out, surely its effects would have been more visible and more serious. Mr. Amritlal Thakkar did say that he was informed that the Commissioner, Mr. Garrett, has added a new force, namely, trampling of Satyagrahis under horses' hoofs ridden by European sergeants and officers and that he saw several wounded in hospital trampled under horses' feet and Mr. Waman Muceadam also said that he was told that horses were run over the volunteers' bodies.

It is now but fair to examine the reports of the Commissioner, Northern Division and of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Northern Range both of whom were present throughout and in a position to give an accurate account of what they actually saw happen. These reports state that on the 31st May last there were three raids on the Salt Works. One of these was dispersed by the employment of a corporal and four mounted signallers belonging to the wireless section stationed at Dungri. This "troop" had come to Dharasna to exercise their horses and to satisfy a natural curiosity to see the Salt Works which were the scene of so much trouble. The Deputy Inspector General of Police suggested to the corporal that he might take his men round the maidan in order to see whether the volunteers would thus be dissuaded from attacking. This was done and the horses halted at the Sar Karkun's quarters for a rest before returning to Dungri.

A party of volunteers was then seen advancing on the Nava Zilla, and the corporal and his four men went to cut them off. Some half-a-dozen of the attackers got into the salt pans, where they were easily caught, but the remainder on seeing the horses turned tail and fled with the horses running after them. The whole affair was over in a few minutes, and no casualties whatsoever resulted, as the mounted men did not get into contact with the volunteers, nor had they sticks or other weapons in their hands. An attack on the Bungalow Zilla materialised soon afterwards; the raiders were stopped by the police and sat down on the ground. They had to be forcibly moved back. Half-an-hour later a third attack developed, and the volunteers again squatted when held up by the police. By this time the mounted signallers were en route for Dungri, but they came up again, and at the sight of them the majority of the raiders got up and ran off, the remainder being removed by the police. The Deputy Inspector-General of Police reports that in all these attacks there were no serious casualties, but an abundance of feigning and shamming. The Commissioner, Northern Division, says that the tactics of the volunteers were to lie down when met by the police in the prohibited area. When ordered to go, most of them responded, but some had to be carried off and dumped outside. Those who obeyed orders escaped scot-free; the obstinate ones received a moderate amount of lathi beating. Here it must be remembered that these volunteers were in an area in which gatherings had been forbidden under the law, and that the police were therefore fully justified in using force to disperse them.

The 1st June was the occasion for two more raids, made in each case by batches about 50 strong. They were met and warned by the police, with the result that some of the volunteers fell out and removed themselves, the remainder being dispersed by force. It is here interesting to note that on this occasion a proportion of the raiders appeared very disgruntled at finding themselves in the firing line; it seems that they had been induced to "join up" on condition that they would not be used as attacking troops, but would he given odd jobs about the camp, etc. They had not bargained for an active part in the operations while their leaders were occupied elsewhere in more pleasant positions.

June the 3rd had been expected to be the occasion of a large demonstration. It was not but three minor raids were made. The first made by a batch of about 80, was led by Mr. Waman Muccadam. It was halted by the police, warned that it was an unlawful assembly and plainly told that if it did not go away it would be dispersed. The head of the column wheeled about and led the way back to the village. Mr. Muccadam was detained, given a talking to, and allowed to go. He wended his way back to Untdi, but not before he had denied leadership of the batch and agreed to catch the noon train for Godhra. The two remaining batches were dealt with in much the same way, but some force had to be used to disperse the more obstinate of their members. This was the day on which Messrs. Tyabji, Tbakkar and others were present to watch the atrocities. The obvious futility of the raids appeared to have so depressing an effect that the next day witnessed a wholesale exodus of volunteers for Bulsar.

During all these raids in which all dispersals have been witnessed by such responsible officers as the Commissioner downward, the officers present and head constables carried light canes instead of the more cumbersome lathis. These canes proved very effective, and as whenever it became necessary to employ force, their use was restricted to the minimum and as far as possible to the beating of the volunteers on the legs and buttocks, caused very little damage.

These are the two sides of the stories of the raids. It is necessary to judge between the accounts of the atrocities and the cavalry charges given by gentlemen who were present at some time or other and those given by the Government officers in charge of the operations who were present throughout and who day by day were submitting detailed accounts concerning each raid and the measures taken to defeat it. It is admitted that bodies of volunteers who persisted in remaining within the prohibited area, were dispersed by the police carrying lathis and light canes and that in some cases they had to be lifted and dumped outside the boundary. No evidence at all has been produced in support of the stories of testicle squeezing and other such outrages and they are totally denied.

One would have thought that the best evidence as to the way in which these and earlier raids have been repulsed would have been found in the hospitals. It must, therefore, be noted that on the 26th May, when the Dharasna camp was being cleared up, only two cases were alleged to necessitate removal on stretchers. These cases were removed on stretchers to Untdi but later in the day were seen walking about with no medical attendant at Dungri Station. Again on the 4th June, a party consisting of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Northern Range, the Acting District Magistrate, Surat, and others, paid a visit to Bulsar in order to inspect the hospitals there. They entered the first Congress Hospital, formerly a boys' school, and were shown round by a red cross attendant. There were four patients in the first room who were suffering from lathi bruises. A fifth patient walked in while the inspection was in progress but no wounds on him were shown to the visitors. In the next room were two patients with similar bruises from lathi blows. In the third room was one patient with a bruised shoulder. In not a single case was it suggested to the visitors that horses' hoofs were responsible for the injuries.

By the time the party was ready to inspect the second hospital, which from its size could not have accommodated more than 50 potients, a shouting hostile crowd had gathered and in consequence the second hospital was not visited. It would appear that a visit of inspection from Government officers was not exactly welcome. On the same day the hospital at Untdi was found to contain one patient. Mr. Waman Muccadam was said to be lying injured in the second hospital at Bulsar but the officers in charge at Dharasna are positive that he sustained no injuries whatsoever. If, as has been alleged, Satyagrahis lying passively on the ground had been ridden over by galloping mounted troops would there not have been plenty of casualties showing unmistakable signs of hoof marks available, for inspections and, as it had been admitted that the chief object of the later raids was propaganda, would not care have been taken to ensure that this evidence was utilised to its full value?

To turn from the more serious side, the raids have not been without their lighter touches. The organisers have had apparently of late to spread a very wide net to catch their conscripts and the Satyagrahis have included old men who when reaching the "line" have thankfully accepted a lift back to Untdi on a bullock cart, cycle scouts who on arrest have prayed to be allowed to go home, warriors who have asked to be beaten so that they could return and on receipt of a tap or two on the back of the legs have done so after some complaint that they are not sure that they have been beaten sufficiently to earn their meal tickets, and, best of all, a "leader" who denied his leadership after reaching the fringe of the battle.

One feature of the raids, however, calls for more serious comment and that is the decidedly unorthodox use made of the Red Cross. It had been noticed during the later raids that the number of Red Cross workers was out of all proportion to the number of attackers: in one case there were 25 Red Cross attendants to 50 raiders, in another 75 such noncombatants to 125 active participants, and in consequence careful watch was kept on their activities. Red Cross helpers were seen discarding their Red Cross badges when they had achieved a position near the salt works, some of them were recognised as men who had been raiders on previous days, and it would appear that the Red Cross had been regarded and used as a rest corps. One volunteer was actually found in possession of a volunteer's badge No. 1810 but wearing a Red Cross, a publicity agent was seen wearing a Red Cross, and a well known lady "general" on being warned by the police for actively directing operations re-appeared shortly afterwards with a large Red Cross pinned to her sari. Such practices are, of course, nothing but an abuse of the privileges invariably accorded to the Red Cross.

Communiqué dated 13th June, 1930, by the Acting Director of Information, Bombay.

In to-day's issue of the "Bombay Chronicle" Dr. Sathaye wonders whether, after my visit to the Congress Hospital yesterday, I shall issue a revised Press Note on Dharasna. In this connection I should like to say that, although I was not then aware that I had been invited to do so, I visited the Congress Hospital yesterday afternoon in company with Mr. F. W. Wilson, Editor of the "Indian Daily Mail," and Mr. V. A. Desai. Mr. Wilson and I were received at the hospital with every courtesy and asked to make a complete inspection. We did so.

To begin with we went carefully through the admission and discharge register to ascertain how many Dharasna casualties had been admitted and the nature of their injuries. Dharasna entries were very few in number and in no case was it on record that a patient was described as suffering from wounds caused by blows from horses' hoofs. We then proceeded to inspect the wards. We saw all the patients there, examined their history sheets and saw their injuries. We questioned them as to the way in which these injuries had been received. The Dharasna patients were quite prepared to tell us their stories and not one of them laid any claim whatsoever to having been injured in any way by a horse. One patient said he saw the horses but did not see anyone trampled upon and another said he saw horses being urged forward to tread on the volunteers but that they would not do so. The injuries we saw were the result of blows with sticks and lathis.

As we were returning I remarked to Mr. Wilson that what we had seen at the hospital did far more to corroborate the official version of the events of the raid than it did to substantiate the remaining versions. He agreed but said he would have liked to have seen a larger number of injured. I regret that Dr. Sathaye was not present during our inspection of the hospital.