§ Mr. STANLEY BALDWIN(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is in a position to make a statement with regard to the situation in India?
§ Mr. BENNI am anxious to give the House the fullest and promptest information on the Indian situation; but it will be realised that unofficial messages naturally anticipate the receipt of official news because the Government officers on the spot, have, as their first duty, to deal with events, and cannot report through the Central or Local Governments to me until after they have taken whatever action may have been necessary. At this moment there is not much of substance that I can add to the news which has been published, but I will read to the House, in supplement, official telegrams from some areas.
Punjab.—My latest report is dated 5th May and relates to the position on Sunday and Monday.
Sunday and to-day quiet throughout the Punjab except for partial hartal in Lahore to-day in consequence of Gandhi's arrest. Police had to disperse demonstrations this morning, and again this afternoon. Matters not serious.Bengal.—The following is a report dated yesterday, 6th May:To-day hartal in Calcutta, No serious disturbances. Crowd at Bhowanipore started disturbances. Crowd at Bhowanipore started stoning trams and omnibuses but was dispersed. Large crowd gathered in North Calcutta, but no disturbance. Police holding streets strongly and light lorry patrols running. Hindu shops generally are closed. Muhammedan shops were closed in Hindu quarter, but open in Mohammedan quarter. Trams and many omnibuses and taxis running but Hindu and Sikh omnibuses and taxi-owners generally observing hartal. In Howrah, European Inspector, Sergeant and police picket sent to stop interference with light railway were stoned by large crowd and surrounded. They fought their way out to Grand Trunk Road. Inspector and Sergeant fired 15 rounds each, casualties not reported. Superintendent of Police 961 with armed police charged crowd repeatedly and dispersed them. Situation now in hand. European Inspector attacked by crowd at Ramkristopur ferry and stoned. He and Sergeant fired five rounds in all. One casualty noticed. Ferry service at Ramkristopur stopped. No pickets at Lillooah workshops, and men going to work. Omnibuses working. No report from mill areas, but believed to be quiet. General impression hopeful. Magistrate and Superintendent of Police at Howrah in car attacked by crowd near Ramkristopur. Windscreen smashed. Superintendent of Police fired seven shots, believes hit ringleader(s). Eastern Frontier Rifles (Military Police) cleared locality. Reinforcements sent. Hooghly and Mill area quiet. Railway Police Station at Ranaghat, District Nadia, reported entered by 500 volunteers believed due to arrest of assailant of man selling the 'Statesman.' Details not reported. Relief sent.I have had the following further telegram this morning:All quiet in Howrah. Hooghly, 24 Parganas, and Calcutta, Chittagong, four raiders killed, three captured, six revolvers recovered. Details not received.I think that refers to the raid some time since.Delhi.—Messages from the Chief Commissioner, all dated yesterday, deal with events which have been reported in the newspapers. Referring to the number of rioters who have been injured, he states that accurate numbers are not yet known although report is to the effect that some 20 or 30 have reached the police station for transfer to hospital or immediate medical treatment.
As his account of the riot in Chandni Chowk is somewhat fuller than the Press account. I will read it:
Three police lorries were returning to the Kotwali (police station). Two first lorries severely stoned but succeeded in reaching the Kotwali, while the third was cut off and marooned in the midst of the mob. To rescue this lorry and police it contained, senior Superintendent of Police led charge from the Kotwali; immediately on issuing from the Kotwali police were assailed by floods of stones and bricks hurled from the Sikh Gurdwara next door. Only method of protecting themselves and rescuing their comrades in the lorry, who were still being savagely attacked, was for the police to open fire with buckshot, which was accordingly done. By this means the police lorry was rescued at the cost of six police casualties of which two reported severely injured. After dispersal of mob Gurdwara was then raided and various arrests made of people found hiding therein of whom some Sikhs, who protested innocence, have since been released while other suspects, Hindus, have been retaind in custody. Armoured cars promptly despatched in support from Fort on news being received of attack on police 962 near Kotwali, but it was not found necessary to utilise their services in dispersing the mob.Bombay.—My latest report, dated yesterday, is as follows:Generally speaking the situation is still quiet following on the arrest of Gandhi. Yesterday afternoon, that is Monday, a large meeting was held in Bombay but was conducted peacefully. The hartal started yesterday continues to-day. In the mill area 44 mills, more than 50 per cent. of the whole, are at work. Troops continue to be held in readiness at strategic points.
At Surat the situation is quiet and some of the shops are open.
At Ahmedabad some 15 out of about 70 mills are working; police arrangements for the maintenance of order continue but troops have been withdrawn from the town.
Burma.—The following telegram, dated 6th May, has been received from the Government of Burma:
According to reports received, no disturbances in Burma yesterday or to-day.I should add that I have no official information as to the reported earthquake.I have now given the House all the information in my possession. It is to be noted that, except in certain parts of the Bombay Presidency, and in a single district in the North-West Frontier Province, where special conditions have obtained, there have been no disturbances reported to me from rural areas. Further, in general, the Moslem community has held aloof from participation in the civil disobedience campaign. The serious labour trouble on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway has, as the House knows, come to an end and the strike of carters in Calcutta which had its origin in causes of long standing and had little or no connection with recent political activities, was, after the first disturbances, brought to an end after consultation with the leaders.
I should like to add a tribute, in which I am sure the House will join, to the officers and men engaged at this time on very difficult duties and an expression of the confidence felt by the Government, and I am sure, shared by the House, in the Viceroy.
§ Mr. BALDWINI am sure that the House will have listened with great interest to the statement which the right hon. Gentleman has read. There was only one subject on which he said nothing, and that was the situation at Peshawar. Will he be prepared at this moment to add anything of this subject, or will he be in a position, perhaps tomorrow, if a further question is put down, to give us some information as to the position of affairs in Peshawar? The information which we have had so far has not, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, been very full, and it has been mainly obtained from newspaper sources, and the House would be very glad to hear some authoritative statement from the Government. There is one question which I might perhaps ask, although I have no doubt what the answer will be, and that is this: The House may assume, I take it, that the Government will support in every way the Viceroy and the Government of India through these very anxious times?
§ Mr. BENNThe latter part of my answer, I think, answers the second part of the right hon. Gentleman's question. As regards Peshawar, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, a long communiqué was issued yesterday, and since then I have had no official telegram on the subject.
Earl WINTERTONMay I call the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that in the communiqué to which he refers there was a reference of a disturbing character to Communist propaganda and Communist literature being distributed in the tribal area around Peshawar? Will the right hon. Gentleman, when he gives the fuller report which he has promised to my right hon. Friend, get the Government of India to explain exactly what is meant by this, and if they are able to say whether the origin of this propaganda is from within India or from without?
§ Mr. BENNI have assured the Leader of the Opposition that as soon as we have information it will be put at the disposal of the House. I judge that the Noble Lord does not wish me to make special inquiries at this particular moment.