§ North West Frontier.—The Afridi jirga met at Bagh on the 31st October and deliberations continued till 5th November. The majority of tribesmen who attended are reported to have belonged to Malikdin Khel and Kambar Khel sections. Leading Maliks were apparently absent, but hostile party Elders and government pensioners were represented. The only decision arrived at appears to have been that the Elders should be entrusted with task of effecting a settlement with Government. A letter was subsequently despatched to the Assistant Political Officer by leading Maliks and Elders asking for a further opportunity of discussing a settlement with Government.
1291§ The Haji of Turangzai arrived in Gandab on 30th October, where he remained till the 7th November. Maliks of assured clans were sent to counteract his activities, in which they appear to have been successful as the Haji left Gandab on the 7th without apparently having effected his purpose of embroiling friendly Mohmands with Government. Propaganda is reported to be active amongst Mangals and Zadrans, the object being to stir up further attacks on Kurram. So far, however, efforts of agitators appear to have been unsuccessful.
§ Picketing of liquor shops in Peshawar City has been discontinued.
§ Internal India.—The provincial reports relating to the second half of October do not show any great change in the situation. In Madras the number of prosecutions is now nominal and there is a steady flow of apologies from those previously convicted. In Bengal the civil disobedience movement shows diminished signs of life except for sporadic manifestations of lawlessness in a few areas where there has been opposition to payment of the Chowkidari tax. There has been some slight interference with census operations. The United Provinces report that some of the leaders recently released from jail are abstaining from open activities which may render them liable to prosecution and, while directing the movement, are leaving defiance of the law largely to women, boys and hired volunteers. There have been fewer meetings and demonstrations and picketing is less evident. The Punjab records the same features and adds that audiences have been smaller. A general improvement in the political situation has been maintained in that province, but the low prices of agricultural produce are a cause of anxiety and depression. The Sikh position remains confused. Since the session of Congress held in Lahore last December the Sikhs have been pressing for inclusion of their colour in the national flag and some sections have made it a condition of co-operation with Congress. The matter has been raised on many occasions during the past 10 months, but Congress have now definitely declined to meet the wishes of the Sikhs at the present time. The party which recently declared in favour of Congress has been attempting to arouse enthusiasm in rural 1292 areas by holding a series of meetings, but reports of District Officers show that these efforts have so far met with no success, attendance being very small. Bihar and Orissa reports slow improvement. Picketing is spasmodic and mainly done by small boys, and there has been no difficulty in collection of Chowkidari tax. Discipline in jails is rather better than it was, but still unsatisfactory, and this is true also of Bengal. Two Local Governments report unwillingness on the part of houseowners to lease their premises to Congress organisations.
§ There is little to record regarding the civil disobedience movement in the Bombay Presidency during the past week. There has been further defiance of orders of authorities in Bombay City, resulting in clashes with the police. Stone-throwing was started on one occasion which necessitated dispersal by the police and this was followed in turn by persistent stone-throwing from streets and houses. Ten police officers and It men were injured, and the casualties among the crowd are reported to be about 200, the great majority of which are slight.
§ During the past fortnight the Delhi police have had important successes in dealing with the terrorist movement; these include the discovery of a very large amount of material which it is believed was intended for manufacture of explosives and which indicates that plans were in preparation for outrages on a large scale. On 1st November a constable effected the arrest of a suspected revolutionary in very gallant circumstances. Although fired on. and brought to his knees by a bullet wound, he continued pursuit and felled assailant with his baton. In Lahore two suspects fired on police but without effect. Police returned fire and both were arrested, one of them subsequently dying of his wounds.
§ The effects of the low prices of agricultural produce are becoming more pronounced, while generally the harvest has been good. Cultivators can only dispose of their produce at very unfavourable prices and, in the case of some crops, supply is much in excess of demand. While, therefore, there is no question of famine conditions in the sense of insufficiency of food, there has been a serious contraction in the cash resources of the rural population, with the pros- 1293 pect of a further fall involving depreciation in the standard of living. Agricultural depression must seriously affect trade and industry in general and increase unemployment, but reduced cost of food grains is of assistance to certain classes in towns where economic effects are not yet so pronounced as in rural areas. Indeed, in Bombay City, improvement in regard to mill labour is maintained. The boycott of foreign goods does not show any marked change. Cloth is being sold freely in many places by retail dealers who are making considerable profits, but on a smaller turnover. Wholesale dealers are observing Congress ban in some places and ignoring it in others, but there is general reluctance to buy new stocks on a considerable scale, which is partly due to the prospect of poor rural markets for the reasons given above.