§ Major GRAHAM POLE (by Private Notice)asked the Secretary of State fir India whether he can make any statement as to the participation of ex-soldiers in the Civil Disobedience Movement; and what number of persons are at present detained in connection with that movement?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Wedgwood Benn)I am much obliged to my hon. and gallant Friend for giving me the opportunity of correcting an apparent mishearing of what I said on 26th January. I have not precise information, but I believe that in fact few ex-soldiers have been involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement, and I regret that the sentence, as published, threw a quite unfounded slight on the martial classes, which I need hardly say it was far from my intention to do. As to the second part of the question, the approximate number of persons detained on the date when I spoke was between 23,000 and 24,000. The number 60,000 mentioned in the course of the Debate that evening is the approximate figure for the total number of persons who have been imprisoned in connection with the movement since it started nine or 10 months ago.