§ 72. Sir C. OMANasked the Secretary of State for India whether the official despatched by the Government of India to Kashmir to investigate the condition of that State has any authority to intervene in cases of maladministration or only to report to the Government at Delhi?
§ Sir VICTOR WARRENDER (Lord of the Treasury)I have been asked to reply. My hon. Friend's question contains a misapprehension which has already appeared in the Press and which my right hon. Friend welcomes the opportunity to remove. The services of the official referred to, Mr. B. J. Clancy, have been lent to the Kashmir Darbar by the Government of India at the Darbar's own request. He has been appointed by the Darbar to preside over 675 a commission which will inquire into the grievances of the Moslem subjects of the State, and will submit its report together with its recommendations to His Highness the Maharaja, not to the Government of India. The commission consists of four members, nominated by the Moslem and non-Moslem communities of Srinagar and Jammu. Their names are being circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. His Highness has also obtained the loan of the services of Mr. L. Middleton, I.C.S., and has appointed him to inquire into the causes of the disturbances of last September and the measures taken for the suppression thereof.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODAre we to understand that this report will not be made public, or will it be published, so that we can have a copy of it here?
§ Sir V. WARRENDERI should like to have notice of that question.
§ Sir J. NALLIs it not a fact that, as stated in the "Times" newspaper, the whole of this trouble in Kashmir is due to the replacement of British officials by Indians?
§ Following are the names:
§ The names of the members are Ghulam Ahmad Ashai, Premnath Bazaz, Chaudhri Ghulam Abbas and Pundit Lokhnath Sharma.