§ 10. Mr. JOHNasked the Secretary of State for India if he will state the number of villages where punitive taxes have been imposed under the special ordinances which were promulgated last year to facilitate the work of the Government in tracing the absconders connected with the raid made on the armouries at Chittagong in April, 1930?
§ Sir S. HOARENo case has been reported to me of the imposition of a collective fine under Section 14 of the Bengal Emergency Powers Ordinance.
§ 18. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for India the number of troops and armed police at present employed in the Chittagong district in 8 rounding up the absconders connected with the attack on the armouries at Chittagong in April, 1930?
§ Sir S. HOAREThere are altogether about two battalions of troops in the Chittagong district at the present time. I have no figures of the number of police employed.
§ Mr. MORGAN JONESDoes the right hon. Gentleman imply by the first part of his reply to Questions 16 and 19 that the absconders referred to in this question have never had any connection at all with the Civil Disobedience movement?
§ Sir S. HOAREI cannot answer that question without notice.
§ Mr. JONESDo I understand that the right hon. Gentleman speaks of them as though, in point of fact, they are part and parcel of the movement?
§ Sir S. HOARENo, Sir. I do not think that my answer necessarily implied that.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether these troops are exclusively there to deal with absconders and miscreants, or whether they are there to deal with the ordinary civil population?
§ Sir S. HOAREThey are there for both purposes. They are there for the purpose of seeing that the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act and the Ordinances are carried out.