§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the situation in the Punjab, India, and of the recent raids on the Aj Di Awaz newspaper and arrests of its staff; and what representations he is making on the matter.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe dramatic decrease in deaths recently shows that the situation in Punjab has improved. The increasingly high turnout at elections during the last 18 months is a clear indication that the majority of people there have rejected violence.
Her Majesty's high commission in New Delhi has informed us that eight people were arrested during the raid on the Aj Di Awaz newspaper offices. All eight appeared before a magistrate in January, and are being detained under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.