Evening star., 1924-09-22
INDIA UPHEAVAL
!. LOOMS FOR BRITISH
Ghandi Death After Present
Fast LikeIy-May Cause
/. Terrible Strife.
BY HAL O'FLAHERTY.

By Radio to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
: LONDON, September 22.- Serious
though the Irish boundary dispute
may be, it is as nothing compared
with the problem facing British
craftsmanship in India, where three
hundred million people are imbued
with conflicting religious and the
political dissension is the crisis of a
quarrel that has lasted for seven
centuries.
The matter has been growing more
critical for years and has reached
such stage that Mahatma Ghandi,
the most interesting figure in India s
recent history. has declared 2l-day
fast to pray for peace between Mos
lens and Hindus and for political
freedom for his country. If he dies
during the fast, which seems in
evitable. India will be torn with
communal rioting of unequalled fe-
rocity.
From every portion of India friends
of Ghandi are rushing to his bedside
TO persuade him to break off his fast
in the interest Of the people. Eng
1iShmen as Well as natives OF the
highest caste are joining in the plea,
but at the moment it seems that the
effort is fruitleSS, $ Ghandi, despite
his pitifully frail body, has an un-
breakable will. He denounced the
recent religious and political dis
turbanceS as d disgrace to religion
and humanity and calls upon all
parties to end their age old quarrel
Doctrine Perverted.
Political agents of the Swaraj or
independence party, which was orig
inally led by Ghandi, have perverted
his doctrine of peaceful resistance
into one of active warfare. They
now denounce him as the weak tool
of Great Britain and appeal TO Mos
lens and Hindus alike to arise and
drive the British from control.
Part of the agitation is intended
to prove that British soldiers cannot
prevent trouble between religious
bodies and that therefore Great
Britain's military strength is unneces-
sary to India. They deliberately in
cite Hindu against Moslem by cir
culating childish rumors of religious
intolerance. They tell the Hindu that
Moslem men look with evil eyes
upon their women. They encourage the
Hindus to Interfere with Moslem
religious cermonies by crying out
during the hours of prayer blasphe-
mics against Mahomet.
Hope to Create Disorder.
BY infaming religious passions
they hope to create widespread dis
order out of which they will gain
political freedom Ghandi denounceS
such practices and prays endlessly
for peace. Now he may give his life
as an example to those who want to
win by force.
English writing home from India,
assail the home government for re-
laxing its hold and for attempting TO
delegate authority to the natives
when they are not Yet prepared to
exercise control. The Labor govern
ment, with the best intentions. has
failed to strengthen the British posi-
tion and have even weakened il by
vague promises and fruitless con-
ferences.
The secretary of state for India
had great hopes that the conference
called for Delhi this week would
be able to work out Il plan for re-
lieving the tension between Hindus
and Moslcms but owing to Ghandi' 5
fast this meeting now has been post
poncd. Ghandi never has fully re-
covered from the appendicitis oper-
alton performed shortly after his re-
lease from prison. Therefore his
chances of surviving a three week s
fast are regarded "a small. His death
would bring the situation to a head
and force the British to reconsider
Indian reforms and possibly reinstate
iron military rule.
Copyright, 1924. by Chicago Daily News Co.