Imperial Valley press., 1932-09-21
GANDHI DEBATES
COMPROMISE ON
PROPOSED FAST

POONA. Bombay Presidency. In
dia, Sept. 2l.-(U.P)-The Manatma
M. K. Gandhi considered a COM
promise today which may enable
the Great Soul" conScientiouSly
to cancel his fast unto DEATH He
will give his final answer at 9 a.
m. tomorrow.
The compromise was reached at
meeting of a subcommittee of
the Hindu u-Untouchable conference
at Bombay and submitted to the
Mahatma by his son, DevidaS Gan
dhi. Sir Tel Bahadur Sapru, M. R.
Jayakar, and others who began
conference with Gandhi at Yerov-
da prison at a. m.
Details of the plan were not
made public, but it was considered
significant that it was accepted by
the Untouehable leader. DR.. D. R.
Ambedkar, graduate of Columbia
University. who hitherto has vio-
lently opposed the Mahatma's
creed.
Gandhi, imbued with the idea
of universal brotherhood and the
uplifting of the dcwntrodden mil
lions of India, intends to starve
himself to death in protest against
the British plan to have the up
per class Hindus and the lowest
caste, the UntouchableS, vote, as
separate communities and have
separate legislative representation.
Gandhi contends such a system
would tend to perpetuate the cleav-
age between classes and keep Hin
du India divided. He therefore
Staked his frail body against the
decision of the British government.
He decided to take no food and to
drink only water after his noon
meal yesterday until he dies or a
satisfactory settlement of the COM
munal question is reached.
Willing To Live
The Mahatma said he was
equally anxious to live and would
make a superhuman effort to hold
himself together until the con-
science of the British government
and the Hindus is shaken" Then
he retired to his prison quarters to
read, spin, write letters, and fast.
Gandhi was we'll after the first
day of his fast. An official state
ment that he was i'll was discount
ed as a devise to discourage visi-
tors and interviewers.
With India's attention again Gen.
tered on the wizened man regard
ed as a saint by the Nationalist
circles charged that others of the
thousands of political prisons in
jails throughout India were not re-
ceiving the pleasant treatment ac-
corded Gandhi, his secretary, Ma
hadeo Desai and Vallashai Patel,
ex-president of the Nationalist
congress, who are all Class A pris-
oners.
According to the Nationalist al
legations, political prisoners now
being released show obvious effects
of their Imprisonment. The re-
leased prisoners repeatedly told of
''vindictive, inhuman treatment" :"
floggings, starvation diet, rampant
illness, and withholding of food
and water from recalcitrant in
mates. The government said pris-
oners were only punished if they
violated Jail rules.
Documentary evidence has been
presented to the Nagour local
council charging that in some in
stances political prisoners who were
seriously i'll were pricked with
needles to test consciousness, and
that prisoners who were well were
forced to perform degrading tasks.
Jawhral Nehru, prominent Ma
tionalist leader, claimed that his
aged mother and his wife were not
properly treated by Jail officials.
Most of the prisoners followed
Gandhi'S example and denied
themselves the right to see rela-
/ tives because of the conditions at
tached to the interviews.