Evening star., 1942-08-16
Prominent Indians
May lnfervellerin
Move 10 End Crisis
Rojo9opoIochori and Sopru
Plon to Go to New Delhi;
MosIems Meet Today
BY PRESTON GROVER.

I: BY PRESTON GROVER,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
: BOMBAY, Aug. l5.-Evidence
was developing tontsht that the
deadlock between ythe British
government and Indian Nation
alists might soon be broken
through intervention of at least
one and possibly another promi-
hent Indian.
. AS reports circulated that the
British might apply severe penal
ties, including death and collective
ines, to halt rioting and destruction
BY followers of Mohandas K. Gandhi,
Ford came from. the city of Trich-
1nopoly that Chakravati Rajagopa-
3achari, one time prominent ALL
India Congress figure, was going to
New Delhi next week probably on
political business.
At the same time, it was reported
from Allahabad that Sir Tel Bahia
dar Sapru, India's most prominent
lawyer and sometime negotiator be-
tween the government and Gandhi,
also was heading for New Delhi and
would visit Lord Linlithgow, the
viceroy.
Moslem Group to Meet.
Moreover, the working committee
of the Moslem League meets in
Bombay tomorrow to formulate
hew policy to meet the situation
arising from Gandhi's sponsoring of
non-violent independence drive.
( There was no intimation that the
government had requested either
Rajagopalachari or Sapru to confer
m the chance of working out Brit
kh-Indian agreements that would
end the rioting, but observers could
not overlook the fact that Rajago-
palachari broke with the Congress
last spring to carry on a one-man
campaign. to settle Hindu Moslem
communal. differences by compro-
mise so negotiations could be opened
with the government.
Nor was it overlooked that Sapru
was perhaps the one truly promin-
ent Indian who had the confidence
of both Gandhi and his followers
and of the viceroy.
In 1881 he acted as a 1go-between
to bring Gandhi and the govern
ment together to end the civil DISC
bedience campaign that year and
to pave the way for the second
rcund-table conference in London.
Situation Still Acute.
The situation remains acute. In
dian bitterness is growing as a re-
sit Of the clashes between the riot
ers and British troops and govern
ment police, and the Congress lead
ers who are not in Jail already are
believed to be preparing an organ
lied violent campaign on the |
Gandhi formula to take up where
violence leaves of.
Few could see much hope of a
negotiated settlement in which Gan
dhi could not participate. Whether
the government would relent and |
release him for negotiations was
highly questionable.
The death today of Nahadev |
Desai, Gandhi's personal secretary
and confidant, has created a new !
problem. Gandhi was permitted to
be present at the cremation in ac-
cordance with his wishes.
Desai died of heart failure during
his confinement with Gandi in the
Aga Khans palace near Poona. The
death increased the possibility that
Gandhi might undertake fast, per-
haps brief mourning fast. Desai,
incidentally, was one of the princi-
pal influences against Gandhi
fasts, deploring always their effects
on the leaderss health.
AS the first week of trouble ended |
the Bombay area was quiet but
things grew hotter in Madras and
Calcutta.
Thousands Arrested.
Total arrests throughout the |
country already have run into the
thousands. At the peak of the 1880
trouble there were 250,000 in Jail |
and detention camps. Nothing near
that figure has been reached yet but
gangs are being bottled up, 20 and |
more at time.
Calcutta police opened fire with
revolvers three times today to dis
perse rowdy elements and several |
persons were taken to hospitals. At |
Gorakhpur one person was killed
and IL injured when police fired on
q mob. Five persons were killed and |
four wounded at Dacca when police |
used their firearms.