The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1943-01-08
India's Agitators
Go Underground
Riots and Demonstrations
Replaced by Secret Acts
Of Sabotage.

NEW DELHI, INDIA.-The char.
acter Of the internal disturbances In
India has changed from mass riots
and demonstrations to Individual
acts Of sabotage which are harder
to deal with and in some ways more
dangerous, the New York Times
quotes a government official Of In
dia. This official deals directly with
questions Of. internal security.
What has happened, according to
him, Is that the movement has been
driven underground to a certain ex-
tent, and whereas mass activity can
be easily handled by the traditional
methods Of firing and lattice charges,
individuals working secretly at night
are much more difficult to appre-
bend.
So far there has not been much
Of this sort of work, but signs are
pointing that way, said the official,
adding that there have been cases
Of rails cut by blow torches or acid
during the night by small groups.
He is convinced that it is organized
sabotage and that all that has &C.
CURED since August 9was at least
expected, if not organized, by the
Congress party.
Loyalty of Police Cited.
I'VE did know exactly what was
going to happen" he said, "but
Gandhi and Congress party men
must have known what was COM
ing. We expected the same old Con-
gress stuff and that is what we got
for three days, but then organized
sabotage began"
The official stated that a great
deal depended on local Indian con-
stables remaining loyal, which they
did. He was asked how the Indian
government could count on men
whose basic pay is only 18 rupees
monthly and who were recruited in
home localities and hence were
called upon to shoot or arrest their
own people.
Every government has to rely on
its servants the official replied.
The constables remained loyal to
their salt. Out of about $50, 900 po-
lice, less than thousand are Brit
lsh and of them only 400 are off,
GERS. Of course, we had the army
behind the police and the army is
used more in India for internal Sc
curity than in other countries.
Those constables who took a firm
line with the mobs were all right,
some Of those who did not were over
whelmed and killed. believe India
needs firm government and most
Indians agree with me. When they
institute their own government it
will have to be a firm one"
May Calm Down.
In reply to a question about the
possibility of military developments,
the official said that if we attack
and things 60 well in Burma and
other parts of the world, then India
will calm down. He did not think a
wholly Indian government would
mean an increased or more effec-
tive war effort
Another possibility Of trouble, he
added, was il Mohandas K. Gandhi
died. At present, Mr.. Gandhi is
well and seems to be acting like q
spectator of the Indian scene, ac-
cording to the official. He is allowed
b write to his relatives on personal
natters so if he tasted and died
they would know quickly.
The official said he was not
alarmed by disturbances on the
northwest frontier where Abdul CAT
fer Khan has been arousine his
Red Shirts" to acts of civil DISC
bedience. Governor Sir George Cum
ningham has been taking the line
that the Congress party hasn't q
big following on the northwest from
tier, which is true, said the official,
but it might be necessary to take
measures against the cred Shirts 1"