COMMUNISTS’ ELECTION STATE OF SIEGE IN INDONESIA VICTORY IN INDIA Reactionary Attempts to Overthrow Sukarno Government Will Form Government In Kerala State LONDON. LONDON. i’^pHE state of war and siege proclaimed throughout Indonesia following the recent resignation of the coalition Government • ^ H E Indian Communist Party, which has emerged as the largest party in the Kerala State still continues. So far none of the country’s political leaders has been Legislature, will be called on by the Governor to form the first Communist or Commu­ able to find suflicient support to form a new Government. nist-led Government in an Indian State. The crisis began last December coalition Government under Dr. when reactionary Army officers re­ Sastroamidjojo still had control of This was reported from India and parts that were formerly in volted in the regions of Sumatra, Java, which contains 50 million of when it was announced that the Madras. It has a population of over and means of initialing and execut­ where American and British com­ the country’s 80 million popula- Communists had already won 56 13 million. ing land reforms and planning with panies have oilfields. Since then tion. seats in the 126-seat Kerala legisla­ Mr. A. K. Gopalan, leader of the an eye to making Kerala a model groups of officers in other islands Dr. Sastroamidjojo’s Government ture—16 more than the Congress Communist group in the Lok Sabha State—‘a State which by example have also seized power, including was formed last April, six months Party. (Lower House of the All-India Par­ can make the rest of India go slow­ Indonesian Borneo, the Celebes, the after the country’s first general ly Communist’,” he concludes. Seven more results are still to liament), who has already been re­ Moluccas and the Lesser Sunda election. His own party, the pro­ come, of which four may go to the turned by a Kerala constituency, has With over half the election re­ islands. gressive Nationalist Party, _ the Communists, who are also expected outlined the policy to be followed They were backed by the reac­ largest in the country, was joined in Kerala. sults in, it is clear that the Con­ by the Masjumi Party and the Nah- to receive the support of five of the gress Party will be returned to tionary Masjumi Party, the second six independents elected so far. He pledged that a Communist largest in the country, which re­ datal Ulema, a Moslem middle-of- power with the expected large majo­ the-road group. Kerala is one of the new States Government in the State would im­ signed from the coalition Govern­ plement India’s second Five-Year rities in the other States and the All- ment last December. Both the latter insisted on exclud­ in South India, formed last year on ing the Communist Party—with language lines. It includes the Plan ‘‘sincerely and honestly.” He India legislature. The officer-led revolts were asked for the co-operation of both over 6 million votes—although former State of Travancore-Cochin In the Lok Sabha Congress has linked with foreign intrigues aimed President Sukarno urged a place for the Congress and the Praja Socialist to secure a Government led by the Parties in the State in this task. so far won 197 seats, compared with it 16 for the Communists and 13 for reactionary politician Mohammed Last month President Sukarno, A Communist Government would the Socialists. Of the 2,351 seats in Hatta, a former vice-president, and whose prestige is immense, pub­ Wages Too Low, consult all other parties before in­ the State Legislatures already an­ to keep the Communist Party— lished his plan for solving the na­ troducing any legislation, he said, nounced, Congress has won 1,545, fourth largest in the country—out tional crisis. He proposed the for­ Says and would also secure the broadest the Praja Socialists 157, the Com­ of the Government. mation of a Cabinet representing support from public opinion, all parties, and also suggested the munists 117, Jan Sangh 41, the So­ CONTROL IN JAVA Canning Union cialists 33, other parties 226 and In­ setting up of a National Council SEVERELY SHAKEN dependents 232. At the time of its resignation the representing workers, farmers, intel­ lectuals, national enterprises, all re­ CAPE TOWN, Commenting on the position cre­ ligions, the provinces, the armed In a two-day sitting in Cape ated by the Communist victory in forces and police, and the Cabinet. Town last week, the Wage Board Kerala, Victor Anant, reporter for Discussions on this plan were heard evidence from the _ employers the British Labour weekly, Rey­ still going on, but the Masjumi and and employees on wages in the fruit nolds News, says that ‘‘Communism 3 GERMAN INTELLECTUALS Hatta continued their opposition to and vegetable canning section of the has ‘arrived’ in India.” the Communist Party being brought industry. ‘‘The Congress high command is into the_ Government, and further Rejecting the demands for in­ reported to be severely shaken by officer-led coups took place on the creases in wages submitted by the this Communist victory,” he writes SENTENCED FOR TREASON islands. Union the employers complained from New Delhi, ‘‘I was in Kerala LONDON. randum of policy and proposed that the rates of wages were already a fortnight ago and saw for myself activity written by Prof.'Harich and ATTEMPI FAILS too high for them to compete suc­ the frenzied fist-shaking defiance fTlHREE East German social passed on to West German Social cessfully in world export markets. with which peasants and workers scientists were sentenced to Democrats a few days before his 1 he latest news is that President Trade Union spokesmen con­ campaigned against the Congress. terms of hard labour on March 9, arrest. The memorandum was pub­ Sukarno has asked Mr. Suwirjo of tended that the industry was on a “Kerala is the most literate State after the Supreme Court of the lished in full by the London Obser­ the Nationalist Party to try to form sound basis, that production has in­ in India. Even rickshaw-pullers German Democratic Republic had ver recently. a Cabinet. After a week of talks creased and that there had been there read two newspapers a day. found them guilty of “forming a with leaders of the many parties, he general expansion with new facto­ It is also the State with the highest conspirative group with the aim of The memorandum claims to speak has not yet succeeded in doing so. ries and better equipment and ma­ density of population. changing conditions in the German on behalf of a broad number of The Masiumi maintain their bit­ chinery to raise production still “The State has already had four Democratic Republic by threats or functionaries in the East German terly anti-Communist stand, while higher in future. unstable governments, including one force.” Socialist Unity Party, and particu­ the Communists say that they will Workers had no share in this Congress-backed Socialist Ministry, The three accused were Wolfgang larly on behalf of intellectuals. withdraw their claim to be in the prosperity mainly because, unlike in which led to the present rule from Harich, Professor of Social Sciences They have drawn up a programme Cabinet, but not if the Masiumi are other industries, they only worked the centre,” he adds. at East Berlin University and later of reforms for East Germany, and invited into the Cabinet. Ihe All- part of the year. These workers were editor of a magazine of philosophy; for German re-unification on a Indonesia Central Organisation of not covered by unemployment in­ LAND REFORM Bernhard Steinberger, member of basis of co-operation with the West Trade Unions has also declared that surance and therefore had to suffer the staff of the Institute of Econo­ German Social Democrats. The me­ it is against the Masjumi being in great hardship. The Indian constitution allows mic Sciences, who was recently re­ morandum alleges that S.U.P. the Cabinet while the Communists The Union pointed out that be­ very little freedom to a State to habilitated after six years in ^viet leaders refused to meet them or to are kept out. and has threatened to cause workers lived far from the frame its own laws, he reports. “ But detention on “espionage” charges; read their proposals. call a general strike if such a Cabi­ industrial areas they had to pay out when the Communist politburo and Manfred Hertwig, member of “We intend to conduct an open net is formed. most of their income ih fares. meets in Kerala it will discuss ways the staff of the philosophy magazine. and legal opposition,” the memoran­ Meanwhile the rebel armv officers The poverty of the workers led to All accused were members of the dum states “but we are also ready have come to the capital, DjakarT, ill health and disease. Socialist Unity Party. to use the method of faction and for meetings with the central com­ The Board’s awards will be given Baniu Festival Harich was sentenced to 10 years conspiracy if forced to it.” mand of the Indonesian Army, later in the year. hard labour, Steinberger to four “As a first step to future co-opera­ which is fairly solidly behind Su­ Opposed years and Hertwig to two years. The tion (with the West German Social karno. Support Defence Fund, accused were represented in court Democrats),” the report adds, “one The East London branch of the by lawyers of their own choice, but thing should be possible at present: SAIC ANC Youth League wants to make the trial was held in secret.