23 APRIL 1932, Page 3

A Parliament, at Peshawar One definite Indian reform was completed

on Tuesday when the Viceroy inaugurated the first session of the newly-elected Council for the North-West Frontier Province. The elections last week were hampered by the Moslem revolutionary organization of " Red Shirts," who mobilized in force at Mandan so that less than a tenth of the electors ventured to go to the poll. In Peshawar the Hindu Congress leader was defeated by a moderate candidate, less than half the Moslems taking the trouble to vote. As a general result, the land- owners have gained a majority. It would, unfortunately, be premature to assume that the wild men of the frontier will now settle down to constitutional ways, for the "Red Shirts," though their leaders are in gaol, remain a formidable menace to public order. The Peshawar garrison was engaged all last week in watching them. But they cannot count on much support from the other side of the frontier now that King Nadir Shah is firmly installed in Afghanistan. And the evident desire of the Government to satisfy Moslem opinion in the granting of a representative constitution to the Province should have a good effect throughout. India.

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