z:\ ambedkar\vol 08\vol8 03.indd MK SJ+YS 28 9 2013 89
PAKISTAN : WEAKENING OF THE DEFENCES
89
Mr. C. M. G. Ogilvie : Government have no intention whatever of changing their policy in particular.
Another interpellation took place on 23rd November 1938 when the question stated below was asked :—
Recruitment to the Indian Army from the Central Provinces and Berar*
Q. 1402 : Mr. Govind V. Deshmukh : Will the Defence Secretary please state :—
(a) The centres in the Central Provinces and Berar for recruiting men for the Indian Army ;
(b) The classes from which such men are recruited;
(c) The proportion of the men from the C. P. & Berar in the Army to the total strength of the Army, as well as to the population of these provinces ; and
(d) The present policy of recruitment, and if it is going to be revised; if not, why not ?
Mr. C. M. G. Ogilvie :
(a) There are no recruiting centres in the C. P. or Berar. Men residing in the C. P. are in the area of the Recruiting Officer, Delhi, and those of Berar in the area of the Recruiting Officer, Poona.
(b) Mahrattas of Berar are recruited as a separate class. Other Hindus and Mussalmans who are recruited from the C. P. and Berar are classified as “Hindus” or “Musalmans”, and are not entered under any class denomination.
(c) The proportion to the total strength of the Army is .03 per cent. and the proportion to the total male population of these provinces is .0004 per cent.
(d) There is at present no intention of revising the present policy, the reasons for which were stated in my reply to a supplementary question arising out of Mr. Satyamurti’s starred question No. 1060, on the 15th September 1938, and in answer to part (a) of starred question No. 1086 asked by
*Legislative Assembly Debates, 1938, Vol. VII, page 3313.