Mr. Goculdas Parekh and Mr. V.J. Patel, Members, Bombay Legislative Council, have issued a statement in connection with the agricultural situation in the Kaira District in repudiation of the statements made in the Bombay Government Press note on the subject. They state that they visited twenty villages in three taluks of the district in December last, attended three meetings of landlords and agriculturists at which thousands of tenants were present, recorded statements of hundreds of agriculturalists, inspected their fields and crops and gave surprise visits to the houses of several land-holders and agriculturists. Being fully satisfied with their personal investigations they emphatically assert that the deep feeling of helplessness prevailing among the inhabitants of Kaira district, are due to severe agricultural distress caused by the failure of crops and complete absence of sympathy on the part of the authorities. There is not the slightest justification for attributing the discontent and restlessness of the people to any instigation from people “outside the district”. They further state: “The large and anxious crowds that met us throughout the whole of our tour explained their grievances and earnestly sought such help as we could possibly give them in placing their case before the authorities. It left no doubt in our minds that the distress of the people were extensive and deep and required prompt attention.”
