INDIA’S NEW STATUS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 207, 15 June 1936, Page 6

INDIA’S NEW STATUS.

PRELIMINARY TO OPERATION. ORDERS-IN-COUNCIL DEBATED. (United Press Association—Copyrlghtl LONDON, June 12. The House of Commons to—day, debated a number of draft Orders-in-Council under the Government of India Act, which will have the effect of bringing into operation the whole of the Act except part 11. relating to the Indian Federation. The Under-Secretary for India. (Mr R. A. Butler), moving the approval of the Orders, said that if provincial automony was to be inaugurated on April 1 the time-table which the Government had in mind was? that the general elections should be held approximately eight months hence. Spokesmen for the Labour Opposition andpthe Liberal Party joined in' wishing the scheme the fullest measure of success. Sir Samuel Hoare (a former Secretary, for India) said that a significant and satisfactory fact, of the debate was that no one had suggested that the invitation of provincial autonomy should be delayed, although there had been criticism of some of the financial proposals. As a result of the Orders the provinces—several of which were of greater magnitude than some European countriesf—would have the opportunity, for the first time on an extended scale, of developing their own provincial life. Mr Winston Churchill and Mr Amery (Conservatice), the two principal critics of the Bill, also spoke. Mr Churchill said: that he and his friends would do iiothing to obstruct the carrying out of the policy which Parliament had approved, and Mr Amery expressed a wish that there might go from the House a message of goodwill to the new provinces and to India as a whole—British Official Wireless.