SELF-GOVERNMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 139, 15 June 1938, Page 20

SELF-GOVERNMENT.

INDIA'S SECOND YEAR A CRISIS AND ITS SOLUTION. BRITISH AUTHORITIES YIELD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) MADRAS. May 21. The march of events in India has been rapid and extensive during recent months. We are 011 the second year of self-government and attention is increasingly drawn to the question ef Federation. Will the distrust which is felt towards the reservation of certain powers in the hands of the centre (i.e.. the Viceroy) harden into civil disobedience'/ Will the Indian States join ill a new kind of Federation imposed by Britain on an unwilling nation'! Will the fears which are harboured in democratic opinion regarding the undue influence of the nominated element in the Federal Parliament result in the refusal to co-operate by the Congress, the only national organisation in the land, wielding power in seven out of the eleven provinces'.' These are the immediate problems that await solution. There is a complete satisfaction both in India and in Britain over the wise manner in which the crisis in Orissa was averted at the beginning of thin month. A sense of relief at the avoidance of a conflict, the extent and effects of which might have been incalculable, a sense ot gratitude to the British authorities, and a sense of jubilation at the epochmaking victory of the Congress pervade the utterances of leading men and newspapers here on the resolution of the Orissa crisis. 1 he crisis, briefly, arose out of the nomination of a civil servant of Oris**, Mr. J. R. Da in, to act as Governor of the province in the absence of Sir John Hubback, on leave. The Orissa Ministry. which is Congress, under the leadership of Mr. B. Da*, soon after the receipt of this information represented to the Governor that they would find great difficulty in serving under Mr. Dain. who was actually serving as an officer of the provincial government and, therefore, a subordinate to them. Shortly afterwards the Congress Central Working < oinmittee adopted and published a resolution of protest on the same grounds. About the third week of last month the Governor was formally notified by the Ministers that they intended to resign if Mr. Dain assumed charge. In these circumstances Sir John Hubback did not feel justified in leaving his temporary successor to deal with a situation of political instability consequent on the resignation of the Ministry, which his departure would certainly have created, and accordingly cancelled his personal arrangements. In commending this public-spirited action of the Governor at the expense of his own convenience, Lord Stanley, Under-Secretary of State for India, in a

statement in the House of Commons, eaid that the difficulties of the provincial Governments in such circumstances wore appreciated and they would not be lost sight of in making future appointments. This is perhaps the first instance in IndoBritish relationship of the British authorities yielding to popular demand in India, barring perhaps the partition of Bengal, a quarter of a century ago— which, of course, was an act of Royal grace. Though there have been numerous occasions of popular resentment and the British Government has noted those expressions of opinion for future guidance, it has seldom altered an arrangement already decided upon. Even in the dispute over the release of political prisoners in February last, as a conse que nee of which the United Province* and Bihar Ministries resigned, the British authorities, though friendly and conciliatory in their attitude, did not yield to popular protest in the same way a* they have done now in the Orissa incident. Dominion*' Precedent. This gesture is widely recognised as a mark of British goodwill and a desire to secure as far as possible the smooth working of provincial autonomy. But herein lies a danger of readinsr more into this incident than the situation warrants. Many lioj>es and theories have been formed upon the assumption that Britain has 110 wish to quarrel with the Indian National Congress. Some newspapers suggest that this is the most opportune time for India to secure more concessions. Some others see iu the method in which the crisis has been averted the beginning of a convention in which the Ministers' right to l»e consulted In regard to the appointment of governors, in the fashion of the Dominions' usage, will be established. The recent Ministerial crises are regarded by them as so many stages in a battle for widening the scope of the provincial autonomy, irrespective of the fact that the Government of India Act and the Joint Parliamentary Committee's re]iort insist that Ministers should not be consulted in the appointment of a governor. This variation the frainers of the Constitution devised because India differs from the Dominions in having the minorities problem unsettled. One of the foremost item* in the governor's special responsibilities is the safeguarding of the legitimate rights of the minorities. It is feared by British authorities that if a provincial Ministry is given the right to choose its governor there might be selected a man in whom the minorities had no confidence—which would lead to trouble of the gravest kind. The growth of the Dominions' precedent must obviously await a communal settlement in India. Gandhi-Jinnah Talks. Communal unity talks are going apace during the last few weeks between the official heads of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League, Subash Chandra Bose and M. A. Jinnah respectively. The move, inaugurated by Mr. M. K. Gandhi, who is here better known as the Mahatma, is intended to bring about an amicable settlement between the rival claims of the Hindus and the Muslims. The Muslims are in a minority in most of the Congress provinces and till their claims are satisfied unity

in India cannot be achieved. The m«j n point in the Congress propolis to ifa Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League' for the settlement of (lie Hind question is that tlie Congress wanta an unequivocal declaration In. hi the Mug lim .League lliat the league i- prepared to go the whole hog in tin- . uuntryy light for freedom, parthuhi! !y i u j t( . opposition to and light. agaiii-t the pro" poised Federal scheme. even if thy latte ■ mean* such action a* civil .ii>ol>edience If the league is in a p..-ii lo 6a j "yes" to this demand, the I ong re»s *ih lie prepared to agree, t,. ail t 1.^.1,- maiKi of the Muslim League. provided Hi.» they are consistent with The other points an; ~f a -ceondarv nature and can be adjiiMid it the niaii, point, is settled. Once an agreement i« reached between the I'oNgre--, ltll< j Muslim League, representatives of tho various school* of thought ~f a |l communities, including Muslim-!, will bo called in for consultation before a final minorities pact in signed. .Mr. -linn*h teelri that he is not in a position ti» give a definite reply to the m.iin point raised by the Congress. He ha». therefore, asked for time during which he Wn place the proposals before the council of All-India Muslim League and obtain its view on them. Heme the communal negotiations have been pu-li>oued till next month. Premiers' Conference All the Premiers of the -evoi Con ftrcss Provinces (namely, Madras. Bonl bayi United Provinces, Centril p ro ! vincos, Bihar, Orissa and North West Frontier) met last week iu Bombay to exchange notes and to secure as far m possible uniformity of policy in tli o administration of the several 'province The deliberations have been, on tlm whole, very useful, and clarified many issues. Questions concerning debt relief money lending, tenancy, rights, agrarian problems, Tural education, medical ser. vices, national boy scouts movement etc., were discussed and it was decided to have, as far as possible, a uniform policy with regard to these matters. An inter-provincial committee will soon l« appointed to study tin industrial economic and agricultural problems of various provinces. The conference also discussed problems relating to labour gaol reform, abolition of classification of prisoners, the rupee ratio and retrenchment in the expenses of the (ioverument. These conferences are very necensary to take stock of the work done bv the various provinces and to create a healthy emulation amongst themselves in the matter of well-doing. The difficulties experienced by some province* in pioneering efforts, gucli as prohibition, will also serve as guides. It ig felt that all the Premiers of the eleven provinces, both Congress and non-Con-gress, must meet once in a year to exchange thoughts and to see that a uniform development takes place in all the provinces of India.