THE PROBLEM OF INDIA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20090, 20 November 1930, Page 11

THE PROBLEM OF INDIA.

SPEECHES OF DELEGATES. fed?£RAL constitution SUPPORTED. BRII.TSH CONSERVATIVE VIEWS. (5311133 OFFICIAL RUGBY, November 18. The Indian Hound-Table Couicreuc*■fesuiacd the general discussion on tlu.. tuestion 0 f whether the future constitniioa of India should be on a federal or a unitary basis. yesterday's speeches on tho subject indicated that agreement oil a federal toiistitution alone offered a possible -solution, and the Business Committee of the Conference later recommended the appointment by the Conference of g committee, when the general d/iscusyon wah finished, to consider tho question of Imperial relations. Tie Maharajah of Ahvar urged that jor the well-being ot their Rational they must give up .ill little quarrels and differences. Wf.icn the opportunities came the States would • put forward their points of view in greater detail: but they nought no new territories or powers, bivc only the practical application of thear treaties «nd alliances Usage, sufferance, and pefctieal practice had encroached for divers reasons npen these treaties, and i/hey desired that such extra rights, outside tho treaties, and assured without their conseat, might bo frankly discussed and decided only by .mutual consent. Discussing federation. ?ic said many held the view that Br it isle India might l<e formed again into States This would bring true Swaraj (Home Itule), M a living reality, considerably nearer, and would pei-{M>tuate the link with the Crown throuph its representative, the Viceroy. With Hindu, Mohammedan, Sikh, and other States so iMrtfied, it would «ttlo communal questions, and, above ill, would maintain (the strong bonds of commercial and trj.de relations with England. It would iiecessitate an Impsria] army to safeguard the Crown's obligations, and prutect the ports and frontiers, with an internal army of tho States maintained for security and to give assistance i n emergencies. It wonld ensure roligious liberties to every section of India's population, ■ad would carry on the traditions of India's rule according to her history of hundreds of centuries.' Finally, oomitjg to federation, or what he preferred to call the "United States of .Indiait would immediately simplify the problem of the rulers uniting them in a common body to work 's° Prohknns of India. Here was the shortest and quickest way to Dominion status. The Maharajah expressed the view that India slrould achieve her position on a footing of equality with her sister Dominions within the Empire, and arrive at g. condition of fully-blos-wmed Dominion status as soon as possible. His- reason in saying so was «© that the larger Empire might find a grateful India co-operating wholeheartedly in making the Empire, to > ivijicfc they irere proud to belong; ''"something; even greater.

An moguont Appeal. AUU'ted India would be the finest IMB »iid the strongest force in the m oj Empire. India had helped jWUid daring the war crisis whole"Btedly, without bargaining. It was turn to help India to Men a position beyond which they uano desire to eo, namely that of Dominion within the Empire. , , VBB Maharajah confessed that when w learned that the path was chalked • I Indian self-government he was reminded of "It's a long way to Tiplerarj.' "0 England," he urged, "rise above jverimmediate trade and political inBwsta. Hold India's hand in her ™j®" of need. Make her great, so that may be greater. O India, your differences and make a i.® that India may be greater.'! J Attitude of Moslems. -/L^ hammad (Moslem) said • till - Mussulmans desired that in . wmtitntfonal and administrative • «TOtrtion _ of India they should have 5 Tf. ,r 'estimate share, both in provin--1 » CClltra l government. A fed-*-yrwem alone would suit the eirof the case. The positia n j. m S rou P W!l s that they de- " " b! *™ , a to attain Dominion status ' (W- partner in the British gTOMnwealth, He added that hut for ttSJsiiTy l 8 wisdom and svmpathy the in India would be 10 t'imes ®MTSC. Ration Being Brought to Birtth." i of Rewa. representt2> ffj- ?, s , ervat ' ve element , among 1 hmn» ? lan ? tate *> said a nation was to birth. He folt cerli».. "!? oniv among <J.w mil,li , ed th . e s o ' l . Wt also ! sol>er-imnded politicians there must a large * u PP°rt for, and sympathy [ ailr.i'Jr , 0 counselled -a cautious ■ Pfedpitatloh. preacl,ed the 'dangers of I dito^Uf re sor ?® as Pecta of the lnBatra if il® regard to which * vonM » C° n servntive principles tfcidli rraf^ rtU n at t lv ' taou S h not Tk»l' resi ?t all chang-u, ! Pterin re . sist :,J1 v sign of ®t . '°y a 'ty to l| ie Crown, or sever Ii idia's idestithU £S, f th ? British Empire. To «»» »! i however. he believed <C e t^ r of this conference was : ' 0n« „f ft Wmcm f^P3Ct. tffo&len. ® ctllt aspects of "rtttent* » ?" as thfl security of the ®«WUre nf re , co "ciled. A larga SSc-eearv T?, Uta r a '. . confidence was ii? ' an States wished W.^V he ' r Industrial interests cfcangß. JT i , r . 613 ran tees tTiat the «W their .*? ar ' • them free to purVifa" Witaoli } ls in tlie manne r of Din™ tradition. and that " onld not modidid n o t j "i th . ei f o\tn consent. The.v IKeraduaWl; <;ration if !t 'n™'*®'' State, l, j pnearanPe °f nil that stood 'n the pist Wta.•* n# 0 . (former S'JCSritid, rfel^ e for Indi;i > the first s wak. said that thp T t'i' t' l ® constitutional tVi tlie con°'r 9. aiul li. 1 made to tho IJwt deriitan sratitnde for the ??»<** »»r. which the Indian '"to th'eif , P®°P' p threw fcliemse'vos *lr. "CTeat contribution to the O^tiQ 1150114 llisillter Preted. Sfi® 81 ® 11 * tn e t^- C T roy - 8 (Lord Irwin's) Jsnu'arv I Assembly H Ped said some X!f ~ n 'ndia had misinof a l® 1 ? regarding a «tate n f 88 e sam e tiling as an immediate purpose" ot tJ, Pronii * ! in gtateo immediate translation

into fact of a full measure of Dominion status. It was pointed out as a goal which might be attained in a swifter way. or in a shorter time, ti things went well with tho political development of India; and, therefore, while they were united on the goal, they might differ as to the place m which it might be attained. When talking of the position of the British in India, let them remember that they had been there now a Ion:; time. "Do not talk of them m alarm." he said, "but as those who have contributed greatly to the constitution and growth, both moral mid material, of India: as those who have won a place in India of consideration, or of partnership, 011 account of previous services." Lord Peel described the Simon Statutory Commission's report as a great contribution to the solution of the Indian problem, and as a revolutionary document. As an indication ho recalled that it swept away the d.y arehy. and the Councils in the Provinces were furnished with exceedingly wide powers over the great populations in those Provinces. Beallv they were not provinces, but countries with from 50.000,000 to 40,000,000 people. Need for Patience Urged. Lord Peel asked was it nothing that those wide powers were to be fully transferred to Indian Ministers, whose laws and whoso administrative acts would toucii most closely the intimate lives of those millions of people in the different Provinces, in education, in local government, in wealth, in agriculture, and even in taxation ? Iu those eirculnsta nces, was there really anything inherently unreasonable in proposing-—while the Provinces were adjusting themselves to these now conditions, settling down and learning their new powers, applying the arts of government to these ci'eat populations—that d wring that time (not a long time, perhaps) there should bo no substantial change in Central Government ? Lord Peel said the transfer of police was viewed with great anxiety in many quarters, not only here, but by of the Governments in India \\ bile tliay all hoped that with agreement all old difficulties and communal troubles would disappear, yet the impartiality of the British police was an advantage. Thev felt this not from any desire to delay in India the realisation of her aspirations, but because Parliament did feol a tremendous responsibility toward India. Dealing with the main subject of discussion, lie said he inclined most strongly to that Federal idea which built up units of great variety into a whole, and coiitHbuted to the whole something of their richness and variety Inasmuch as the report of the Government of India contemplated the setting up of such a scheme as a remote possibility, tho Government seemed somewhat out of date. i

Concluding, he affirmed the strong j belief shared by Conservative opinion in the importance of bringing i India sooner or later into equal part- ] nership in the great community of the British Commonwealth. The contribu- ! tion which India could bring in thought and knowledge, both material and spiritual, would enormously enricli the content of what may in future be a community of British nations. The Conservatives feared that a strongly-organised narty in India might wrest from her appointed representatives the powers granted by the possible constitution, and use them for separatist ends Any Indian could undertake, equally as well as any j Briton, any Indian commercial opera- j tion. Parliament could not over rapidly telescope a process whereby | self-government might be attained. Interests of Smaller States. i The C'liici of Sangli called attention to the interests of the smaller States, and said their cases would require investigation to fit them into any scheme which might be ultimately framed, so that they origin enjoy all its benefits. Sir Hubert Wmcli Carr, of the British Indian delegate expressed the belief that a Federal Government offered tfa® tiest chances of successful progress to United India. They believed in the fi... application of the federal Drt-nciple, not only in bringing the States- and Provinces together at the centra, but also in its application to other ■departments of Government, finance, .railways, and so on. But his community was largely actuated by anxiety that the present order should not give way to immature ideas, -which would lead to a breakdown. He would like to seo a further consolidation of thought in Indian political opinion, as to what was best, before any strong move was made for they were frankly doubtful if responsibility was possible at present. In. regard to finance he emphasised that any Government that was going 'Us. be for the good of India must retain not only the confidence of its own nationals, but also international confidence. Protection of Minorities. Lieutenant-Colonel H. A. J. Gidney, as an Indian, speaking for the Indian community, said his conception of a practical measure would be to give India immediately complete provincial autonomy, and, when the provinces had established themselves, allow them absolute freedom to fedefate with those States willing to enter into association with them, so forming a number of differing units which could eventually combine in an All-Indian Federation, with a strong, responsible, and representative central Government.

He asked for adequate and statutory protection of minority interests, and urged that his community be given something in the nature of a Bill of Rights, so that they should not lose their positions merely because they were partly Indian and partly European.

Colonel Gidney hoped that the attainment of Indian self-government would not create "Ulsters" in India. The Indian States delegation and the British Indian delegation held meetings to-day to choose their representatives on the Federal Relations Committee. This will consist of 32 members. six representing the British delegation, -10 the Indian States, and 16 British India, with Mr W. Wedgwood Benn (Secretary of State) presiding. At to-day's British Indian meeting, over which the Aga Khan presided, a discussion took olace on the relative merits of the unitary and federal constitutions, and various viewpoints were expressed