The Indian States and Federation

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22652, 6 March 1939, Page 8

The Indian States and Federation

Lord Zetland’s admission that there are Indian States “ where the standard of administration “ is susceptible of considerable improvement and his hint that the paramount Power may “ intervene a little more actively than it has “ done in the past ” in the affairs of the States seems to indicate an. important change in British policy in India. The sections of the Government of India Act providing for the establishment of provincial autonomy have now been in operation for nearly two years and have been more successful than even the most optimistic advocates of the change had dared to hope. Although there is still friction in some provinces between Ministries and Governors,' and although some problems remain to be solved, it has been demonstrated beyond doubt that provincial autonomy is workable. But the establishment and consolidation of responsible government in the provinces has not brought any nearer the realisation of the final objective" of the Government of India Act—the creation of an allIndia federation. On the contrary, even a brief period of free democratic development in the provinces has widened the gap between the provinces and the States and cast serious doubts on the practicability of binding together democracies and autocracies in the one constitutional structure. Congress proclaims openly its belief that the States will permanently weight the new central government on the side of conservatism and subordination to Great Britain and has declared that it will have nothing to do with federalism as contemplated in the Government of India Act. The gap can be bridged only by constitutional reform in the States; yet so far the response of a majority of the Princes to the gentle promptings of the paramount Power have been discouraging. In most of the States .democratic movements stimulated by the success of provincial autonomy have been met either with insincere promises or with frightened repression. The result has been a steady and alarming growth of political unrest and violence which even the more enlightened States have not escaped. Mysore, which Lord Zetland mentions as having an extremely “ high level of administration,” was last year the scene of political riots in which some 30 demonstrators were shot down by police. For Great Britain, in her capacity as paramount Power* the problem is an embarrassing one. To sn extent* political agitation, in the States is being directed by Congress; and Mr Gandhi’s fast in protest against what he considers the reactionary policy of the ruler of Rajkot must tend further to make the domestic affairs of the States a national issue. While the British Government has an obligation to safeguard the Princes against outside interference, it has no desire to appear , as the defender of resfction and misgovernifvent. The murder a fe-vfr weeks ago of Major Bazalgette, British Political Agent in the Orissa Stsrtes, by a mob of political demonstrators in thd state of Ranpur, is a warning that it is already beginning to appear in this light. The : only

escape from the dilemma is to persuade the Princes to surrender to the inevitable bysponsoring political reforms. And if reforms are to be generous enough and prompt enough to avert serious 'trouble, possibly involving the shipwreck of the federal scheme, the British Government will have to persuade vigorously.