Russia Praises Britain’s Attitude To India

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28805, 28 January 1959, Page 15

Russia Praises Britain’s Attitude To India

(f-Z. enu Amaatton—Capvrtgntj

LONDON, January 26. Moscow Radio, monitored by American Associated Press, today commented on the ninth anniversary of India’s independence and praised the English people for their ‘‘good sense in transforming the entire character of the institution of monarchy into a constitutional monarchy.” In a survey of present day India the agency commented that, coupled with India’s pride in her past achievements, was an awareness of the stupendous problems threatening to thwart her infant democratic unity. In spite of the problem of feeding and clothing 380 million people, India continued to be the world’s biggest democracy. But the kinds of animosities that resulted in the partition of this sub-continent into India and Pakistan were showing their heads in different forms and shapes, American Associated Press said. “We Tamils,” an organisation in Madras State, was agitating to secede from the rest of India, while the Atcali leader in the border Punjab State (Tara Singh) was preparing to start agitation for a separate Sikh State. In Kerala State, the Communists had successfully exploited the local Congress l Party’s unpopularity to utilise the ballot boxes and entrench themselves in power with dreams of/" obtaining

a majority in the Central Parliament to capture power in New Delhi in less than a decade. Economically, India had a long w ®?. ret to travel before her millions reached anywhere near modern living standards and enjoyed social security. India was ending the third year of her second five-year plan, but President Prasad proclaimed his shame and humiliation” at having to import millions of tons of food grains yearly. Progress had been thwarted by the annual 3.000,000 to 5.000000 increase in population and the .ft, su . ms s P ent on defence, A.A.P. added. India had yet to find a leader to succeed Mr Nehru and the question “who after Nehru?” was still staring Indians in the face, said the agency.