The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1914. BRITISH RULE IN INDIA

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2201, 14 July 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1914. BRITISH RULE IN INDIA

• V, The of; India arc- at present; ?'receiyirig:ja.-large;■amount'of 'public 'attentionthroughout ;the;,'Empire! The yimmigration l .problem■ has tieen' : causing .a good .deal: ibf '..trouble.!.'.'.in''! Cahada./ahd; South;Africai'and- thisH matter -is hot altogether .unconnected, : ivith : - the..statei\ ; of .unrest.' which *has reached' an''acute',stagc,ih\Jhdia(dur'ingAtbe;'last''few; years.-, '•.•TKe-.agita-/fcors /have' been endeavouring to' stir iiip 'strife owing to' the/action of the Overseas, dominions, in'.'resisting'the ': influx' of Hihdiis, '; and ; they haye jbeen also clamouring '• for, a larger jShare- in .the/,",,:government../.";.':• Among other.'things, representation, on''the India/' Council has,been, asked -..for: 'It;'wpuld.;not bb fair to, say. that this', -lin'stilmeht.of.self-government is,only, desired by; the,disaffected clement in' ,the for ..it haS > .'tho ; '.sup- > ■loyalty-.iaunquestioned.''//It as. felt,, ;hqwever'; ; : byi-British ' Indians and many prominent .people in England ;;:with!aUthority. ■'■';'oh the question thatthe present is notan opportune time to make : conces; :sipns of this;sort.' This!'feeling is;! no doubt; largely responsible for tho i-ejection, of flic.lndia Council Bill by the House of Eop-ds, as announced' .y.cstorday_inour ,cable columns': : The Bill providetl' for the. reorganisation of, thti. Council, '._'■ and contained •;a statutory obligation thattwo!lndian members ; shall be /appointed.;.' In addition to-the objection'.to Indian representation, the House of -Lords was,of-opinion'.that, to change the. Council from an Advisory Board to, an- administrative- body would bestow autocratic power, on the.SecreState : :for; India, v At; present'this'official can send secret, orders .without communicating'them to/members'; of 'the-' ; Council! .'.-'The 'Bill provides for' the extension of i this-power' toany order,, not° ; being an 'order:in .respect of which concur-' rerice of a ma j ority at..a ; >meeting of the ; Couhcil is now, required,, "which relates to; .any question gravely! affecting the internal tranquillity /of India,'- or* the interests of India, in any other country,.or the 'peace. aind security of His Majesty's Domin-. ions, arid which,'in the opinion of the' Secretary/!of. State, .• is of, the nature to require secrecy."■■'.■ ■"''■' •In a recent letter in the London Times, ■"'■'Mils."■;Annie:.' BesAnt . states 'that the.people of Jndia are demanding a system of the abolitiori -'of! the Press Act, which aims at; the' suppression of seditious articles, judicial reform, and representation on the. India Council. "India," she says, "is awakened into national self-consciouSness, and her tio with Great Britain can only bepr,e'served by her freedom." ■ Mils. Besant professes to speak from,the Indianpoint of view, but .'Mrs. ' Cornelia SpitAD.Ti,.a well-known writer, who is legal adviser to the Court of Wards in Bengal, Behar, Orissa.and Assam, has a very different story to tell. In a letter to tito'Times this ■lildy sonie misgivings regarding the extent of political liberty already enjoyed in India. She says that'"there ere those who fear that the "-large and rapid share given to Indians.of late.years in representative government .in .India may prove-our own undoing." She lays stress on .the danger, of "in. iinrestrained vernacular'Press 1 in all its

.violence and inaccuracy, and incita- 1 tion to rebellion." ■ Miss Sorabji's reply to Mrs. Besant is decidedly interesting in many ways. She realises ; the danger of forcing Western political ideas and methods of government, on the vast population of India before the people arc prepared for them. Yet she has dreams of an Empire into which "every nation shall bring its own glory and honour)" and would, like to see her countrymen waiting quietly until .Western teaching has enabled _ them to make the best use of their own national gifts and inspirations for the privilege of . service. The fact of the matter is that the ' people of India are not yet fitted selfand,rash experiments in that; direction, however well meant, may have disastrous consequences, both as regards British rule and the well being of the inhabitants of ,the country* who' are divided ','by religion, language, and oaste' in such a manner that representative ihstitu: tions : on the European type are out of the question.. The weakening of British:control, at the present time, in view of the activity of the promoters of political crime, would nave a most injurious effect. Whatever may liappen in tho future, a firm administration' is now urgently needed. The maintenance of justice and peace is more essential to the welfare and prosperity of the people than political power. The history of British rule' in India lias proved, as Lord Bryce states, that it'is possible for a European raco. to _ rulo, a subject native race on principles of strict justice, restraining the natural ,propensity of the former to abuse their power.