DOWN TO WORK

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 53, 26 November 1930, Page 11

DOWN TO WORK

Indian Conference COMMITTEE MEETINGS Optimistic Atmosphere British Wireless. Rugby, November 24. The real spadework of the Indian Round Table Conference began this afternoon. . The Federal Relations Committee, which has extremely wide terms of reference, meets under the chairmanship of the Secretary for India, Mr. Wedgwood Benn. It comprises thirty-two delegates, and in view of the problems before it there is significance In the presence on it of ten to sixteen representatives of the Indian States attending the conference, and three of these —Sir Akbar Hydari, of Hyderabad State, Colonel Haksar, Gwalior State, and Sir Mirza Ismail, of Mysore—have outlined their conception of possible Federal schemes. The committee will consider not only the relations of the provinces of the Central Government and the relations of British India to the States but also the question of the responsibility of the Central Government. Any and every constitutional question can, in effect, be brought up under one or other of these heads. The date of the next plenary sitting is likely to depend upon the progress the committee inakes. It certainly is beginning its labours in a favourable and optimistic atmosphere. Federal Committee. The Federal Relations Committee of the conference held its. first meeting to-day. The committee as originally appointed comprised 32 members, representative of all the delegations, with power to co-opt. It was decided today to co-opt as an additional member the Maharajah of Nawanagar and of Rewa, the Chief Sahib of Sangli and the Sardar Sultan Ahmed Khan, also Mr. Srinivasa Sastri, and six further members from the British Indian delegation, to be selected by that delegation. ' It was agreed that all of the members of the British delegation should be free to join the committee. The next meeting has been fixed for Friday afternoon. The interval will be employed in further preparation for the work of the committee. After some discussion to-day. during which various methods of approaching their task were suggested, it was agreed that the Lord Chancellor, Lord Sankey, should undertake to formulate and supply to members by Wednesday . night the heads of subjects for the committee’s discussion. The Federal Relations Committee, now comprising 49 members, will probably do much of its detailed work through sub-committees, upon which other members of delegations will be invited to serve. Watching Developments. Developments at the Indian Conference are being watched with the keenest interest in India, according to the Government of India’s weekly appreciation of the situation. The attempts which are proceeding in London to reach a settlement on communal issues are being followed with close interest. The developments regarding federation have so far attracted less attention than might have been expected, but they have already stimulated constructive thought, and twill, it is hoped, divert attention to an increasing degree from purely destructive criticism. Generally, there are indications of wider appreciation of the importance of the conference, and of the increasing hopefulness of a successful issue. Regarding the situation throughout the country, the Government of India’s survey records ,an improvement generally. In Bihar and Crissa picketing has decreased in intensity, and >n Bengal’ a sign of improving conditions is the return to. duty of the village watchmen who had resigned. In the United Provinces, the agitation in- the towns is on the decline, although the Congress emissaries in the rural areas are taking advantage of the low. prices for produce, and are trying to persuade tenants to withhold rents. Picketing has practically ceased in Assam, and is less organised in Delhi. There is a general decline in the active enthusiasm for the campaign in Gujerat, and all is quiet in Bombay.