OPINION UNCHANGED

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 86, 8 October 1930, Page 11

OPINION UNCHANGED

SIMON REPORT CONDEMNED

Indian opinion on, the Simon Eeporti shows no perceptible change, and ; on: the surface no likelihood of change; but the admissions of certain commentators indicate that criticism is still generally based on the summary, and is not backed by careful examination of all the complications of India's, situation that are set forth by the Commission, says the "Maucester Guardians* Calcutta correspondent. Experienced observers attribute the first outburst* of angry repudiation to inherent Indian, emotionalism; with its customary precedence over reason, and point out among the men least liable to that charge a disposition to commend the Eeport. It is further suggested that the emotionalism shown is not inspire* by the Eeport alone, but has also among its causes the old grievances against! the personnel of the Commission, and also what is considered the Government's severity in repressing the Con-

gr Beearaing the Government action against Congress and its works, the moderates have obviously had even less opportunity to judge of the necessity, of the repression than to assess the value of the Keport, because they themselves actually see very little of the actual disorder or events oOieiaUy., held to be dangerous .to law and order. But, just as they have developed a mood of believing the worst about the Government and the conduct of the police towards Congressmen, so in continuation of that mood they are escessively suspicious regarding the Eeport.

THE CONFERENCE,

One European with excellent opportunities to study the Indian political mind gives the moderates? agitation against the Report three months' life, believing that they will then realise how much the Report offers and how little more can be expected, and that they will turn towards it. But against that must be set the disagreeable fact that even such sober influences as Sir Toj Bahadur Sapru and Mr. Ramaswami Aiyar are almost uncompromisingly, condemnatory towards, the Report, preserving silence regarding the big franchise extension and other advances ia self-government, and stressing, the Central Government and the army proposals as the negation of constitutional advance. It is widely feared that evei these men may now decline to join the Round-table Conference. In opposition to this" gloomy view, some suggest that the present scornful condemnation of the Report is perhaps an attempt by bluff cither to secure the wide terms of instruction they desire for the Conference or to frighten the Governmttit intd a state of readiness to disregard the Commission's recommendations.

Supposing this to be true, it is argued that the indication of. a firm resolve to call the bluff may induce them to Tecon-. sider their attitude in the light of Btern realities and to redeem the situation at the Round Table if the damage done is then not too difficult- to repair.

The general European opinion seems to be that the Report in effect gives the coup de grace to any special European status; that under the proposed Constitution Europeans will1 hardly count, and that they must grin and bear it and make the best of it. Perhap3 this paradoxical diversity of opinion, will help to show the whole country the way out of Queer Street. No commentator lias yot made any suggestion of a really constructive amendment to the Report.