FUTURE OF INDIA

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 11, 14 January 1932, Page 11

FUTURE OF INDIA

BOUND TABLE ENDS

POLICY OF BRITAIN

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 3rd December. At the closing session of the Round Table Conference the Prime Minister reviewed the results of the meetings and made a pronouncement on the Government's policy. "I regard our discussions, and our personal contacts here again as of the highest value," he said, "and make bold to say that they have raised the problem of Indian constitutional reform far above the mere technicalities of Constitution-making, for wo have won that confidence in, and respect for, each other which has made the task one of helpful political co-operation. That, I am confident, will continue to the end. By co-operation alone can we succeed. * :

"At the beginning.of .the year," said Mr. Mac Donald, -"I made a declaration of the policy of the then Government, and I am authorised by the present one to give you and India a specific assurance that it remains their policy. "That declaration laid down that the responsibility for tho goverment of India should be placed upon Legislatures, central and provincial, with subdivisions as may be necessary to guarantee during a period of transition the observance of certain obligations and to meet other special circumstances, and also with such guarantees as were required by minorities to protect their political liberties and rights. "My colleagues in his Majesty's present Government fully accept that statement of January last as representing their own policy. "In particular, they desire to reaffirm their belief in an All-India Federation as offering the only hopeful solution of India's constitutional problem. They intend to pursue this plan unswervingly and to do their utmost to surmount the di|scultes which now stand in the way of its realisation." POINTS OF THE SPEECH. Other points in the Prime Minister's speech were: ' ; . "I regret that owing to the absence of a settlement of the key question of howl to safeguard the Minorities under a : responsible Central Government, the Conference.has been unable to discuss effectively the nature of the Federal Executive! and its relationship with the Legislature. . ; , "Again, it has not yet been possible for the States to settle amongst themselves their place in tho Federation and. their mutual relationships within it. ' '.'lt lias boen pressed upon' the Government that the surest and speediest route to Federation would be ... .not to delay the assumption of full responsibility by the Previnces a day longer than is necessary. But-it is clear that a partial advance doe's not commend itself to you. . APPOINTMENT 03? COMMITTEES. : ;"His Majesty's Government have no intention of urging a responsibility which, for whatever Teasonsj is- considered at the moment premature or ill-advised. i "I propose, with your ' consent, to nominate in due course a small representative committee—a.working committee -^of this Conference, which will remain in. being in India, with vhich, through the Viceroy, we can keep in effective touch. • ~■■■.'■"■■ "It is further our, intention to set up at once the. Committees whose appointment the Conference has recommended (on the Franchise and Financo). "We intend that these Committees shall be at work in India under the chairmanship. of distinguished public men" from this, country as early in the New Year as possible; V ' >'!The;; Government intend to afford the. Princes all possible assistance by way of advice in the matter of their representation in the Legislature. ■ "We intend to take the necessary steps as soon as may be toapply to the North-West Frontier Province, until the new constitutions are established, the provisions: of the present Act relating to; Governors' Provinces. ''The . Government accepted in principle the proposition which was endorsed at the last Conference that Sind should be constituted \ a separate Province if satisfactory-means of financing it could be found." -. ' THE COMMUNAL DEADLOCK. Speaking of the communal deadlock, Mr. Mac Donald said: We must all realise that there stands in the way of progress, whether for the provinces or the centre, .jthat formidable obstacle, the communal deadlock. I have never concealed from you my conviction that this is, above all others, a problem for you to settle by agreement among yourselves. The first of the. privileges and the burdens of a self-governing people is to agree how the democratic principle of representation is to >be applied—or, in other words, who are to be represented and how it is to be done. This Conference has twice essayed this task. Twice, I regret to say, it has failed... I cannot believe that you will demand that we, His Mai>esty's Government, should accept these failures as final and conclusive. :■ ' ■■:• But time presses. We shall .soon find that our endeavours to proceed with our plans are held up—indeed, they have been held up already—if you cannot present us with a settlement acceptable to all parties as the foundations upon which to build, mand that we, His Majesty's Government would be compelled to apply a provisional scheme, for they are determined that even this disability shall not be permitted to be a bar to progress.

This would mean that His Majesty's Government would have to settle for you, not only your problems of representation, but nlso to decide as -wisely and justly as possible what checks and balances the Constitution is to contain to protect minorities from an unrestricted and tyrannical uso of the democratic principle expressing itself solely through majority power. I desire to warn you that if the Government have to supply even temporarily this part of your Constitution which you are unable to supply for yourselves, and though it will be.the Government's care to provide the most ample safeguards for minorities, so that none of them need feel that they have been neglected, it will not bo a satisfactory way of dealing with this problem. A WARNING. Let us also warn you that if you cannot come to an agreement on this amongst yourselves, it will add considerably to the difficulties of any Government hero which shares our views of an Indian Constitution, and it will de-

tract from the place which that Constitution will occupy amongst those of other nations.

I therofqre beg of you once again— yet once more—to take further opportunities to meet together in India and to present us with an agreement. We intend to go ahead. "Wo have now^ brought our business down to specific problems which require close and intimate consideration, first of all by bodies which are really committees and not unwieldly conferences, and we must now set up machinery to do this kind of work. As that is being done and conclusions presented, wo must be able at the same ,time to continue consultations with you..

Mr. Gandhi, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Mac Donald, said: "I would like to study your declaration once, twice, thrice, as often as it may bo necessary, scanning every word of it, reading its^ hidden meaning if there is a hidden meaning in it, crossing all the" t 's, dotting all the i 's.

"If I then come to the conclusion, as just now seems to be likely, that so far as I am concerned we have come to the parting of the ways, that our ways take different directions, it does not matter to us. Even so, you are entitled to my hearty and most sincere vote of thanks. " THE ONLY WAY. In expressing his thanks, Mr. MacDonald said: "I am so much, obliged to Mahatma Gandhi for the very kind and friendly things he said in moving this resolution." Beferring, a little later, to the presence of representatives of different religious bodies at the Conference, he said: 'My dear Mahatma, let us go on in this way; it is the best way; you may find it will be the only way." "Thus the Conference broke up," writes the 'Morning Post" correspondent. "No band played the National Anthem, as was the case at the conclusion of the first Bound Table Conference. No ceremony marked the final winding-up. For a while the delegates lingered in the wide red-car-peted corridors of St. James's Palace, exchanging expressions of esteem and friendship; but it was obvious that there was general disappointment at the inconclusive results,. and that the Government's statement had pleased few and displeased' many." Mr. Gandhi received journalists on the same night, but refused to express an. opinion on the Prime Minister'a declaration. Ho said that events in India were worrying him. ' MB. SASTBI'S APPEAL. An important speech and an. appeal to Mr. Gandhi were mado by Mr. Sastri on the previous evening. Mr. Sastri appealed to the Prime Minister to. entrust the future work of the Conference to the politicians and statesmen of India and the statesmen in England, and not entrust it. to the unenthusiastic, dry-as-dust hands of bureaucracy. He continued:— "When you constitute these Commissions and important committees and entrust vital aspects to their charge, do as you did this year; summon Mahatma Gandhi and his associates; let him'not in despair go hack to the arid fields of, non-co-operation.. Tes^ Mahatma,: if I may apostrophise you, forgetting for a moment the Prime Minister, your duty hereafter is with us. (Cheers.) You have acquired an unparalleled reputation. Tour influence is unequalled. Your spiritual power .to command men and to raise them above themselves is acknowledged all-over the world. :; Shall not theso great gifts be harnessed to the constructive work of the nation? . (Cheers.) Have you the heart, I ask you, still to lead your people trustful and obedient through the valley of humiliation if it bo not necessary, and I contend it, is no longer necessary. (Cheers.) It seems to me that you cannot but have seen during these several weeks that you have worked with us that there is some knowledge, some wisdom, some patriotism even outside the ranks of the Congress which, you so much worship; We can bo of some use to you. Take us in hand. Do not dismiss us as people whose ideas are still evolving and may be long in reaching the heights of Congress wisdom. . Believe me. that with you and your chosen; associates we can fashion our Constitution to great ends, and India will have cause to be truly thankful that you changed your plans and- came here.

..-, "The circumstances to-day demand that you should change your plans, dismiss, civil disobedience '< from your mind> and take up this work in a spirit of complete trust in us and of faith in the British people too. s I want to tell you this. -I have read some historyy and, believe me, the British people of ten do -wrong, the British people often take unwise courses. : Nevertheless, in the- long run' they come back .to .the ways of reason, moderation, and justicel This is one of the occasions when it seems to me that they are in their most winning and admirable mood. Take them now, and victory is ours." The Prime Minister,.in closing the sitting,, referred.to Mr. Sastri's "magnificent statement." That statement "shows an insight into the heart of India;' but it does more than that, it shows an insight into the.heart of Great5 Britain, and, approached in that way, your approach is: bound to be irresistible." (Cheers.)