INDIA AND HER LOYALTY

Evening Star, Issue 15928, 7 October 1915, Page 2

INDIA AND HER LOYALTY

ASPIRATIONS OF SELF-GOVERN-MENT HAVE MISTED THE GERMANS. LOYAL TO THE BRITISH RAJ. NO LOVE Foil GERMANS OR TURKS. In view of the pari, that India is playing in the present war, and the knowledge that deliberate and determined efforts have been riiade by Gentian agents to disaffect the native population Of India, an expression of opinion on the loyalty of India to the British. Crown in the present crisis of the Empire from one who has Jong been associated with that country and her various peoples will he interesting. Mr J. Henry Lang, general secretary, National Committee, Y.M.G.A., who is at present visiting Dtihedih. bae been for a number of years resident lit India, particularly in Hyderabad, which city possesses the largest and most liniiuenttial Moslem population of any in the Indian Empire, and his work, associations, ahd study of the native attitude before atid since the outbreak of war enable him to speak on the subject with no little authority.

“I think,” remarked Jlr Lang to a pressman this-morning, “that there can lie no doubt as to the loyalty of India to. Great Britain when it becomes a question of the British Raj as opposed to that of any other nation. r rhe natural national aspirations of the Indian people for eelfrepresentative government have often been confused with disloyalty to the British Crown, especially by foreigners. There is a clear distinction between the two, and one which our enemies evidently faded to appreciate. In India there certainly has been an extreme ding of the Nationalist movement that has always been disloyal, but it is no more than an extreme wing. Morley’s Bill of i9lO gave to the people representation on the supreme legislative body—the Viceroy's Legislative Council—of about 35 per cent. In addition to this, municipalities throughout India whicS are executive bodies are now practically controlled by the Indian voice. That Bill of jMorley's in 1910 knocked the bottom out of the legitimateagitation by. the concessions it gave to representative power. All the moderate men among the Nationalists recognised that the Bill, though not a final solution of the problem, gave to the Countrv representation commensurate with its political education and progress. The principle having been conceded, it is now only a question of the Legislative Council being extended indefinitely, even to the extent of an elected parliament, if necessary, when the time should arrive. That time, however, i s yet far distant, because only some 10 or 12 per cent, of India’s population of 315,000,000 are educated, so that representative government lit present .would simply mean that the educated classes would run the country for their own ends.”

‘‘ The present war is going to be an import an fc fa-ctor in the readjustment of the relations between the' Empire and o nr Lntisn subjects in India, for the position after it can never remain the eamo as it was previously,” declared Mr Lang. “ One has only to regard the magnificent response of India when the Empire called her to reause her claims for a reconsideration of the whole situation. India has sent 200.000 troops to the front, and out of ordinary revenue spent two and a-half M mnm 1 !'! 1 ” y° Ar < tuid is spending £5,000,000 tins year for war purposes. It should also be remembered that India, supported a standing army of her own for a great number of years' before the Dominions ever thought of compulsory military training. 'lbis standing annv has not simply been for home defence, but for the defence of the Empire at a moment’s call. For instance, the Indian army served both in China and in South Africa. It was tho hardiness of the British troops in India, supported at India's expense, that saved tho whole situation in the initial stages of the Boer War. At the present time a large part of India’s regular army is fighting in Fiance, and has been replaced to a large- extent by English Territorials to the number of 4(1000, “who are doing garrison duty at about twenty different British stations scattered thromrliout India.”

“The problem of Moslem loyaltv is a complex one at all times,” continued Mr Lang, “but I c urae from Hyderabad, which is the largest Mohammedan city in India, and its ruler, His Highness the Nizam, is a Moslem prince. His attitude is indicative of that of the Mohammedan rulers in India, and) must to a large extent reflect the general Moslem sentiment. Immediately upon Turkey becoming embroiled with Germany, the Nizam, whose throne is known as that of our Faithful AHy, made a speech from l the throne, exhorting all Moslems throughout India to be time la the British Raj, as the interests of the Moslem religion, as far as India was concerned, would be best served under the British Crown. Turkey, he declared, was forfeiting the loyalty of Indian Moslems by her action. The Nizhni then announced a personal gift of £400,000 as his own contribution to the war fund, besides offering himself and his 6.000 trained troops for service at the froht.

“It is conceivable, of course, that India might even agitate for the removal of the British Raj from India, but never on the chance of having a German or any other foreign Raj ae-a substitute. It would only be for the purpose ot restoring their owii sovereignty. Speaking generally, India is contented under the. British Raj, and knows, especially as this European crisis liaa arisen, that her destiny is now wrapt up with that of Great Britain,

“ There it- every reason to believe that the Germans have made deliberate efforts to tamper with the loyalty of both Moslems and Hindus, but I am positive the efforts have taeb with little encouragement. It is worth recalling that the German Crown Prince visited India, some yearn ago, during the height of tltel native unrest, and he probably went away with an entirely wrong conception of the real sentiments of the Indians towards Groat- Britain. A-, a 1! events.' wo have excellent reasons for knowing that the Germans were wofnlly disappointed and chagrined over thei failure Of their plots to alienate Indian sentiment front Britain.”