INDIA’S CONSTITUTION

Evening Star, Issue 25677, 28 December 1945, Page 5

INDIA’S CONSTITUTION

PARTITION OF INDIA NOT FAVOURED SAPRU COMMITTEE'S FINDINGS (Rec. 8 a.m.) BOMBAY, Dee. 27. The Sapru Conciliation Committee of the Indian .Non-party Leaders’ Conference, in proposals for India’s future constitution published to-day, rejects all schemes for the partition of India, and recommends that “ a constitutionmaking body should proceed on a basis of framing a constitution for a single State.” The recommendations, which were drawn up in answer to,Britain’s invitation to Indian leaders to agree on

settlement among themselves, was signed by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, chairman, M. R. Jayakar, Sir Gopalaswami Ayyangar, and Sir.Jagdish Prahad. The committee considers a parliamentary Government not unsuited to India. It prescribes an adult franchise and joint electorates conceding to Moslems -parity with Hindus in the Union Assembly Committee. It stipulates, however, that, “ should Moslems insist on separate electorates, not only should the parity offer be withdrawn, but Hindus should be free to ask for a revision of the communal award.” ,

The committee opposes any proposal whereby individual provinces or States could keep out of the union. On the subject of the unfederated States, the committee says that British suzerainty must cease to exist, and a new Federal Cabinet, composed entirely of Indians, should exercise paramount jurisdiction over the unfederated States.