INDIA’S FUTURE

Evening Star, Issue 25745, 19 March 1946, Page 5

INDIA’S FUTURE

BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S DECLARATION WELCOMED BY NATIONALISTS LONDON, March 17. The statement by the Prime Minister, Mr C. R. Attlee, has aroused enthusiasm in Nationalist India, which is now looking forward to the success of the Cabinet mission with optimism, says the Delhi correspondent of ‘ The Times.' India is specially pleased with two points in the declaration—first, that as far as Britain is concerned independence is India’s for the choosing; secondly, that in the coming negotiations a minority would not be allowed to place a veto on the advance of the majority. The Congress leader, Pandit Nehru, revealed that Congress realised that India could not be governed as a union against the wishes of the Moslem community. If full provincial autonomy was not enough for the Moslems, Congress would permit them to have a separate State or States. Evidently, adds the correspondent, it is no longer the principle of Pakistan which is at stake, but the details. Agreement regarding Pakistan would be mainly a matter of boundaries and satisfactory arrangements for unified conduct of foreign affairs, defence, and allied matters. The leader of the Moslem League, Mr Jinnah, is less happy about Mr Attlee’s statement, but is cautious in criticism. He reiterated that division of India was the only basis for a solution of the constitutional problem. The correspondent recalls that the territorial basis of Pakistan includes Sind, the Punjab, Baluchistan, the North-west Frontier, Bengal, and Assam, He says Mr Jinnah hinted that once the principle of Pakistan was conceded he would be ready to discuss an adjustment of boundaries so as to leave out large areas with nonMoslem majorities. The correspondent expresses the opinion that it would he well-nigh imposible for the Moslems to govern the Punjab, with its 40 per cent, of nonMoslem inhabitants, or Bengal and Assam, with non-Moslem majorities. MR GANDHI'S CO-OPERATION APPEAL FOR PATIENCE LONDON, March 15. Mr Gandhi, addressing'a huge meeting at Bombay, appealed to the people of India to be patient and give the British Cabinet mission the opportunity to fulfil the British Government’s promises. “If the mission comes with false promises I will guide the people in the next step they should take.” he said. The Working Committee of the Indian National Congress carried the following resolution:—“The discredited policy of Imperial domination which led to the two world wars is likely to result in another war on a colossal scale. It is necessary to end foreign/ domination over the countries of Asia and Africa. Foreign armies must.be withdrawn from all such countries, notably from Indonesia, Manchuria, Indo-China, Persia, and Egypt.” The committee also drew up a programme to meet the famine threat, stating that it was essential that the policy of the Government and the people should be one “ at this time of crisis.” The Congress Party Working Committee appointed a special committee to negotiate with the British Cabinet mission. The committee- consists of Manlana Abdul Azad, Pandit Jawaliarlal Nehru, and Gandhi’s risriit-hnnd man, Dr Snrdar Patel. The Working Committee will be in continuous.session in New Delhi during the negotiations. Mr Gandhi will also be in the city.