Greymouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1947. Division in India

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 February 1947, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1947. Division in India

yHE frequent reports of communal disturbances, combined with the failure of the Hindus and the Moslems so far to achieve a sound working basis for the establishment of a stable Government, show on what slender threads hangs the prospect of creating an enduring peaceful, regime in India. Indeed, there have been many voices raised in criticism of the British Government’s policy, particularly the speed with which it has been implemented.

Division between two peoples living in the same land, it has been pointed out, has been brought to the present critical situation by realisation of the fact that the British are bent on transferring potver. The Simon Commission put its finger on the principal reason for the communal tension when, 16 years ago, it said: “The true cause is the struggle for political power and for the opportunities that political power confers.”

The passage of 16 years, the nearer approach to full self-government, has intensified 10 times over the fears of the Moslems that they may, as a minority, be for all time reduced to subservience under Hindu rule. Hence the claim for the creation of a. State to be called Pakistan, with Moslem rule in Moslem areas. This was once described as “a students dream,” but Mr. Jinnah, the Moslem leader, has made it the faith of a people.

Indian nationalism, whether Hindu or Moslem, has ever been impatient. Its claim that constitutional progress has been slow is refuted by the-facts. In less than 40 years authority in India was' transferred from a pure bureaucracy to almost complete popular rule in the Provinces, while at the centre the Viceroy sat with an Executive Council wholly composed of Indians, albeit Indians who refused to work as a coalition. Progress would have been more rapid—lndia might have had full Dominion status even before, the war—but for the organised obstruction of Indian parties refusing to see virtue in gradualness. Clogging of reform in the past has given place to an internal vendetta that, if continued, must make any unified administration out of the question.

It, is obvious that, whatever help and advice London may give, the spirit, oi compromise must, be born in India. Should the guidance offered be finally rejected, no settlement of Indian differences could be found but in the acceptance of Pakistan. That solution would, however, widen the gulf between Hindu and Moslem, destroy India as a nation, and be of grave economic disadvantage to the Moslems themselves. Indeed, it could only be endorsed by the British Parliament and people after clear demonstration that every approach to conciliation had failed in India itself.

It is clear that, whatever happens, Britain will still have great responsibilities to discharge, and that their discharge will not be helped by any hasty action to achieve a solution of the present problem. The Indian leaders have declared as theii aim the raising of the standard of the living of their people. They will still have need of a British community and British influence and help if their hopes of an expanding economy, and with it expanding prosperity, are to be more than plans on paper.