MOSLEM STAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20864, 17 August 1942, Page 4

MOSLEM STAND

CRISIS \N INDIA DISORDER CONDEMNED MEETING OF LEAGUE (By Tcleirraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (2 p.m.) LONDON. Aug. 10. The working committee of the Moslem League met in camera 10-dav. according to an agency message, and discussed for three hours the recent Congress Party decision and the events following on it. j It is learned that Mr. Jinnah ad-J dressed the meeting on the lines of > statements already made by him ask-J ing the Moslems to keep aloof from the Congress movement and warning Congress supporters not to coerce or cajole Moslems to join in. Mr. Jinnah, iia an interview, said that if Britain, in attempting to seek peace with the Congress Party, attempted to sacrifice the Moslems they will terminate co-operation. They had gone far enough. Mr. Rajagopalachari said that the Moslem League should fake the initiative. Mr. Jinnah could not he oblivious to the growing demand among his own people for the immediate enforcement of a practical spluiion. A provisional Government could and must be formed which Will truly speak on behalf ,of the whole nation and could peremptorily demand from Britain the transfer of full power, making impossible any false plea or procrastination on behalf of British imperialism. "The Moslem League can take it for granted that the Congress Party agrees to the right of self-determination lor federation units and that they may choose to be separate and sovereign, being bound to the rest of India only for defence against foreign aggression,'’ he added. The president of the Liberal Federation, Sir Tej Sapru, to-day urged.the British Government to send a delegation to India to negotiate. “We cannot allow the hooliganism so rightly denounced by Mr. Rajagopalachari, the Madras Congress Party Leader,” he said. . “Thinks have gone so far that mutual discussion's with broadminded Parliamentarians arc ruled out as impossible, either, pn the ground of prestige or evidence of weakness. Overshadowing everything is the danger from the enemy, who .is alert and follows events in. India from day to day and is carrying .on propaganda by radio and is apt still further to inflame the situation.’’ Lawlessness Condemned, Sir Tej Sapru and Mr. Rajagopalachari are going to Delhi this weekSir Tij Sapru will meet .the Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, and it is reported that he may mediate between the Government and the Congress Party. Mr. Rajagopalachari has appealed to Mr. Jinnah, president of the Moslem League to co-operate with the Congress Party in forming a provisional Government. Sir Marapant. Joshi and citizens .of the Central Provinces have issued a statement condemning lawlessness. Mr. J. J. Singh, president of the India League of America and a former member of the All-India Congress Committee, has cabled Mr. A. I. Jinnah on the occasion of the meeting of the Moslem League in Bombay as follows: “Your countrymen abroad appeal to you to bring pence and freedom without bloodshed to India, and beg you to create Indian unity to defeat the Axis. Then, to-day’s league meeting will go down in history.” A ordngnee has been issued j'n New Delhi conferring powers-,'6n military officers from the rank, of captain upwards to protect property even by such force as may cause death. The ordnance applies to a]l British India and gives the sapie power to officers *'f equal rank in the armies of the Allies. Rioting apd destruction continue in a number of centres, but there is general agreement in responsible quarters, both Indian and British, that the first phase—that of violent disorder—has_ glmpst passed. There is* every indication that the Government forces are capable of maintaining the law and order they have restored with such vigourThe Government of the United Provinces, in a press communique issued in Lucknow, slates that after a spell of disturbances towns in the province are settling down again. Quiet prevails at Meerut, Agra, Sawpore, Allahabad, and Lucknow. Mills: are working normally. No incident has been reported. Benares is also returning to normal and the Congress committees in the State have been declared unlawful bodies.