INDIAN SOCIALISTS AGAINST REMAINING IN COMMONWEALTH

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1949, Page 5

INDIAN SOCIALISTS AGAINST REMAINING IN COMMONWEALTH

(Rec 10.20) LONDON, May 2. Although India, as a whole, has welcomed the agreement which the Commonwealth Conference reached last week, there has been criticism and particularly from the Left Wing Socialist leaders, says “The Times’ correspondent at Delhi. The general secretary of the moderately powerful Socialist Party, Mr Jai Prakash Narain, deplored the London Agreement and he said that the Socialist Party would do its best to undo this “great national blunder.” Narain said that India’s association with the Commonwealth wouicl prevent her from gaining self-confidence and from standing on her own feet. The correspondent concluded: “Mr Narain’s and other criticisms of the Commonwealth agreement are not likely to sway the great mass of Indian opinion, or to prevent the Indian Constituent Assembly from endorsing the London decision at its forth-com-ing session.” Pakistan Not To Be Taken Cheaply ! LONDON, April 30. The Pakistan Prime Minister, Liaquat. Ali Khan, to-day warned ail the nations of the Commonwealth against “the tendency to take Pakistan for granted.” He said “Pakistan is not a nation of people macle of clay and mud. These 80,000,000 people are made of flesh and bone and they havp very strong blood in their veins. Pakistan is willing and ready to make a contribution towards the ideals of the Commonwealth, but not as a camp follower.” Liaquat Ali Khan added that there had been an improvement in Pakistan's relations with India and since the cease-fire in Kashmir there was no more tension. Mr. D. S. Senanayake, Prime Minister of Ceylon, said: “I think we are quite happy as we are.” He had been asked if Ceylon was likely to follow India’s plan to become a republic.