INDIA

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 August 1924, Page 5

INDIA

NOT HOSTILE TO BRITAIN. AIMING AT SELF-GOVERNMENT. TWO GREAT LEADERS. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT (Received Aug. 8, 10.25 a.m.) TORONTO, Aug. 7. The presidential address before the British Association for the Advancement of Science was preceded by the reading of a message from the Prince of Wales, expressing keen 'iuterest in the work of preparing British boys for overseas’ careers. Professor C. V. Raymon, University of Calcutta, said that India’s troubles were religious, not political. "The bitter, fanatical intolerance of the Mahommedaus is an evil force which precludes a working agreement with the liberal-minded Hindus and obstructs the realisation of national aspirations. The great desire of the people of India is to obtain self-govern-ment. They arc not concerned whether they are insido the Empire or outside. They are not antagonistic to Britain; they wish to co-operate with and remain allied to Britain, but just now their great aim is to receive the same full measure of self-government as lias been extended to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Irish Free State. Ghandi, the leader of the non-co-opera-tive movement, qnd Das, leader of the Swarjist movement, are men loved by the people, and the only difference is that they have decided on different methods of obtaining the same object. Ghandi has four extremes which he holds as essential for the proper realisation of India’s position as a nation within the Empire—the elevation of cast, simplification of life, elimination of luxuries, and the inculcation of selfreliance in the people. His movement is the soul force or concentration of the mind of the people on the -will to adopt a certain attitude in regard, to any problem. Das advocates a policy of obstruction and aims at gaining strength in the Council’s administration so as to hinder the Government so that it will eventually grant India self-rule. — Reuter.