INDIAN AFFAIRS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 September 1930, Page 9

INDIAN AFFAIRS

DISOBEDIENCE CAMPAIGN

SUMMARY OP SITUATION

RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISAFFECTION

(British Official Wireless.) Received l 1:45 a.m. to-day. RUGBY, Sept. 9. Reference, to the failure of unofficial efforts by the moderate Hindus, Sir Toj Bs'hadiur Sapru and Mr Jayakar to persuade 'Congress leaders to. call off the.civil disobedience movement is made in the Government of India’s reply in a. summary of the Indian situation. The failure is ascribed to the unreasonable and impracticable nature of the Congress leaders’ demands. The, summary says: “Apart from prejudicing certain issues of first rate constitutional importance, these .demands most closely affect the. financial interests of local 'Governments and represent an attempt to impose the views of one pary without reference to the opinion of others and to practical constitutional and financial considerations. In the third aspect they involve, recognition bv the Government of an action of restraint of trade and a continuance of several of the main activities of the civil disobedience movement, under official sanction. The proposal's as a whole are so far removed front practical politics as to suggest that, they have been; put forward deliberately for propaganda purposes. An intimation lias been; conveyed to those responsible for them that discussion on the basis of the demands; is impossible. “At the outset the attitude of the Government was made clear, subject to an essentia 1 condition that the civil disobedience movement would be definitely abandoned. The Government were prepared, firstly to withdraw those emergency methods made necessary by the movement; secondly to move local governments sympathetically to review the sentence of imprisonment passed on persons convicted of non-violent offences directly connected with the teivil disobedience movement, and, thirdly, ta secure further fair and adequate representation of a. roundtable conference, so that they could •have full, 'facilities for pursuing a constitutional course. “The breakd'Otwn of conversations may give a light, and temporary impetus to the civil disobedience movement. On the other •hand the conversations have been unscrupulously used in many parts of India as evidence that the Government was anxious for a settlement on any terms, and have been employed to encourage volunteers to defy the law on the assurance, that a prisoner would be very shortly released. This opportunity for organised misrepresentation is now removed. It may also be expected that moderate opinion will recognise that, while the Government was right to afford all facilities to public-spirited; persons for pursuance of any efforts they might make in the cause of peace, responsibility for the breakdown of the conversations must be attributed to the extravagant and impracticable attitude of Congress.”