INDIAN AFFAIRS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1930, Page 3

INDIAN AFFAIRS

VICEROY’S STATEMENT,

PURPOSE OF ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE.

(British Official Wireless.) i

RUGBY, July 9

The Secretary of State for India, Captain Wedg-wood Bfenn, in the House of Commons to-day, referred all members who desired to ask questions regarding the forthcoming Rourx Table Conference on Indian affairs to the statement made to-day by Lord Irwin on (behalf of his Majesty’s Government to the Indian Legislature in Simla, copies of which were circulated to the House.

In the course of this imporant statement the Viceroy dealt witli the campaign of civil disobedience, which now lias been in progress for three mo,nths. He described, it as a deliber" ate attempt to coerce established authority by mass action, which must bo regarded as unconstitutional and dangerously subversive. “After all,” said Lord Irwin, “is it not a very dangerous doctrine to preach to the citizens of'lndia that it is patriotic and laudable to refuse to obey laws, or to pay taxes? Human nature is often reluctant to do either, and, if there is anything certain, it is that if society is once thoroughly inoculated with these noxious microbes the disease will perpetually recur until one day it paralyses the Indian Government of the future, which, by these methods, it is sought to bring into existence. It may not l>e long before Indian Ministers are responsible, for example, for the assessment and collection of land revenue, or other taxes. They would have little cause to thank those. who had allowed the impression to gain ground flint the withholding of payments legally due was the proper method of voicing general political dissatisfaction with; the established Ministry. Therefore it is that I have felt bound to combat these doctrines and to arm the Government with such powers as seem required to deal with the situation.”

Regardin'* the Round-Table Confer-” ence in London, the Viceroy said: “His Majesty’s Government have reached the conclusion that it would not be right to prescribe for the Conference any-terms irtore limited than were implied in my statement of November 1 last, and that the Conference should enjoy the full freedom that those words connote; ' The Conference accordingly will be free to approach its task greatly assisted indeed, but with liberty unimpaired by the report of the Statutory Commission, or by any other documents which will he before it. It is the belief of his Majesty’s Government that by way of the Conference it should be possible to reach a - solution that both countries and all parties and interests in them can honourably accept, and any such agreement at which the Conference is able to arrive will form the basis of proposals, whicli his Majesty’s Government will later submit to Parliament. From such a definition of the scope of the Conference it is clear that that his Majesty’s Government conceive of it, not as a mere meeting for discussion and debate, hut as a joint assembly of the representatives of both countries, on whose agreement precise proposals to Parliament may be founded.

CONSTRUCTIVE WORK. The Conference will thus enjoy unfettered the right of examining the whole problem in all its bearings, with tlie knowledge that its labours are of no academic kind, and bis Majesty’s Government will hope that Indians of all schools of thought, whatever the attitude that some have hitherto taken will be ready to share this constructive work. I see no reason why from frank discussion on all sides a scheme might not emerge for submission to Parliament which would confound the pessimism of those who tell us that it is impossible for Britain and India, or thfi various interests in India, to reach an agreement.”

Earlier, in his review of the Indian situation, Lord Irwin recalled that when he came to India as Viceroy it was clear that his principal duty was to devote all his energies to the maintenance of a progressive, orderly and contented India, within the orbit of tlie British Commonwealth. It was also evident that, looking ahead, it was hardly to be expected that India, rightly sensitive of her self-respect and growing every year more conscious of national feeling, should of her own free will desire to re main a partner in a political society such as the British Empire, upon terms which implied permanent inferiority of status. It was for this reason and with the object of removing avoidable misunderstanding on this vital matter that his Majesty’s Government last year authorised him to declare that," in their view, attainment of dominion status was the natural completion of India’s constitutional growth. That declaration was made and stood. .

The Government, he said, simultaneously announced their intention to convene a conference as widely representative in character as possible, in order that, after the submission of the Statutory Commission’s report, the spokesman of Great Britain and India might take free counsel together upon the measures' which, the

Government would later present to Parliament. That report had been published, and he Hid not think that any impartial reader, whatever might be his opinion upon the, actual recommendations made, would deny that the Commission had made a weighty and constuctiv© contribution to a most difficult problem. Great, as for its intrinsic value, must be the authority of the Report, it was neither the desire nor the function of the Commission to anticipate the decisions of the Government reached after the conference with the repesentatives from India, or of Parliament itself. Their task was described by Sir John Simon in the . following words: “No one should regard the Statutory Commission, or its colleagues, as though we were settling and deciding the constitution of British India. Our task is very important, hut it is not that. Our task is that of making a fair, honest and sympathetic report to the Imperial Parliament. When we have made our report, then it would be India’s opportunity to make her full contribution, which is right and necessary to her future constitution, which would be frtimed by Britain and India together.” Lord Irwin added that the duty of expressing an opinion had passed to the Government of India. Before reaching conclusions he hoped to discuss the whole subject with some of those who spoke; for non-official India. He. would see some of the ruling princes and representatives of the. different States, next week, and proposed to invite representatives from British India to meet him later. The Viceroy concluded by stating that two roads to-day lay open before India, one leading to turmoil, disunity, disappointment and shattered hopes, and the other guiding those who should follow it to the India of their dreams, a proud partner in the full commonwealth of nationals, lending and gaining strength by such honourable association. India to-day had to make her choice, and he prayed that , she might choose aright.