HOW THE CRISIS WAS MET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 151, 28 May 1929, Page 6

HOW THE CRISIS WAS MET.

The Yiceroy met the crisis by convening a joint meeting of the Legislative Assembly and the Council of State at New Delhi, when he announced that in view of the President (Mr Patel’s) ruling that the Public Safety Bill was out of order, he was issuing an Ordinance, whereby he would assume the safety powers sought by the Government under the arrested Bill, and amend the rules to prevent a similar interruption of business in the future by the President of either Chamber. Lord Irwin’s action was taken under Section 72 of the Government of India Act, which provides that—

“The GevernOT-Goneral may, in case of emergency, make and promulgate ordinances for the peace and good government of British India in any part thereof, and any Ordinance so made shall, for the space of not more than six months from its promulgation, have the like force of law as an Act passed by the Indian Legislature.”

In apprising the joint Chambers of his intention at the specially convened session, , the Viceroy intimated that the Executive would not hesitate to uphold its authority, and declared that no concession which could not be made to reason, should ever be made to violence. The power’s which had been sought under the Public Safety Bill did not affect any who were content to seek legitimate ends by legitimate means, and he reminded his hearers that “the primary responsibility for protecting the foundations of an ordered State rests and must rest upon the Executive Government of which he was himself the head.” Crimes which sought to reduce society to “the order of the jungle,” His Excellency further said, were “foredoomed to failure,” and he added that the outrage, which had occurred in the Assembly four days earlier, would “neither accelerate nor retard the development of Indian institutions and the orderly pursuit of Indian aspirations.” It has unhappily happened that the Indian Legislature has, again and again, condoned and defended violence, and it has adopted a threatening attitude towards the Executive which is anything but reassuring for the peace and future good government of India, as it has threatened to adopt unconstitutional measures if its demands, made to the Simon Commission, are not granted within the year. It is in view of this disquieting attitude on the part of the Indian Legislature that there is a growing impression in England that the true position has not been disclosed and that the demand is made for a statement of the facts concerning India.