INDIAN QUESTION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 77, 28 February 1938, Page 9

INDIAN QUESTION

AGREEMENT PROBABLE. SITUATION IN BIHAR. RELEASE OF PRISONERS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) . (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 27. Reports from India indicate that an agreement similar to that in United Provinces regarding the release of “political” prisoners l is certain in Bihar. While the principle that there should he no indiscriminate release has been secured, the Governor has expressed himself willing to follow the advice of his Ministers in remitting the unexpired portion of sentences in cases already examined, and the Ministers themselves will examine the remaining cases individually. In a joint statement issued at Lucknow by the Governor and the Prime Minister, it is stated that there is no reason to fear any usurpation or interference with the legitimate functions of responsible Ministers. “We are both desirous of maintaining healthy conventions and, with goodwill on both sides, we hope to succeed,” it says. ADMIRABLE RESTRAINT. The Times says: “Even more important than the actual terms of the compromise, the Ministers’ withdrawal of their resignations is abundant evidence of the emergence of a new and welcome political sense throughout India. “Nothing has been said or clone by responsible elements in the Congress Party to aggravate the crisis. The Nationalist Press has shown admirable restraint in its comments and opponents of National Congress have made no attempt to make capital out of the dispute. . “So far from shirking responsibility, the leaders of that party, and particularly Mr Gandl - ', have shown their genuine desire that Congress Ministers should remain in office. They are strongly opposed to several ventures in the new Constitution, but they have made no attempt to convert the recent dispute into a campaign against reforms as a whole. “In short, they have shown that they have abandoned their former negative attitude for a co-operative, constructive, constitutional policy, which will be of immense benefit to India as a whole. Both the Government of India and the leading Indian Nationalist Party have emerged with great credit.”

The resignation of the Ministers in Bihar and United Provinces arose from the refusal of the Governors to release all political prisoners. It had been an important feature of .the programme of the Congress Ministries in all provinces to secure the release of all prisoners convicted of crimes which were considered to be actuated by political motives. The Governors of the Congress provinces had accepted proposals by their Ministries for the release of a substantial number of such prisoners, having satisfied themselves after examination of each individual case that no menace to the peace and tranquillity of the province was involved. The Governors were fully prepared to deal with the remaining cases on the same basis of individual tiny, but the Ministers of both provinces proposed to release ■ forthwith the whole of the remaining so-called political prisoners without regard for the nature or circumstances of the crimes. The Viceroy of India (the Marquess of Linlithgow) decided that lie could not agree to the immediate and indiscriminate release of a body of legally-convicted prisoners which includes dangerous terrorists with very bad criminal records.