INDIAN ASSEMBLY OPTS TO BOYCOTT SIMON COMMISSION

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6538, 21 February 1928, Page 7

INDIAN ASSEMBLY OPTS TO BOYCOTT SIMON COMMISSION

Where Are Motives of Justice and Fairplay? MEMBERS IGNORANT OP CONDITIONS [By Electric Cable-Copyright.] iAust. ana N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received Monday, 5.5 p.m.) DELHI, . Fob. 19. The Indian Legislative Assembly by 68 votes to 62 decided to boycott the Simon Commission. Lala Lajpat Eai, the National Leader, in moving the boycott motion, said that, the Indians did not believe that those' who appointed the Commission were actuated by motives of justice and fairplay and the interests of India. He said ho had no faith in the Commission's competence. Their ignorance of India was the greatest disqualification. Lord Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, at Doncaster on Thursday last week delivered an important speech on the situation in India, where the Indian Legislative Assembly is now debating at Delhi the question of boycotting the Indian Statutory Commission, of, which Sir John Simon is chairman. After declaring that the statement • issued by Sir John Simon, indicating the limits within which the Commission was prepared to admit and welcome the co-operation of an Indian committee, had never been discussed by him before the Commission left England, Lord Birkenhead said that those who imagined that they could defeat the purpose of the Commission by boycotting it had no contact with reality. The assistance of Indian opinion officially represented and organized in committees of the various Assemblies would be welcome at every stage, but if that help was not forthcoming the Commission would nevertheless carry its task to a conclusion. Lord Birkenhead referred to the British Labour Party's support for the policy • of appointing a Commission, and tho declaration of Mr. Ramsay Macdonald that if tho Labour Party were returned to power to-morrow India would still find itself confronted with the Commission.

Lord Birkenhead expressed the opinion that the hoycotters would gradually discover how little they represented tho vast and heterogeneous community of which Britain was the trustee. They would discover millions of Moslems, millions of depressed classes, millions of business people in the Anglo-Indian community who intended to put their case before the Commission, and that Commission would ultimately report to Parliament. They should consider whether the attitude recommended by the more extreme elements in India was likely to convince anyone that they were fit for a great extension of the present constitution. They might easily by cooperation so prove it, but he misread the situation if they succeeded in proving that India was already ripe for B.n extension of the existing Constitution by refusing in the first place to work it and by declining in an organized boycott to examine its present work ings with a view to its reform and possible extension.

The Indian Statutory Commission was appointed to inquire into the working of the system of government, the growth of education, and the development of representative institutions in India. The personnel consists of Sir John Simon, the chairman, Lord Burnham, Lord Strathcona, the Hon. Edward Cadogan, Colonel Lane Fox, Major Attlee, and Mr. Vernon Hartshorn. The Commission arrived in Bombay on 3rd February, and was immediately apprised of the opposition to its mission in political circles. Sir John Simon issued two statements in the endeavour to clear up misapprehension and announced that the work of the Commission would be done in "joint free conferences" with Indian pational and provincial legislatures.