Crisis in India

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 41, 18 February 1938, Page 7

Crisis in India

“What is Coming We Cannot Say” ATMOSPHERE OP CONFLICT WITH BRITISH IMPERIALISM United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. BOMBAY, Feb. 16. Mr. Gandhi, in his first public comment on the constitutional crisis, declared: “Bihar and the United Provinces to-day, and maybe Madras tomorrow. It is not a question of whether three or 30 prisoners are involved; it is the principle that counts. It seems to be only a matter of time when the other Congress Governments will follow the lead of the United Provinces and resign." He added that a crisis had arisen, the consequences of which nobody could foretell. “The Viceroy's interference," he said, * ‘ seems to be unfortunate and uncalled-for." Panit Nehru, in relinquishing the presidency of the Congress, said: “We must be ready to march at a moment's notice. We meet in an atmosphere of conflict with British Imperialism. What is coming we cannot say." GRAVE RISK TO PEACE IF POINT CONCEDED RELEASE OF ALL PRISONERS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Feb. 16. Speaking on behalf of the Government in the House of Commons on the resignation of the Ministries in Bihar and the United Provinces, Lord Winterton said 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 motive. 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 tranquility of the province was involved. In the Unitsrl Provinces fourteen had been released and in Bihar 15, but there remained 15 more in the United Provinces and 26 m Bihar, some of whom had been convict cd of serious crimes of violence. The Governors were fully prepared to deal with the remaining cases on the same basis of individual scrutiny, he said, 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 Governor-General decided that he 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.

“He is satisfied, and the Secretary for India is in full agreement with him, that the adoption of the proposal of the Ministers iu these two provinces would be attended by the gravest risk to the peace and tranquility of India. It is clear that unconditional acceptance of the doctrine that crimes of violence, if actuated by a motive that can be described as political—and this description might well be regarded as covering communal activities—must strike at the very root of law and order in India. Even if there are some provinces in which the effects would not be immediately felt, in the end the basis of good Government everywhere would be inevitably dangerously impaired."