Nehru Motion Agreed To

Northern Advocate, 23 January 1947, Page 5

Nehru Motion Agreed To

(Rec. 1 p.m.) NEW DELHI. Jan. 22

The Indian Constituent Assembly unanimously agreed to Mr Nehru’s resolution declaring the Assembly's resolve to proclaim an independent Republic of India. Replying to the debate, Mr Nehru said:

"There has been plenty of opportunity for the Moslems to come. “Unfortunately they have not decided to come and still hover in a state of indecision.

•‘We shall welcome them at any time, bat it should be made clear without any possibility of misunderstanding that no work will be held up whether they come or not.” Mr Nehru, referring to a point raised that the idea of a people's sovereignty was not acceptable to certain rulers of Indian States, said: “SCANDALOUS THING” “It is a scandalous thing for any rnan to say he has any special Divine rule over human beings. “On the idea of the Divine right of kings there is going to be no compromise so far as we are concerned. "The states’ representatives can come at the earliest possible moment.

"We will welcome them if they are the proper representatives of the states.

"We stand on the threshold of a freedom.

“We do not wish to carry a trail of hostility with us against any country. “We want to be friendly with the British people and the British Commonwealth of Nations.”

Mr Nehru said it was impossible, inconceivable and undesirable to think in any other terms but those of a sovereign republic of India. "At no time have we thought of isolating ourselves from other countries, or being hostile even to countries which dominated us,” he said.

“We are not laying down in the resolution any strict scheme for governing Indian states. “Such of them as are big enough to form units or to group themselves to form units will be autonomous units with a very large measure of freedom, subject no doubt to certain central functions, in which they will cooperate." DISORDERS REPORTED The Government announced a state of emergency in Dacca municipal area, where the Government report “serious loss of life and property” from intermittent communal disturbances in the past four months.

The Government added: “A feeling of bitterness and suspicion still persists between Moslems and Hindus, and the posibility of a fresh outbreak of communal strife cannot be ignored.” In Calcutta, the second day of the student disorders produced less tension, but a Bengal Government communique reports that, nine were injured and 25 arrested. The police charged with batons to disperse an unlawful assembly.