Indian Policy Is 'Complete Disaster'

Northern Advocate, 7 March 1947, Page 5

Indian Policy Is 'Complete Disaster'

(Received noon) LONDON, March 6. RESUMING the debate on India in the House of Commons , today Mr Churchill said Mr Nehru’s Government had been a complete disaster. It had restricted freedom in India since it came to power. It was a mistake to entrust the Government of India to Mr Nehru, leader of the caste Hindus, who had good reason to be most bitter about any connection between India and the British Commonwealth. Mr Churchill added that the Opposition dissociated itself from the , Government’s India policy and disclaimed all responsibility for the consequences “which will darken and redden the coming years.”

The Opposition, for the first time in the matter of India, had decided to use its vote to express disagreement with the Government’s policy. Both sides of the House had been bound by the declaration made at the time by the British Mission to India in March, 1942. The Opposition still stood by the principle then laid down and, if the Government had changed its mind about the offer of Dominion status to India, then it could not expect the Opposition’s support. The Government had abandoned all responsibility for carrying out its pledges to minorities or fulfilling treaties with Indian States and had departed from the declaration by Sir

Stafford Cripp’s Mission that there should be agreement between Indian communities. The Government also had made a number of political mistakes, notably in the dismissal of eminent .Indians composing the Viceroy’s Council and handing over the Government' to Mr Nehru. This had resulted in complete disaster, with great degeneration an demoralisation in departmental machinery in India. Mr Churchill regretted that no statement had been made as .to why the former Viceroy (Earl Wavell) had resigned and said it was an unwholesome way of conducting public affairs in a time of peace.