Two States With Dominion Status

Northern Advocate, 4 June 1947, Page 5

Two States With Dominion Status

(Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 3. THE British plan for India, which was announced today, includes partition of India into Pakistan (a separate Moslem state) and Hindustan (a separate Hindu state), and the offer of Dominion status to each side. The Congress Party, Moslem League and Sikh leaders have indicated their acceptance of the British plan. The president of the Moslem League (Mr Jinnah) announced that the final decision on Moslem acceptance of the plan could only be taken by the Moslem League Council which meets on Friday. The All-India Congress Party Committee has been summoned to meet on June 14 and 15.

The British Government proposes to introduce legislation to transfer power this year on the basis of Dominion status to one or two Indian Governments, according to the decisions taken as a result of the present plan. This proposal does not prejudice the right of the Indian constituent assemblies to decide whether or not the part of India over which they have authority will remain within the British Empire.

for the major parties to cooperate in working out the Cabinet Mission’s plan f~ a constitution acceptable to all. This hope had not been fulfilled. The Government had always desired that power should be transferred in accordance with the wishes of the Indian people themselves, but, in the absence of agreement among Indian political parties, the task of devising a method whereby the Indian people's wishes could be ascertained had fallen on the Government. The British Government had no intention of attempting to frame the ultimate constitution for India, and nothing in the plan precluded negotiations between the communities for a united India.

Although the present plan provides for partition of India, this does not preclude negotiations between the Indian community for a united India. Mr Attlee, in his statement on India in the House of Commons today, said: “I am glad to be able to inform the House that the plan contained in the announcement I am about to make, including offers of Dominion status to one or two successor authorities, has been favourably received by all three Indian parties at conferences held by the Viceroy with representatives of the parties in the last two or three days..” After paying tribute to the great service which Viscount Mountbatten had rendered, Mr Attlee said the Government had hoped it would be possible

The Government did not intend to interrupt the Constituent Assembly’s work, but was satisfied the procedure outlined in the plan embodied the best practical method of ascertaining the people’s wishes in certain areas on the issue whether the existing Assembly was to frame the constitution or whether it should be done' in a new separate Constituent Assembly, consisting of representatives of those areas which had decided not to participate in the existing Assembly.