7 Weeks To Create 2 New Dominions

Northern Advocate, 7 June 1947, Page 5

7 Weeks To Create 2 New Dominions

(Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, June 6. THE Government’s programme for the India transfer should ensure two new self-governing Dominions being created in seven weeks, says Reuter’s political correspondent. Parliament will be presented with the necessary legislation not later than the first week in July

The legislation will be rushed through within one \yeek, passed immediately for Royal Assent and placed on the Statute Book before the end of the month.

Crown law officers are now hard at work preparing the measures. The indications are that the most fateful India Bills will pass Parliament almost unpbtrusively. There will not be time for protracted. debates and the Opposition will not obstruct the Government. A large Government team is now occupied guiding arrangements for the transfer of power. The Prime Minister (Mr Attiee) remains continually in charge, working with Lord Listowel, Lord Addison, Sir Stafford Cripps, Mr A. V. Alexander and Under-Secretaries Henderson and Bottomley. DIVISION COMMITTEE

Reuter’s New, Delhi correspondent says it is understood that Mr Jinnah (Moslem) wants an equal number of Moslem League and Congress members in the small high-powered committee, which is to be established to settle the broad lines of the division of national assets between Hindustan and Pakistan.

This would mean no Sikh representative on the committee. Mr Jinnah argues that Sardar Baldev Singh’s inclusion tilts the balance in Congress favour.

Composition of the committee is likely to be settled when the Viceroy (Viscount Mountbatten) tomorrow meets the seven Indian leaders for a further talk. Sardar Singh, as Interim Government defence member, has been attending all talks as the Sikhs’ representative. , TALKS CONTINUE

Lord Mountbatten today continued discussion on creation of the machinery for putting the plan into operation. The All-India Depressed Classes League today formally endorsed the British plan. • The All-India Moslem' League advised the Assam Provincial Moslem League to withdraw the three-months-old civil disobedience movement. A director; of the Chamber of Princes, who has just resigned because of differences among the rulers, stated that a committee .of Ministers had been appointed to supervise liquidation of the Chamber.

He suggested that India may have kings instead of nawabs and maharajahs, and an “associated states organisation” to replace the Chamber. CAUSE OF SPLIT

The fundamental cause of the split in the Chamber of Princes was the Maharajah of Patiala, who stood for merger of the Hindustan states —Jaipur, Jodhphr, Bikaner, Udaipur, Cochin, Rewa, Bardo and Patiala —the Nawab’of Bhopal wanted to preserve the separate distinct entity of the Princely States—Hyderabad, Mysore, Kashmir, Travancore and Indore. These latter states may, after the transfer of power in August, declare themselves sovereign and independent, with the freedom of Hindustan, Pakistan or the British Commonwealth. Mr Gandhi, addressing a prayer meeting after a talk with Lord Mountbatten, said he had brought nothing from Lord Mountbatten, because he was unable to give anything, a message from New Delhi states. "We can ask him to leave India any time we wish,” Mr Gandhi said. “He sincerely told me he was not here to create differences among us, and that the British are preparing to hand over authority by August 15.” EARLY VOTING Steps are being taken to speed partition of the 1 Punjab and Bengal and to arrange for early referenda in the North-West Frontier Province and the Sylhet district of Assam, says The Times New Delhi correspondent. The Indian Government has issued orders to governors to summon the legislative, assemblies of the Punjab and Bengal immediately. ,

It is intended that elections of constituent assemblies should be completed by June 30. The referenda in the Frontier Province and Assem will take longer. The reforms department of the Indian Government is working over time to complete preliminaries so that when Britain passes the Government of'lndia Act. Pakistan and Hindustan can function immediately, even if many complicated economic administrative problems are still to be solved.