BRITAIN AND INDIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21141, 26 March 1932, Page 9

BRITAIN AND INDIA.

STATEMENT OF POLICY. DETERMINED ADHERENCE. AIM TO END DEADLOCK. : ■ - COMMUNAL DIFFERENCES, j' PROBLEM OF CONSTITUTION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received March 25. 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, March 24. Before Parliament rose to-day for the Easter recess an important statement was made in the House of Commons by the Secretary for India, Sir Samuel Home. The Minister Recalled the fact that in December the House approved a state- ; menton Indian policy made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, at the end of the Round-Table Conference and adopted the policy as its own. That policy was being carried into effect. The Government was going forward resolutely and had not the least intention of being "jostled off the road" by threats, fears or sudden alarms. Formid- | able difficulties, unfortunately, were in- ! herent in the actual state of India itself. | Firstly, there was the communal j trouble and, secondly, the complexity of i the question of an all-India federation. Communal Settlement Necessary. Sir Samuel said he appreciated the ) anxiety of many people in England who ■ took the view that if Indians would not i agree among themselves why should the i British Government intervene and give a j decision which would dissatisfy many ; people and satisfy very few. However, the trouble was that the | great majority of the people were anxious ' lor a measure of constitutional advance 1 in India, and no effective constitutional j advance, either in the provinces or the centres was possible without some kind : of communal settlement. The British i Government was not prepared to accept ; this deadlock. It said that far (lie best j solution was that the communities in I India should agree among themselves, but | if the communities failed to agree the I Government would be compelled to give I a provisional decision which would make j possible constitutional advances. In this contingency, the Minister said, • he thought they should agree that as ! much as possible of the constitutional j structure should be left to be settled by agreement between Indians and Britain. ! Safeguards for the Minority. " [ am exceedingly sorry that the communities have not agreed among them- ] j seives." said Sir Samuel. " I think I j i may claim to know what is in the minds } I of mv Moslem friends, and also of the : ! depressed classes and the Christian i i minority. They feel they have been drawn j into a discussion of the final details of j the constitution before they are sure of I j the safeguards necessary for their very j j existence. I can understand that there | should be anxiety. i "We have said that we will insist ; upon the necessary safeguards for the | minority in any constitutional act. In ! the meanwhile may I suggest that the i leaders of the communities should con- ! centrate their efforts upon organising 1 their forces for the inevitable election of I the future, rather ihan upon heated disI cussions as to what the British Government is, or is not, going to do. " Secondly, there is the very complex question of the all-India federation. I am convinced that a federation comprising the Indian States and the provinces of British India will give India much the best chance of constitutional development on safe and sound foundations. Advantage of Federal System. " I wish to say, with the full authority of the Government," continued the Minister, " that we are as deeply interested in the development of an all-India federation as we were last winter. We wish to see the Princes enter a federal system and we believe that not only will they best serve their own interests by entering it, but that they will best serve tho interests of India as well. Of course there must be differences of opinion among the 600 States upon so complex and so novel a question. "It may well be that modifications will be required in the federal plan as it stands. Wo have not the least wish to impose a scheme upon the Indan States, even if we could so dictate to them. | What we want is a workable scheme of j effective federation which will combine i British India and tho Indan States for | agreed purposes in an organised constitui tional structure."