INDIAN CRISIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22966, 18 February 1938, Page 10

INDIAN CRISIS

FIRST STAGE ONLY RESIGNATIONS TO COME COMMENT BY GANDHI VICEROY CRITICISED By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright BOMBAY. Feb. 16 The Indian Nationalist leader, Mahatma Gandhi, made his first publio comment on the constitutional orisis that has arisen in the United Provinces and Bihar through the resignation of the Congress Ministries in each, owing to the respective Governors refusing to grant an amnesty to political prisoners. . "Bihar and the United Provinces to-day, maybo Madras to-mcirrow," ho said. "It is not u question of whether three or .'SO prisoners are involved;'it is the principle that counts It seems only a matter of time when other Congress Governments will follow the lead of tho United Provinces and resign. "A crisis has arisen tho consequences of which nobody can foretell. The interference of the Viceroy, the Marquess of Linlithgow, seems unfortunate and uncalled for." Pandit Nehru, on relinquishing the presidency of the Congress, said: We must bo ready to march at a moment's notice. We meet in an atmosphere of conflict with British Imperialism. What is coming wo cannot say." CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

GANDHI CONSIDERING CONGRESS GOVERNMENTS ORDERS TO RESIGN (Received February 18, 12.10 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 17 According to the News Chronicle's special correspondent at Haripura Gandhi is considering a mass civil disobedience campaign to end the Constitution if the Government remains adamant on the prisoners issue. Congress leaders are reported to have ordered the five remaining Congress Ministries to resign, namely, Bombay, Madras, OrissS, the Central Provinces and the north-west Frontier Province. BRITISH VIEWPOINT RELEASE OF PRISONERS DANGEROUS TO PEACE British Wireless RUGBY, Feb. 1G Speaking on behalf of the GoyernInent in the House of Commons on tho resignation of the Ministries in Bihar and the United Provinces, the Earl of ..Winterton said that it had been an important feature of the programme of Congress Ministries in all the provinces to secure the release of all prisoners convicted of crimes which were considered to be actuated by political motives. The Governors of Congress provinces had accepted the proposals of their Ministries for the release of a substantial number, such prisoners having satisfied them, after an examination of each individual case, that no menace to the peace or tranquillity of the proyince was involved. In the United Provinces 14 had been released, and in Bihar 15, but thnrp remained 15 more in the United Provinces and 36 in Bihar, some of whom had been convicted of serious crimes of violence. The Governors were fully preparer! to deal with tho remaining cases on the same basis of individual scrutiny, but the Ministers of both provinces had proposed the release forthwith of the Vhole of tho remaining so-called political prisoners, without regard to the nature and circumstances of the crimes. The Viceroy, the Marquess of. Linlithgow, had decided that he could not agree to an immediate and indiscriminate release of a body of legally convicted prisoners which included dangerous . terrorists. "He is satisfied," said Lord Winterton, "and the Secretary for India is in full agreement with him, that the adoption of the proposal of tho Ministers of those two provinces would be attended by the gravest risk to the peace and tranquillity of India. Even if there are some provinces in which the effects would not be immediately felt, in the end the basis of good government everywhere would bo inevitably dangerously impaired."