INDIA'S PROBLEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25179, 17 April 1945, Page 7

INDIA'S PROBLEMS

RELIGIOUS FANATICISM PRAISE FOR BRITISH POLICY "All I saw in India made me more than ever proud, of those British men who have guided India and who have given justice to the Indian people," stated Brigadier J. G. C. Wales, who served with the Imperial Army at Quetta, when addressing a luncheon gathering of the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday. The address was arranged as an introduction to the subject of India, which is to be studied by members of the club in their international i'orifm. The troubles of India today were attributed by Brigadier Wales to religions fanaticism, as was the case in many other countries that had difficulty in getting a stable government. Of the population, 71 per cent belonged to the Hindu religion, which was divided into ,'IOOO.OOO castes. Christians in India numbered 5,000,000. Wonderful work was being done on behalf of the British Empire by the missionaries, who had attracted most of their converts through educational and medical work. The speaker said the cost of the Indian army at home was borne by the taxpayers of India, but the Indian army serving abroad was completely supported by the British Government. Indian soldiers, which were drawn only from the martial races, were not yet ready to fill the very highest ranks in the army because they had hot had time under the policy of "Indianisation" to assimilate the necessary knowledge. In all departments of the government of the country Indians were largely in the majority. Brigadier Wales pointed out Britain hail promised that at the conclusion of the war the Indians would be allowed to elect their own form of administration. and that such a governnient would be entitled to disown allegiance to the British Crown, if it desired British justice had been available to j every subject of India, no matter how humble.