AFFAIRS IN INDIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18747, 28 December 1922, Page 5

AFFAIRS IN INDIA

THE NATIONAL CONGRESS. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 1 Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright DELHI, December 26. lour thousand delegates attended the opening session of the National Congrcsn at Calcutta. In his presidential address, Mr R. G. Das insisted that the Government must be by the masses, not by the middle classes. He favoured securing elections to the Councils in order to carry out a policy of non-co-operation, and vigorously denounced a plea for ■ law and order, which he described as the last resource of bureaucracies. He maintained that no regulation could be law unless it was based on the people’s consent, without which obedience was not obligatory. He urged that India’s ideal should be the nationalism of one great nationality, and that an Indian nation was in sight, the development of the law of which was along the path of a swaraj. Non-violent non-coperation was the only means of attaining a swaraj. Ho emphasised the importance of India’s participation in the great Asiatic Federation in replacing the Pan-Islamic movement, and in constituting a union of Asia’s oppressed nationalities. He disapproved of the granting of provincial autonomy with responsibility to a central Government, favouring instead the expression of a collective will through the medium of the creation of practically autonomous small centres. He urged the appointment of a committee to draw up such- a swaraj scheme. He considered the present system of reformed councils absolutely unsuited to the nature and genius of a nation which refused to recognise it as the real foundation of a swaraj. The president expected that non-co-operators -would secure a majority at the Council's elections, and could then demand their own constitution, failing which they should oppose all the Council’s’ work. Bureaucracy would then have to yield or withdraw reform Acts. In either event it would be a triumph for the nation. He urged the Congress to organise labour and peasantry, otherwise they might form their own organisations disassociated from the swaraj’s objective. The Congress, by 70 votes to four, adopted a. resolution that contesting seats for the Councils was opposed to religion. The decision is expected considerably to influence the controversy.—Reuter. THE INDIAN ARMY. ELIMINATION OF BRITISH SOLDIERS. DELHI, December 26. A resolution will be submitted at the forthcoming session of the Legislative Assembly recommending a stoppage of the recruitment of British soldiers for the army in India by one-third, and also urging the Indianisation of the army in the course of 15 years bv the gradual elimination of the British forces and their placement by Indians. —A. and N.Z. Cable. THE MOPLAH REVOLT. ASPHYXIATION OF PRISONERS. ALL THE ACCUSED ACQUITTED. DELHI, December 26. Tire trial of Sergeant Andrews and a number of policemen who were in charge of a van in which a number of Moplhh prisoners were recently asphyxiated ended in the accmittal of all the accused.—A. and N.Z. Cable.