INDIA’S CONSTITUTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21543, 15 January 1932, Page 7

INDIA’S CONSTITUTION

COMMITTEES TO REPORT PERSONNEL ANNOUNCED (British Official Wireless.) (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) RUGBY, January 13. The personnel of the three committees that are shortly to commence work in India, in continuation of .the discussions of the Round Table Conference, is announced. The Marquess of Lothian is chairman of the Franchise Committee. This committee comprises seven other English members and seven representative Indians, most of whom were members of the recent Round Table Conference. ~ ... r The Federal Finance Committee, of gix members, is under the chairmanship of Lord Eustace Percy, and the chairman of the States Inquiry Committee, of seven members, is Mr J. C. C. Davidson, M.P. It is explained that the States Inquiry Committee, in the course of a tour of the principal centres in the Indian States, will adopt the procedure of meeting representatives of the States in conference, with a view to common discussion of the questions involved. Before drafting the report, the Prime Minister nominated seven of the States delegates and 13 British delegates to the Round Table Conference to be members of a Consultative Committee, under the chairmanship of the Governor-Gene-ral, .as deputy for himself. It is the intention of the Government that this working committee of the conference should be brought into effective consultation on the recommendations of the three committees above mentioned before conclusions on the recommendations are adopted by the Government. Besides this it will participate in much constructive work which can be undertaken independently. , ~ ~ The terms of reference of the three committees, which will sail from Marseilles on Friday, are set out in letters to the chairmen. The Prime Minister in his letters states: “The Government will look for complete detailed proposals on which to base a revision of the franchise and an arrangement .of constituencies for the new legislatures, central and provincial, which are to form a part of the constitution. The Government hopes that the committees will be in a position so to frame their proposals as to present a complete detailed scheme for forming a responsible Federal Government, subject to certain safeguards accepted by the Government.”

KASHMIR STATE BORDER. GRAVE DISTURBANCES. ’ CALCUTTA, January 14. (Received Jan. 15, at 1.16 a.m.) There were grave disturbances at Jhelum, on the Kashmir State border, following the seizure of peasants’ cattle by the State authorities in Consequence of the non-payment of land revenue. Crowds of villagers armed with knives and sticks, surrounded Jhelum, cut the telegraph wires, attempted to destroy the brid|e over the Jhelum River, and attacked Kashmir troops who were guarding the bridge. The troops fired, killing and wounding an unknown number, Further outbreaks are threatened. The curfew order has been declared, and military and police reinforcements are being sent from Jammu.