TO DECIDE INDIA’S FATE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1930, Page 7

TO DECIDE INDIA’S FATE

ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE 1 SELECTION OF PERSONNEL . INVITATIONS BY VICEROY , WIDE SCOPE OF MEETING British Wireless. Rugby, Sept. 10. The list is issued of the Indian States’ representatives and British Indian representatives invited by the Viceroy of India on behalf of His Majesty’s Government to attend the Indian round-table conference which will meet in London in a few weeks’ time.- It is possible that as a result of correspondence still proceeding other names may be j added to the list. As it at present stands the list contains the names of 16 representatives of Indian States and 50 representatives of British India. Among, the- former appear such well-known Indian rulers and statesmen as the Maharajas of Bikanir, Alwar, Patiala and Nawanagar. The last-named is familiar to English sportsmen as Ran jitsinh ji,the cricketer. The British Indian names are representatives of all shades of politics with the exception of the Congress party and all the Indian communities, including the martial races, Indian Christians, “Untouchables,” the commercial community and the European community, with three representatives of Burma and two of Indian women. ‘ Among the names are those of the Aga Khan, Mr. Jinnah, a prominent Moslem politician who also enjoys the confidences of Hindus, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, a wellknown Liberal politician, Mr. Sastri, a leading Hindu politician, and Sir Muhamad Shafi, a leading Moslem politician. OF IMMENSE IMPORTANCE. The conference will be a gathering of immense importance. The suggestion that it shoulfl be- held was first made in a letter to the Prime Minister by Sir John Simon, the chairman of the Indian Statutory Commission. Its wide scope was indicated by the Viceroy in his address to the Indian legislature two months ago when he said: “His Majesty’s Government conceives the conference not as a mere meeting for discussion and debate but as a joint assembly of representatives of both countries on whose agreement precise proposals to Parliament may be founded. The conference will- thus enjoy the unfettered right of examining the whole problem in all its bearings with the knowledge that its labours are of not an academic kind and that His Majesty’s Government still hopes that Indians of dll schools of thought, whatever the attitude that some - have hitherto taken, will be ready to share in this constructive work. / “I see no reason why from a frank discussion on all sides a scheme might not emerge for submission to Parliament which would confound the pessimism of those who would tell us that it is impossible for Great Britain and India, or for various interests in India, to reach an agreement.” The names are not yet announced of the representatives from the Houses of Parliament. The Government has invited the leaders of the two opposition parties to nominate representatives to attend the conference from both Houses, but the Prime Minister has made it clear that while the presence at tfie conference of representatives of ■ the other Parliamentary parties would, in the Government’s view, lead to a removal of difficulties and differences and would facilitate subsequent legislation, tfie Government could not throw off its constitutional responsibility and must retain complete freedom regarding the proposals it will, as an outcome of the conference, subsequently lay before Parliament.

By permission of the King-Emperor the conference'will be held in St. Janies' Palace.

THREE-MONTH SITTING EXPECTED

NATIVES DELEGATES TO PLAN. Rec. '11.25 p.m. Lqndon, Sept. 11. The general estimate is that the India conference will last three months, says the Daily Herald. • The number of British representatives is likely to be small. After the public opening the conference will presumably divide into committees, which necessarily will. be almost entirely of Indian composition. This means that the Indians themselves will work out the plans for later discussion with the British representatives. The conference itself will decide the agenda and the methods of procedure.

It is largely. Ghandi’s own fault that he has not been invited as his terms to the Viceroy were in the nature of an attempt to prejudice questions within the province of the conference.