THE CONFERENCE ON INDIA

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1930, Page 7

THE CONFERENCE ON INDIA

INFORMAL meeting held MOSLEM ULTIMATUM DENIED “DISCUSSION HARMONIOUS'’ BRITISH INDIA’S HIGH HOPE British Wireless. Nov. 16. A further informal meeting of the British India delegation to the roundtable conference was held at St. James Palace yesterday and another is fixe for Tuesday, following to-morrows plenary sitting. . The report that the Moslem delega e issued an ultimatum to the Hindus during the discussion on the communal demand is denied. The denial is a joint one, authorised by the British Indian delegation and issued by the .Aga Khan ■ind Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru. It gays that an ultimatum has been issued neither by the Moslems nor the Hindus but that, on the contrary, .the discussions have been friendly and harmonious. It continues: “There is no justification at all for the statement that there are any quarrels over the conference here. The differences in points of view are in process, of adjustment from day to day.” The Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda, speaking at a reception given by the East India • Association in honoui oi the conference delegates, referred to the abundant hospitality extended to them in London and expressed the warmest appreciation of the association s unremitting efforts to promote mutual understanding between the elements in Britain and India. Much of the reform accomplished in India, whether political, economic or social, had been helped on by the association. The delegates had come from every part of India and represented in all their external variety its manners, customs, races and dialects, yet they were all equally united in the determination to reach an agreement securing the best interests of India as a whole. This, he believed, was a sure guarantee of ultimate success. , — The safety and greatness of the British Empire lay in-the fact that its people were allowed freedom to develop according to their individual genius. That was India’s need and earnest deSU He urged that India should take its place, which was its privilege and due as a self-governing unit of the British Commonwealth; let them go forward in the spirit of mutual trust and collaboration, conscious of the greatness of their Referring to the India conference, Sir John Simon at Cleckheaton yesterday said the work of framing a constitution under which one-fiftieth of the human ' race could live was a tremendous task and those who served on the statutory commission went through a long course of close and careful scrutiny and consultation before it, was possible to put forward proposals which, whether they were right or wrong, at any rate formed a connected whole. One sentence from the commission’s report might usefully be repeated: *‘lt must not be assumed that you can substitute a different design and different materials for one part Of our structure without raising the question whether what . remains can stand unaffected.”

ALL-INDIA FEDERATION.

OFFER MADE BY THE PRINCES.

Kec. 12.50 a.m. London, Nov. .17. ' The Daily Telegraph says an Indian Princes’ deputation met the British India representatives at the Carlton Hotel yesterday and detailed the terms upon which it was prepared to enter an Ml-India federation if an agreement acceptable to all parties is reached. The conditions are: That the Viceroy remains as the King’s representaThat aIT dynastic questions affecting the princes’ succession, marriage and powers within their States, etc., shall be left exclusively to themselves, the Federal Government having no authority. , , That they shall have a fair share, m all State services common- to British Indian States such as railways, canals, irrigation and customs. That the army remains under the Viceroy, who may employ State troops when necessary. That existing treaties remain and shall nbt be changed into fresh agreements with an All-India Government. That disciplinary authority shall be exercised in certain cases by the Viceroy. Such cases as misrule shall be left to a council of the princes. It is also understood that the princes will seek powerful representation in the second chamber.

The only prince opposed to entering a" All-Indian federation is Nizam of Siderabad. Moreover, the Hindu leaders agreed to recognise the north frontier, the West province and the Punjab as predominently Moslem and agreed to a separation of Sind from Bombay. The Moslem demand for 33 per cent, representation in the central Legislature was not agreed to. The question of equitable representation for Hindus and Moslems in public services is left to a public services commission such as exists in the Irish Free State.