UNITY OF INDIA

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1930, Page 9

UNITY OF INDIA

FEDERATION DISCUSSED EARLY DOMINIONHOOD HOPED REVIEW .OF ADVANTAGES COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP AUTONOMY FOR PROVINCES British Wireless. Rugby, Nov. 18. The India round-table conference today resumed the general discussion of thi question whether the future constitution of India should be on a federal ■or ; unitary basis. Yesterday’s speeches on the subject indicated agreement that a federal constitution alone offered a possibly solution and the business committee of the conference later recommended the appointment of a committee, when the general discussion was finished, to consider the question of Imperial relations. \ A resolution to this effect was prepared for submission to to-day’s session. At the plenary sitting the Maharajah o£ Al war urged that for the well-be-ing of their national cause they mlist dive up their little quarrels and differences. ' When opportunities came the States would put forward their points of view in greater detail, but they k sought no new territories or powers, but only the practical application of their treaties-and alliances. Usage, suffer ence and political practice had for ' divers reasons encroached upon these treaties, and they desired that such extra rights outside the treaties, assured without their consent, might be frankly discussed: and decided only by mutual consent. _ . Discussing federation, the maharajah said many held the view that India might be formed again-into States. 3 his would bring true Swaraj as a U VII JS reality considerably nearer and would perpetuate the link .with the Grown through its representative the Viceroy. With Hindu, Mahommedan, Sikh and other States ‘so formed it would settle its communal questions. Above all it would maintain in strong bonds commercial and trade relations with England. It necessitated an Imperial army ■to safeguard the Crown’s obligations and to protect the ports and frontiers with 'the internal armies, of the States maintained for security and assistance m emergencies. ' . LIBERTIES ENSURED. . Federation ensured religious liberties to every section of India’s-population, and it carried oil the traditions of Indian rule according to the history of hundreds of centuries and, finally, comim- to the federation or what, he .preferred to call the United States of India, it immediately simplified the problem o rulers, uniting them in a common body to’ work out the problems of India. Here was the- shortest and quickest , way to Dominion status. -, The maharajah expressed the view that India should achieve its position on a footing of equality with the ° minions within the Empire and arrive ~at tl > situation of fully-blossomed •Dominic i status as soon as possible. His reason for saying so was so that tne larp Empire might find a grateful India co-operating whole-heartedly in making the Empire, to which they were proud to belong, something even greater. United India would be the. finest jewel and the strongest iorce in the cause of the Empire. • India had helped England durm var crisis whole-heartedly, without bargaining, it was now England’s turn to help India reach a position beyond which they had no desire to go, tion of a sister Dominion within the Empire. Sir Muhammad Shafi said 71,000,000 Mahommedans desired that in the constitutional and administrative evolution of-India they have their legitimate share in beta provincial and central Government. The federal system alone would -'suit the circumstances of the case. The -position of the Moslem group was/that they desired India to attain Dominion status as an eqiial partner in the British Commonwealth. He added that but for Lord Irwin’s wisdom and sympathy the position in India would be ten times worse. The Maharajah'of Rewa, representing

the conservative element among rhe Indian States, ■ said. a nation was being brought to birth. He felt certain that not only among the millions who the soil but among all sober-minded politicians and statesmen there, must be a' large measure of support for and sympathy with .those who counselled a cautious advance and preached the dangers of precipitation. There- were somX aspects of the Indian problem in reaar-l to which many conservative principles would .unfortunately, though not blindly,’ -resist all change. _ They would resist any sign of faltering in loyalty to the Crown and any'attempt to gev r India’s destinies from the British Empire. To this extent, however he believed that every member of this conference was conservative. INTERESTS TO BE RECONCILED. One of the most difficult asp«ts of the problem was the security of the interests g “recons. A large measure mutual confidence was » J e ; r Indian States wished to safeguard industrial interests, they . leave vurrantces that the changes would leave them free to pursue their own ideals in the manner of their heritage and tra* tion and that their position would not be modified without their consent, they M not desire faction if-it mvolred the gradual disappearance of all tne States had stood for in the past. The British delegate, Lord Peel, said he was inclined most strongly to than federation idea “which builds up units of great variety as a whole and contributed to the whole something of their richness and variety.” Inasmuch as the report of the Government of India contemplated setting up such a scheme as a remote possibility it seemed some- ' what out-of-date. Lord Peel affirmed that there was a Strong belief, shared by English conservative opinion, in the importance of brinrin’ India sooner or later into equal part 0 in the great community of the British Commonwealth.- The contribution India could bring m thought and material and spiritual knowledge would enormously enrich the content of what would perhaps be in. future the community of British nations. The Chief of Sangli called attention to the interests of smaller States and said their cases would require investigation to fit them in the scheme which, mi h be ultimately framed, so that they ia Sir fc Hubert Cai 3 of the British Indian delegation,, expressed the beliefthatj Federal Government oSexed the best

chances of successful progress to a united India. They believed in the full application of the federal principle, not only in bringing the States and .provinces together at the centre, but also in its application to other departments of government, finance, railways and so on, but his community was largely actuated by the anxiety that the present order should not give way to immature ideas which would lead to a breakdown. He would like to see a further consolidation of thought in Indian political opinion as to what was best before any strong move was made, for they were frankly doubtful if responsibility was possible at present. In regard to finance Sir Hubert emphasised that any Government that was going to be for the good of India must retain not only the confidence of its own nationals but also international confidence.

Colonel Gidney, as an Indian speaking for the Anglo-Indian community, said his conception was that a practical measure should be given India immediately to complete provincial automony and (when the provinces had established themselves) to allow them absolute freedom to federate with those States willing to enter into association with them, and so form a number of federating units which could eventually combine in an all-Indian federation with a strong, responsible and representative central Government. He asked for adequate and statutory protection of the minority interest, and urged that his people be given something in the nature of a Bill of Rights so that they should not lose their positions merely because they were partly Indian .and partly European. The Indian States delegation and the Britif’x Indian delegation held meetings to-day to choose their representatives on the federal relations committee, this will consist of 32 members, six senting the British delegation, 10 the Indian States and 16 British India, with Captain IVedgwood Benn presiding. .. At to-day's British Indian meeting, over which the Aga Khan presided,. a. discussion took place on the relative merits of unitary and federal constitutions and various viewpoints were expt essed-