MANY PROBLEMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19943, 30 October 1934, Page 8

MANY PROBLEMS

INDIA THROUGH THE YEARS COUNTRY’S FUTURE A review of India to-day and her problems through the years was given members of the Timaru Rotary Club yesterday by the Rev. J. L. Gray, a Presbyterian missionary, who is at present on a visit to the Dominion. The chairman for the day was Rotarian J. Stevens. Mr Gray said he had been in India since 1921, the base of his operations being in the Punjab, Northern India. When one considers the number of languages and cultures it would be realised that the task of governing India was no light one. India was part of the British Empire and its population of 360.000,000 were just as much members of the Empire as the speaker and his hearers. India was moving rapidly and the destinies and destination of that land and her people were going to affect the whole of the human race. In the last 20 years things had been difficult in India. The national spirit that had arisen had shaken the land to its very foundations and had made government an exceedingly difficult and delicate matter. The beginning of this awakening could be traced back to 1835 when Lord Macaulay in his famous minute had decided that the English language, the higher education of England, the literature of democracy and the literature of the West that meant so much to England, be made available to India. With that arose the spirit of nationalism in India and the desire for Indians to have more authority in their own country. Then in 1905 came the victory of Japan over Russia, and it was difficult to understand the shock that this meant to India. That an Eastern power could overcome a Western power aroused in India a sense of her power and gave a great impetus to national aspiration. Another thing that fostered the movement was the British emphasis of democracy and national independence. It was gradually seen that the Colonies became Dominions, undertaking their own Governments under a representative of the Crown. These things were not to be overlooked by the intelligensia of India, and the spread of local and municipal government awakened and trained the Indian mind to look after itself. There were other things that troubled India. There was the partition of Bengal which meant that the Government, thinking that Bengal was too large a province with its population of 80.000,000, divided it into two. There was a great outcry of indignation at the division, it being considered that the links of culture, languages and religion could not be broken in a manner like that. England, howevv forced the matter through and afterwards changed its policy when it was too late. A rise of anarchy and terrorism was brought about and even to-day this had not subsided. After this came the Great War in 1914. What was India to do? Were these forces of self-government and nationalism going to cause trouble, or would India throw in her great weight with Britain? The appeal of Britain was strong and the noble ideal of President Wilson found an echo in India. Britain's New Policy In 1927, said Mr Gray, Britain decided on her new policy in India, as follows: "The policy of His Majesty’s Government is that of increasing association of Indians in every branch of administration and the gradual development of self-governing institutions with a view to the progressive realisation of responsibile Government in India as an integral part of the British Empire.” This, said Mr Gray, was a noble ideal, sanely conceived. It seemed to satisfy to a large extent the political aspirations of India. Then came difficulties in regard to the Mahommedan population, a dilemma between the religious and political allegiance facing these people. If the Mahommedans of India threw in their lot with Britain they would have to fight against Turkey, the headquarters of their religious faith. Mr Lloyd George at the time made a statement in regard to the protection of Islam, but, unfortunately, the treaty was a flat violation of the promise that had been made. India threw herself wholeheartedly into the struggle hoping that after the war Britain would treat her generously. What happened? There were outbursts of terrorism in Bengal and in 1919 the Government passed “Bill No. 1,” known as the Rowlatt Act, which gave the right of arrest of any Indian without legal defence or any trial. It amounted really to the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act which was the basis of British justice. It was a tragic blunder at the time. It shocked the intelligensia of India and brought a certain doubt into their minds as to the ultimate purpose of Britain in regard to India. It was now looked upon as a dead Act and had never been used, but it was a tragic blunder of the first magnitude. Then in 1919 came the tragedy of Amritsar, when 13 Europeans were killed and it looked as though there be a revolution of the worst kind. Troops were out and meetings of more than five individuals throughout the town were strictly banned. Some 3000 Indians, mostly ignorant villagers, found their way into a garden and the British General in command of the situation came along with his troops and surrounded the place. He have the order to open fire and after about ten minutes’ firing 375 were killed and 1000 were wounded. A Government investigation was held and while the General felt that his action had saved India, the Commission took another view and he was censured and recalled to England. The effect was great in India thought and especially on Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's Influence. Mr Gray said that Gandhi was for a long time a supporter of the British Government, at first in South Africa during the Boer war where he raised and led an ambulance corps and did fine service for Britain. He believed in the British policy and considered that the British system of Government was best. “When he returned to India he lived through all that I have just been telling you, and he believed that Britain was not honest, called it a Satanic Government and did his best to overthrow it.” There was an immense response to Gandhi’s call and the Government found itself in an exceedingly difficult position. Gandhi’s policy was one of suffering for truth, but the villagers felt that British rule had gone and there were dreadful outbreaks of murder. Gandhi was greatly upset when he realised that his policy had really miscarried. His latest move was of a different kind. He became leader of the National Congress, a body given no legal recognition by the Government, but he had now resigned the k leadership. When they found that Gandhi’s policy was getting them no-

where the people began to doubt the wisdom of his guidance, and as a political force the speaker considered that Ghandi had passed his best and would not be followed so blindly in the future as in the past. As a spiritual force, however, he still held the allegiance of millions of people. He was called Mahatma, “the Great Soul. It was an allegiance that practical Westerners could not understand. Gandhi, said Mr Gray, had withdrawn from the leadership of Congress and felt now that he must give himself to social work in uplifting the “untouchables.” He had adopted a girl of this class as his daughter. Gandhi however, appeared to hold two or three contradictory things in his mind at the same time. He said definitely that he was a Hindu and he believed in caste. Caste was the thing that had made outcasts, and yet Gandhi could work for the “untouchables” and still desire to retain his own caste. There were 3000 separate castes in India and that was one of the great problems of the country.

Viceroys Discussed. In a word concerning Lord Irwin, who was Viceroy of India before Lord Willingdon, Mr Gray said that Lord Irwin on assuming his position was faced with a difficult situation. Gandhi at that time having great power in the country. Although Lord Irwin’s policy was said to be rather weak, he was known throughout India as the “tall Christian,” a man who sought to bring Christian principles to bear on the national question. Lord Willingdon took the strong attitude by refusing to recognise the existence of Congress and had restored confidence in the British ability to rule. There was now a feeling that the power of Congress has passed, and there was a mo\ement for co-operation with the ieforms. Two problems were at present occupying the attention of the Government, the first to make the provincial governments -in Il . 1 “ ia entirely self-governing and the other to evolve some kind of federation to link up these self-governing provinces into one central authority under the British Crown. The White Paper which had been considered bv seven investigating bodies was beginning to win for itself a certain following and support amongst the wiser Indian nationalists and it was hoped that something concrete would eventually be reached. In conclusion. Mr Gray quoted the following remark by the Viceroy. Lord Willingdon:—“l honestly believe that if the white man would act in a spirit of giving equality of opportunity to those who are coloured, what appears to be the aggressive and unreasonable attitude of the coloured races would entirely change and they would be found to be ready to discuss these important matters in a fair spirit. The white man has to meet on terms of absolute equality those whom he previously regarded as his inferiors. There is onlv one way of doing this and that is by always carrying into our relations with the coloured races the principles and teachings of our Christian Faith The speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks, on the motion of Rotarian R. Watson.