INDIAN PANDIT VISITING CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18926, 23 November 1929, Page 11

INDIAN PANDIT VISITING CITY.

WANTS TO SEE STATUS OF DOMINION GIVEN" TO NATIVE LAND. That it would be a mistake if India did not get Dominion status by the end of this year, and that if it did not then the British Government would be making the same mistake as was made two centuries ago when the United States was lost as a British possession was a statement made this morning to a “ Star" reporter by Pandit Durga Parsad, a Hindu from Suva, Fiji, who is at present visiting Christchurch. The pandit said that India was fully prepared for Dominion, status. “ The argument has been put to me bv certain people here that there would always be tribal quarrels in India,” he said. “My answer to that is that the mischief is caused by capitalist newspapers in India who are not friends to the Indians.” In his opinion, the giving of dominion status to India would strengthen the British Empire in the East, and would see an independent nation in the East within the British Empire. The pandit was asked if the desire for complete independence was not stronger than the desire for dominion status among the people of India. “ I do not think that India is yet ready for he said. Equal Status. The pandit said that Indians in other parts of th(£ world, notably in the Crown Colonies of Fij-i and Kenya, were fighting for equal status with other citizens of the British Empire. He hoped for the time when the Crown Colonies would be given dominion status. There are, he said, about 70.000 Indians in Fiji. Three months ago they were enfranchised on a communal basis. They elected three to the Legislative Council. These three brought in a motion asking the Government of Fiji to create a common electoral roll. The motion was defeated and the three resigned. That was the situation in Fiji to-day. “The Indians in Fiji want education, both primary and secondary,” said the pandit, “ and they are prepared to pay for it. They want to own land, as they are now permanent residents of the colony. It is these three things, full franchise, education and land that they want. There are other little things, but they do not matter so much” The Maoris. Whilst at Rotorua, Pandit Durga Parsad, was the guest of the Maoris there, and he declared to-dav that they were all born gentlemen. He was surprised to see the ability of the Maori race, considering that they had been associate/! with Europeans for a little over a century*. He has the opinion that they come of Aryan stock. “ Politically. I was glad to notice that the Maoris had full franchise along with the Europeans,” he said: Whilst in New Zealand, the pandit has been studying the lives of the Europeans, socially, spiritual) v. politically and economically. He has found a great many things that are interesting He has-been given a good reception wherever he has been, and has not found anvpthing approaching a colour •b\r in the Dominion. No Real Poverty. He has found the people of the Dominion very industrious, and has come to the conclusion that there is no real poverty here. He has formed the opinion that it would be a good thing for tjic Dominion to do more trade with Fiji, thus bringing about a better understanding of that colony. Christchurch he describes as one of the prettiest cities in the DoVninion Its churches are the best in the Dominion, and, although a Brahman, he thinks that one of the finest things that he. has found in Christchurch is that there are more churches than theatres here, while in the North Island the opposite is the case. He intends to visit Otago and South land and then return to Auckland in order to leave for Sydney. He will pro bably discuss New Zealand in a book which he intends to write after, he has visited Australia.