INDIA AS IT IS

Waipa Post, Volume 42, Issue 3271, 12 March 1931, Page 5

INDIA AS IT IS

SOME PROBLEMS EXPLAINED.

AN INTERESTING ADDRESS.

A rather unusual subject for a Chamber of Commerce luncheon address was that given at Tuesday’s assembly of Te Awamutu commercial men at the Central Tearooms, when Mr R. W. Hanson .devoted half-an-hour to explaining some of the main points of the present political situation in India. The Chamber’s president, Mr F. W. Bevin, introduced Mr Hanson to members as a former Post-master-General of the Madras Presidency who has come to reside, at least for some time, in New Zealand, and at present is making his home in Te Awamutu. • Mr Hanson had acceded, with some diffidence, to the executive’s request that he give an address, but as Great Britain and the rest of the Empire have enormous trade interests in India it was felt that fuller information would be interesting to members. Mr Hansqn. who was cordially received, said it v/as very difficult to .compress into a half-hour even a sketchy outline of the subject, and he would rather forego the address in favour of answering questions by members, but as it was an expressed wish he would do his best. He then referred to the cabled announcement that agreement, has been reached between the Viceroy and Gandhi in connection with the deadlock which was imperilling the situation in that vast country, and hoped that it would result in a real settlement of much of the trouble that has beset India in recent years. The speaker went on to say that the English did not go out to conquer or subdue India in the ordinary sense, but gained ascendancy in trade in the days of the East India Company as a result of fair dealing with the inhabitants over hundreds of years, and in competition with representatives of the French, Dutch, Portuguese, and other nations. It may not be generally known that India, though coloured red on the world maps, was by no means all British, and, indeed, there are within its boundaries about five hundred independent native states recognising British sovereignty. Mr Hanson traced the constitution of the Government of India, to show that the majority of members of the Central and Provincial legislatures are Indians themselves; but there are so many sects and castes that it is difficult to assess the proportion of representation that can be accorded to the different classes and creeds. However, a benignant Government gives cohesion and recognition, and assuredly India has the best form of government now that it is possible to have under the peculiar circumstances. The policy of the British Government is, and has been for some years, to give self-government by instalments, as the Indians show themselves capable of government; education is a factor, but the unfortunate position is that some classes or castes have eagerly sought education, while others have ignored the opportunity. In actuality, to-day only about one per cent of the whole population of about 300,000,000 understand the English language; only about 5 per cent are literate in their own languages leaving an immense population quite illiterate. How, then, could Britain__hand over the reins of government fairly to such a small minority? Self-government could only be gained, or given, by a gradual process. The speaker went on to outline briefly the grades of officialdom largely shared by Indians down from the Viceroy, and then made reference to the Simon Commission, explaining its chief recommendations and the reasons therefor. He pointed out that the Simon Report was a very fair one, but people thousands of miles away wondered why' if it was so fair, there were so many outbreaks of lawlessness following the introduction of reforms. The explanation was largely that the Indians, or a section of them, want a greater measure of self-government, and no matter what concessions are granted they will not be content. That, he added, with a smile, was a condition not peculiar to India. But the man of the moment in Indian affairs is Gandhi, who might be termed “ the stormy petrel.” That man gained prominence and a certain amount of influence as a religious and social reformer; now his endeavours are almost entirely revolutionary, and he had influenced his fo.lowers to adopt an anti-British attitude by non payment of taxes, boycott, closing shops, and inciting others to civil disobedience —so much so, that he is a real problem to the authorities, who hesitate to deal too severely with him, as his following would straightway make loud outcry of victimisation, etc. Gandhi has been interned at times, and later released, in expectation that he has seen the error of his ways; but ultimately he gets at cross purposes again with the Government. Gandhi wants home rule for India; but the country is not yet fitted for the full measure of self-gov-ernment demanded. He influences the Hindoos principally,, but the Hindoos, although in the majority, are by no means the whole population. There are other classes upon whom he has not the slightest influence, and these include 60,000,000 Mohomedans, whose religions and cus-. toms are totally different to the Hindoos. ’

Mr Hanson went on to refer again to the agreement lately reached by which Gandhi has consented to give up his opposition to the authorities, and detailed some of the methods of opposition. The Government of India must have revenue, and one of its sources is a tax on salt. „That tax is only about 2s per annum; in fact, taxation generally is very low by comparison with taxation in other countries, but Gandhi and his followers objected to any taxation. Without the present forms of taxation the Imperial army along the frontiers, and the Indian army within the country itself could not be maintained, nor could the various departments of State be kept up for the benefit of the people. The Indian had a penchant for hoarding his wealth instead of investing it, and it was computed that many hundreds of mil-

lions sterling were kept out of circulation;. it is either buried or fashioned into jewellery for adornment of the womenfolk. Three-quarters of the population are hoardersas a consequence the standard of iiving is low. Yet there is an almost perpetual clamour for self-government. If that was granted, there would soon be chaos, for in civic and other administration there is not yet that high standard attained in other parts of _the Empire. The agitators are mostly Hindoos, the educated classes being chiefly Brahmins. There are about 40,000,000 referred to sometimes as “ untouchables,” who were for ages the vassals of higher castes, and have not yet become socially emancipated. That to present insuperable barriers to progress for a long time. He had noted, with a good deal of gratification, that recently many of the Indian rulers of principalities had agreed to the basis of federation—an important forward step. At the present day, the speaker remarked, independence for India is impossible; but a policy of wise concessions by gradual process would lead to self-government in the years to come.

The speaker concluded a chatty and interesting address by quoting from the Atlantic Monthly a criticism of Gandhi’s method by Katherine Mayo; the authoress of the book, “ Mother India,” in which she set out the social conditions of India in very able form. At the close of the address quite a number of questions were asked and answered, and Mr Hanson was very heartily applauded for his contribution.