“SWARAJ”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19032, 9 June 1924, Page 11

“SWARAJ”

-W 1 HOME RULE YOB INDIA. GANDHI MOVEMENT SAID TO BE ON THE WANE. WHAT OF JAPAN AND RUSSIA! Indian politics were discussed by Dr. Dinarajadasa, vice-president of the Theosophical Society, who sailed from Wellington last week for America. “The position is that the majority of the people in India are Gandhi followers,” he says, “though his movement is on the wane. It is a movement for achieving Indian freedom by direct action. Gandhi, I believe, does not ming being in the Empire, but would as soon be out of it. Opposed to him are a body of people who work along constitutional lines, and whose first plank is to preserve the connecting link between India and the Empire. They are having a very difficult time, because Indian national feeling is very strong, and there is a desire to come to a dominion status as quickly as possible. There is not .the slightest doubt that as a result of Gandhi’s propaganda the masses have been profoundly stirred. There is not a villager who does not know the meaning of the word ‘swaraj,’ or home rule. THE GREAT DANGER. “The great danger is that if the Indian aspirations for home rule are not quickly satisfied the masses will turn to Japan as the saviour of India, and also to Russia. Russia is attempting propaganda, though, with the general police survey, no money gets there. Russia offers a remedy for any race feeling in administration. This, of course, is a very strong card, and unless England can offer the same freedom and dignity to tho Indian that Russia will, there is a very great danger. The Indians feel very bitterly over the position at Kenya, because they resent anything like the imposition of inferiority on the Indian anywhere within the Empire. • There is a method suggested to solve this problem, which is to call a national convention on the model of the Australian National Convention. This movement is headed by Dr. Shastri, Dr. Annie Besant, and Sir Teg Bahadur Sapin. These three are the leaders of this constitutional movement.

DOMINION CONSTITUTION. “Their aim is to draft a constitution for India as a dominion, and as it will be drafted by Indians only it is hoped it will be accepted by the people. This constitution would then be taken by the British Parliament to be made into a definite Act, making India a dominion. Dr. Shastri and Dr. Besant are now in England on this matter. The British Premier, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, is in thorough sympathy with helping India to dominion status. If this work can be done quickly it may be possible to convince the Indian masses that England means to do justice by India, but if there is delay then the discontent, which is very wide, will become more pronounced, and one does not know what it may lead to. JAPAN AND RUSSIA.

“The Indian political leaders have one noteworthy point, and that is their interest in the problem of labour. The Indian Parliament passed last year the first Workmen’s Compensation Act, and there is continual interest in factorylegislation and betterment of conditions. There are dozens of big social reforms mooted, but the attention of the masses just now is held to the ’political problem. As soon India is given the status of a dominion, the Indian will turn to social reform. Every man there is very keen on it. There is a very groat danger to the position of the Empire if the Indian masses should turn away from the Empire to Japan or Russia. Every Indian knows about the position of Japan, and how she is respected because of her armaments. Only the other day a Japanese public meeting sent a telegram to the leaders of the Gandhi party. It would jeopardise the Empire if India were to become sceptical of British justice.

“THE REAL WAY OUT.” “Personally I believe the real way out is to take the situation strongly by the hand and satisfy Indian aspirations. Tho masses of India would like to remain in the Empire, but as partners, not as inferiors. I don’t think most of the dominions recognise the big work the Empire can do provided the Empire is at peace internally. For several decades there have been two problems, one Ireland, the other India. The problem of Ireland is solved, and ns soon as similarly the problem of India is solved the whole strength of tho Empire can be turned to reconstruction of the world. Our usefulness as an Empire is very much handicapped because of the discontent in India.”