STATUS OF INDIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 429, 21 November 1930, Page 8

STATUS OF INDIA

NEW RELATIONSHIPS

CONFERENCE SUGGESTIONS EAST AND WEST CO-OPERATE I British Official Wireless. I RUGBY, Nov. 19. The general discussion was continued tu-dav at the Indian Round-Table Conferencc. The newspapers state that the tone of the speeches so far and the wide latitude allowed speakers by the president, have created an optimistic feeling among the Indian delegates. The proposal of the business committee was again on the agenda to-day, ihat following the general discussion, a Federal Relations Committee be appointed to consider the structure of a Federal system of India Government with regards to the relations between the States and British India and those between the provinces, British India and the centre and to make recommendations as to the principles to be applied. This proposal with further recommendations from the Business Committee as to its composition and powers was before the Conference yetserday. but the president ruled that various suggested amendments to the scheme which were handed in should be considered bv the committee before the main proposal was submitted to the conference. Two delegations from India met sep- .. ratelv yesterday and nominated representatives, ten from the States and sixteen from British India to serve on the Federal Relations Committee when the proposal to establish it is passed by the conference. Federation Issues Continuing the general discussion at ihe conference the Maharajah of Patiala said that if. as he prayed. India remained within the British Empire as a partner, equal in dignity witfo her sisters in the Commonwealth, there would result such free and voluntary co-operation between East and West as Ihe world had never known- The Princes readily responded to the eloquent appeal by Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru 10 recognise that they were Indians first and Princes afterwards, but by remaining Princes they did not cease to be Indians. He felt strongly that the Indian States had it in their power to make a contribution no less valuable to Great India of the future than the contribution of British India herself. The readiness of the Princes to work for an ideal of a Greater India had already been made maniiest and dignity lies along the road of federation for which he was prepared to work. Developing the meaning of Princes attached to federation, he said that the maintenance of the British connection was a fundamental assumption and outside

matters of common concern. The s V-' must preserve intact their autonomy and the right of the federating units must first be previously known. Willingness to enter a federal arrangement entitled them to ask that there should be a prior ascertainment of those rights by the decision of the highest judicial tribunal to which His Majesty’s Government and the Indian States may agree to refer the question. Such ascertainment would directly facilitate the formation of that federal arrangement through which unity could test be achieved. The Hindu Viewpoint Dr. Moonje, after replying in detail io Lord Peel’s speech said he and bis Hindu colleagues had not come to ask whether the British Government was going to give them Dominion status. They had come as a mark of long-stand-ing friendship to tell the British people what India thinks and what was the present situation so that they might exercise their independent judgment as to how to proceed. Indians o.f all ages and both sexes could never be satisfied with anything less than Dominion status or full responsible Government. They were suffering indignities and oppression, but the time had passed when any show of physical forces would cow the Indian people. This was the parting of the ways for the British people and the Indians and it was on account of the British association with India for over a century that he had been prompted to come tu London against the condemnation of his friends and against the assertions that he was a traitor for doing so. Proceeding he emphasised that India wanted to be a Dominion within the Empire, so that she might also be in a position to own the Empire as her own. If fear and suspicion would not. lead them to make the offer of Dominion status then India would be satisfied with nothing less than full responsible Government. He wanted to be as free in India as a Canadian was in Canada, and nothing less would satisfy hunFurther he would net er tolerate the suggestion that the Indian people could not defend their own country and that the responsibility must rest on the British.

Concluding he said that the question was whether India should be complemen tary to England or opposite to England. Tn the latter case there might be constant warfare, trouble and depression. British India’s Viewpoint The Sikh represoutative Sardar tjjal Singh said that from the viewpoint of British Indian their immediate business was to obtain the substance of independence. the status of partnership in the Empire and a full measure of responsible Government in the autonomous provinces under a responsible Central Government. He submitted that no amount of autonomy in the provinces would satisfy Indian opinion, unless responsibility was established in a Central Government. He asked’that the just claims of the Sikh community, which would be the backbone of India <s a Dominion, should not be ignored. The test of the constitution was the minorities. With a solution of the minorities problem and the introduction of a system of responsible Government, satisfying Indian opinion the question of law and order would become easy. The Indians were more peace loving than the Westerners and if their legitimate demands were granted tin I was no reason why there should be any more disorder. While the idea of a federation of self-governing provinces in British i India and the Indian States was attractive it was still an idea which could i not immediately mature. At the outset they could so frame the constitution as to leave the door open to the Indian States to come in. but nothing should be done which might stifle the process of unification and nationhood. They must guard against disintegrating tendencies by the various units, and no-

thing should be done in particular to weaken the authority or credit of the Central Government. They shopld evolve a system, neither strictly federal nor unitary, but one adapted to their peculiar conditions. Equal Status Desired Sir Anucpu Patio of the Madras Legislative Council, emphasised the necessity for full responsibility, subject to such safeguarding for a temporary period as might be essential and urged that India be placed in line with the other States in the British Commonwealth. Every nation had its extremists. It would be true statesmanship to control and conciliate such forces in India and bring about constitutional changes which would keep them within the constitution, it might be too late now to do that.

Dr. Moonje referred to his service during the South African war. also his volunteering for the Great War, although over ageHe added: “It will be a good thing if England can say, ‘Of our own accord we offer Dominion status.’ 1 want to be as free in India as an Englishman is in England and an Austniian is in Australia. I will not tolerate the saying that Indians cannot defend India and therefore the British must undertake the responsibility.

Mulhammad Ali referred to his internment in 1925. adding: “1 only want to return to India if I take the substance of freedom. Otherwise I will not go back to a slave country. 1 prefer to die in any free country. You will have to find me a grave here- If we go back without the birth of a new Dominion it will be going back to a lost Dominion I do not believe in Dominion status. I am rommited to complete independence.