Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1930. INDIA’S PROBLEMS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 24 June 1930, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1930. INDIA’S PROBLEMS.

The first instalment of the report of the Simon Commission indicates the formidable nature of the task it essayed, and its general tenor suggests that the hopes of the Nationalists are not likely to be fulfilled. As long ago as 1917 the Chelmsford declaration held out full responsible government as the ultimate goal for India. The Government of India Act, which embodied many of the recommendations of the Chelmsford-Mon-tagu report, and which came into operation early in 1921, effected important constitutional changes, especially in the government of the provinces. It established the diarchy. The subjects in which the provinces were invested with legislative powers were divided into two classes, “Reserved” and ‘ ‘ Transferred. ’ ’ Over the former, the Governor-General in Council retains, in the last resort, unimpaired control, but in the latter he can only intervene in exceptional circumstances. They include local self-government, education, health, agriculture, and so forth. The Act further provides that after a given period a statutory commission should examine the working of the system, the intention being that if it were deemed satisfactory, and a case made out for further concessions, they would be considered. In deference to Indian opinion, the date upon which the commission was to be appointed was anticipated. It began its labours in 1928, paid two visits to India, and travelled widely. At the outset it appeared as if the Nationalist organisations would have nothing to do with the commission, but the boycott broke down to a large extent, and Sir John Simon and his colleagues heard a vast amount of evidence and collected valuable material. Clearly the conclusions of the Commission cannot be properly appreciated unless the character of the problems presented by India is grasped in all their aspects. The report reaffirms the doctrine enumerated in the declaration of 1917, but qualifies it by the statement that the ultimate goal of responsible government can only be reached by successive stages. This may be construed as foreshadowing a finding that India is not ripe for dominion status in the current acceptation of the term. Reference is made to the complete absence of homogeneity in India. Although a sense of unity is growing up, mainly as a result of the cohesion imposed by British rule, differences of race, religion, language and culture render the path to nationhood an arduous one.