UNREST IN INDIA.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17366, 30 March 1928, Page 6

UNREST IN INDIA.

There is still considerable unrest in India. The cables yesterday told of a strike of 15,000 rallwaymen. and there have been indications of seething discontent for some time. The arrival of Sir John Simon and his colleagues of the Indian Reform Commission at Bombay recently was marked by hostile demonstrations. The police had to deal with disorderly mobs and were compelled to fire. Such is Ihe welcome which the youth of India have given to a Commission llial. seeks only the welfare of India. Thrrc has certainly been an awakening from that "pathetic contentment" of which the late Mr Montagu used to speak in terms of such contempt before he had inaugurated Dyarchy. Yet, having gone so far, the British nation is bound to give the new system in India a fair trial. Our duty, hard as it is, is to try to make it possible for the Indian peoples to govern themselves. Time alone can show whether the semblance of representative government which has been set up there will work. There has perhaps been some improvement in conditions since Mr Gandhi's non-co-operation campaign so signally failed ; but recent riots show that sedition is still active and ready to lift its head on the absurdest excuse. It should be remembered that the professional politicians of the Indian towns are a very small class, who pay very little attention to the democratic ideals for which they profess such reverence. An enormous part of the population is totally illiterate; and in whole villages not a person can be found who can refed or write. Moreover, there are always in the background the 60,000,000 "untouchables," who are worse than dogs to the Indian politicians, but whose rights as human beings the British regime is bound in honour and justice to protect. Thus the task of the impartial reformer is no easy or simple one. The new Commission cannot disregard the privileges of the Indian princes, whose loyalty to the British Throne has been so triumphantly proved. The late Lord Morloy once warned the wild men of the Bast that the recall of the British Army would be immediately followed by scenes of "confusion and carnage in ludia." He spoke the truth. Our presence there is a guarantee of justice, and the sole means of preserving peace. Nor is much further Indianisation of the services possible with.put tremendous risk. If we cannot secure efficient government by Indians, we must cither govern ourselves or get out.