RULE IN INDIA

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20426, 17 February 1938, Page 9

RULE IN INDIA

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS DECLARATION BY GANDHI GOVERNMENTS WILL RESIGN t United Press Assn.—Tiec. Tel. Copyright Received Feb. IT. li a.m.; BOMBAY, Feb. 16 * Gandhi, in his first public comment The Binar and United Pro- • ; vinces to-day, maybe Madras tomorrow. It is not a question of whether three or thirty prisoners | are involved. It is the principle that counts. It seems only a matter of time when other Congress Governments will follow the lead of the United Provinces and resign.” GRAVE RISK TO PEACE STATEMENT IN COMMONS THE RELEASE OF PRISONERS t United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright (Received Feb. 17, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 16 Speaking on behalf of the Governi merit in the House of Commons on the : resignation of the Ministries of Bihar »nd the I nfted Provinces, Lord WinteT- » ton said: l " it has been an important feature of i the programme of tlie Congress -Ministries of all provinces to secure the release of all prisoners convicted of crimes which were considered to be actuated by a political motive. The Governors of the Congress Provinces iccepted tin* proposals of their Ministries for the release of a substantial number of such prisoners, having satisfied themselves, after an examination of eech individual case, that no menace to pe ice and tr inquility of the province would be involved. In the United Provinces fourteen have been released and in Bihar tifteen. but there remain fifteen more in the ■ H n.fed Provinces and twenty-six in Bihar, some of whom have been convicted of serious crimes of violence. The Governors were fully prepared to deal with the remaining cases on the same basis of individual scrutiny, but the Ministers of both provinces proposed to release forthwith the whole of ' the remaining so-called political prisoners, without regard to the nature and’ 1 circumstances of the crimes. . “ The Governor-General decided that | he could not agree to the immediate Indiscriminate release of a body of kg'llv convicted prisoners, which in- ’ i eludes dangerous terrorists. He was satisfied, and the Secretary for India was in full agreement with him. that the adoption of the proposal of the Ministers of these two provinces would be attended by the gravest risk to the peace and tranquillity of India. Even if there are some provinces in which the effects would not Immediately be felt, in the end the basis of good government everywhere would inevitably be dangerously impaired.” Gandhi added: ” A crisis has arisen, the consequences of which nobody can foretell. The Viceroy’s interference seems unfortunate and uncalled for. An Atmosphere of Conflict Panit Nehru, in relinquishing the said: “ We must be ready to march at a moment's notice. We meet in an atmosphere of conflict with British Impeerialism. What is coming we cannot say."