INDIA'S ASPIRATIONS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18890, 4 January 1927, Page 6

INDIA'S ASPIRATIONS.

MEETING OF N.Z. LEAGUE. j i The New Zealand aud India league h -m organisation tor the promotion of better understanding and mutual cooperation between India. Britain, and the Dominions, and is under tho auspices of tho Tkeosopliical Society. The annual meeting was held on Inday afternoon at. the new Theosophical Hall i„ Cainbrid-e terrace, when Mr ,1 11. Cooper, of Palmerstoa Norili, look Llic chair. The report was read by Mr J. Griffiths, of Wellington, the sem-tnrv and treasurer A larger ,irc-uluuu.i of "-W India/ a ..endpaper edited by Dr. Annie Uesant was ■cportcd. Mention was made ot au sl l icd orangisatiun recently set up m Svdnev known as the Australia and r,,,lii'j>ea"ue, of which .Senator R.eid 'pUdent™"A lecture by an lnd.au doctor living in Auckland on -'lndians " Citizens, ' had been delivered and t,Uo read at lodge meetings, and elsewhere. The secretary had joined the Indian Association in a deputation to the Minister for Internal Altairs, beadw( b'v I>'-- Share, when a strong case ,vas presented for Indian \ petition drawn up by the Auckland Indian Association had been warmly Supported by the Labour Party and si. Ned bv many sympathisers, books dJa ng with Indian affairs had been circulated and a juster estimate ol India's potentialities, achieve mens,, and destinv made, more general, he officers elected were :-Mr L. Scales, president: and secretary and treasurer, Mr J. Griffiths. . • j UU-r Ihe formal business a lecture ,vas .'iven bv I'rofessor i'.niest \\ uod j on "hdu"s part in World Keconstrml on.'' Profes-or Wood said that in I considering, ludia-s part ... \ or d , Reconstruction we must first lemein- ; ber that the Indians were an Aryan people belonging fundamentally to the European race. Ihero was a diffeience in colour as between pinkish and brown, but tho shades of brown in India varied regularly from the very dark in the south to the light Kashmiri in tho north. In mind and emotions tho affinities of the Hindu were also with the European rather than with his Asiatic neighbours. He went on to explain that India had already ! nlaved a part in modem world conI struction. In the case of America, I lor example, American belief in the I power of man had lead to the ardent I pursuit of new possibilities which was shown there. This was inculcated by ! Emerson who, in turn was much 111j flueuccd by Hindu thought, lo India ! wo also owed tho present British ! Empire.' for it was the wealth ] England acquired through learnI ina the cotton trade . Ironi India | that made possible the defeat of Napoleon. The poet and essayist. Sir liab.'ndranatli Tagore, who I won the Nobel prize n few years ago, 'was a tvpical Hindu in his thought j and outlook, and his work had been a very welcomo and powerful influence in modern thought. Even modern Christian thought had not failed to be affected in a reflex way by the Hindu ! thought which it tried to displace. Desire for Home Rule. In connexion with India's desire for home rule. Professor Wood said it was a mistake to think that Indians wanted separation from tho Empire. Not one "■ in a thousand wished it, but they wish- ; cd to bo like Australia or Canada in the enjoyment of self-government. i They maintained that paternalism, '.however benevolent in intention, had 'failed'to produce prosperity. They ivould like to follow the example of the United States, which converted itself from an agricultural country into a balanced and prosperous country by the protection of infant inHnstries. India was unable to develop at'-'present because it was a dumping ground for foreign surpluses, which were dearenough- usually, but could always be cut down in price to destroy new Indian concern's. The professor said that he himself believed that home rule for India would benefit the Empire, for a . wealthy India could ensure the safety of the federation ol nations. But Indian feeling was gradually being alienated ; .their - patience was not endless. A new Government or Commonwealth of India Bill was due to be introduced within three years; and if it did not contain a very large measure of selfgovernment it would cause a feeling of irreconcilability, such as that which led to so much Irish trouble. Against their predilections, tho Indian people would then be likely to throw in their lot with the new China or Turkey, or perhaps both. "Let us not imagine." concluded Professor Wood, ''that questions such as those of a White Australia or a White New Zealand have anything to do with Indian self-govern-ment. What the Hindus want is control of their own country. It is not likelv that they wotild object to a Bill in New Zealand excluding their entry, "xeept as .visitors, provided they are in a position to pass similar laws in their l-ind."