THE CONFERENCE ON INDIA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20091, 21 November 1930, Page 11

THE CONFERENCE ON INDIA.

question OF status.

BWDU. AND SIKH

viewpoints,

OBBU OF INDEPENDENCE

(ssawa oyricut wiskless.)

: 3f ceived November 20th, 5.5 p.m.)

KCGBY, November 39. t tor at the Bound-Tablo Confer'lndia, Dr. B. S. Moonjo, leader f.lHindu Mahasabha Party in India, ! re p!yin- in detail to Lord Pee. s ,h of tbe previous day, said he I lis Hindu colleagues had not come * whether the British Government '' 20iD g to give Dominion status. They Tito me »s a mark of lone-st and,n ß IJjJAIP to tell the British people what y. thought, and what was the preSrfWtio®. so that they might exerM independent judgment on liow (A .jkas of all ages r.nd both sexes never be satisfied with anything ua thsn Dominion status, or full and ,-MMiblfl government. They were indignities find oppression, but bad passed when any show ot force would cow the Indian the parting of the waja for British people and the Indians, and tZZ account Of the Britiah assofrith India for over a century S t fce bad been prompted to come to leiirn, S gain fit the condemnation of his Sl'Jid against assertions that he (111 traitor for doing so. n, Jfoenje referred to his service durJt the South African War, and also volunteering for the Great War, litlougb ho was over age. Ho added: iijj w iJl be a good thing if England can uyof her own accord, 4 We offer DoiuiuiositatM.' I want to be as free in India u M Englishman is in England, and a Australian in Australia. I will cot tolerate the suggestion that the Iniianj cannot defend India, and that therefore the British must undertake lie responsibility." _ Proceeding, to emphasised that India fiated to be a Dominion within the Aspire, bo that she might also ba in i position to own the Empire as ner sra. If fear and suspicion would not lad them to make on offer of Dominion then India would be satisfied nothing less than full responsible pwnunent. Concluding, he said the question was »kther India should be complementary to England or opposite to England. In fa latter case there might bo constant **rf»re, trouble, and repreision. Complete Independence Sought. Itaulana Muhammad Ali, founder of fa All-India Moslem League, and a ;romine&t Moslem politician, referred ti his internment in 1915, under the Defence of Indii Act, adding: "I only feat to return to India if I take the Sj»tanee of freedom. Otherwise, I flnot go back to a slave country. I mlrr to die in any free country. "JTou 4UVG to find me a grave here. If back without the birth of a Kitaiinion, it will be going back to 'i fat Dominion. I do not believe in Bason status; I am committed to 'tts&e independence. " Hie Sikh Viewpoint. 9>Sikh representative, Sardar Sahib tdir Ujjal Singh, said from tho viewitat cf British India their immediate was to obtain the substance of altpesdence, the Btatus of partnership afa Em; : re, and a full measure of rspsuible government in autonomous prorates, under a responsible Central Gnenuaent. He submitted that no «B«st of autonomy in the provinces »osU uiUfy Indian opinion unless respowfl»litjr were established in a cental Coremment. Bi uk ed that the just claims of % Sikh community, which would be fa backbone of India as a Dominion, shsold not be ignored. Tie tert of the constitution was tho ®JOWB of lecurity it provided for the "iiwitiH, With the solution of the minorities problem, and the introduction #f a system of responsible governErat satisfying Indian opinion, the wtioa of law and order would be"W "ny. The Indians were more peace-loving than the Westerners, and " their legitimate demands were there was no reason why there "jM be any more disorder. While the idea of a federation of selfProvinces in British Intiia •Mtlielndlan States was attractive, it «o idea which could not im ■wuMely mature. At the outset they r®* •# frame a constitution as to th® door open to the Indian Stares ' (WW in; ljnt nothing should be T* *hich might stifle tho process of and nationhood. i»i2j mDß ' B uar d against disintegratTlWaeneieg by the various units, and JW/lhottld be dono in particular to ,S®| authority or credit of the '2?? Government. They should _«aitary, but one adapted to their eonditions.

Besponeibllity Needed. ji,i, , BBe P u Parasuramadas Patro, of skj i" 48 legislative Council, emphaihi Jr? necessity for full responsibilto such safeguards for a as might be essential, *>ti India be placed in line CttLrr States of the British 7® * Every nation had its #jjjj,: n ' itHff ? ™ Wntrol and conciliate sucti t'" l bring qbout conk'kjia irith•®°B e ®> which would keep Aot X, i,, 1 ® eonst'tution. It might now to do that. t3l « Empire. a fc « pr*v»ri of p « tiala sai <l if- !» BritinJ, »' l ?" ld remained within * d 'gnitir SPf as a . Partner equal r tetir her sister Common ; riault such a tr«e JW nmP'i.T CO " o l >ernt ' on between be/om i as the world had i. v pH^iu?wnb. the etZ* readily responded appeal' of Sir Tej iS fcdian, a reco B n ise that they Bm ? rst a "d Princes afterV did n„i' J remaining Princes, **Hit t0 be Indians. i iid ;t that the Indian «*triW in „ ln "'eir power to make IjjJ' ®° Jess valuable to the future than the J > jrjp.i [ 'he Princes to work b»d lL of ■ greater India nlffl dignity Wade manifest, and for n ! onR l ' le rond ot w bich he was prepared IS? 8 * leaning which the "Stateita!! federation, ho said «e&a&M of tlw British con-

nexion was a fundamental assumption. Again. outside matters of common concern, the States must preserve intact their interna' autonomy. The rights of the federating units must first be previously known. Their willingness to enter the federal arrangement entitled them to ask that, there should be a prior ascertainment _of those rights by decisidn 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 best be achieved. Optimistic reeling. The newspapers state that the tone of the Conference speeches so far, and the wide latitude allowed the speakers by the president, have created an optimistic feeling among the Indian delegates. The proposal of the Business Committee was again oh the agenda to-j day. that, following the general discussion, a Federal Relations Committee be appointed to consider the structure of a federal sv6tem of Indian Government, as regards relations between the States and British India, and those between the Province* and British India and the centre, and to make recommendations as to the j principles to be applied. This proposal, with further recommendations from the Bu« : ness Committee as to its composition and powers, was before the conference yesterday, but the president ruled that the various suggested amendments to the ••cheme which were handed in should he considered by the committee before the main proposal was submitted to the conference. The two delegations from India met separately yestordnv. and nominated representatives. 10 from the States and 16 from British India, to serve on the Federal Relations OoTntrittßO, when the proposal to establish it is passed by the conference.