INDIAN SELF GOVERNMENT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21413, 4 March 1935, Page 9

INDIAN SELF GOVERNMENT

TO THE EUITOB OT THF. PRBSS. Sir—-To one who has some knowledge of India, the attitude of responsible British politicians in regard to the Government of India, is incomprehensible. The size of the country, its immense population, and numerous nationalities, all told, combine to make self-government, or home rule, as known to democratic European nationalities, quite impossible. There is more hope of successfully creating a United States of Europe than an Indian federation. . , . ,„ The curse of India is that unspeakable system known as caste. Is this curse to lie perpetually on the Indian people? Are wc going to tolerate forever such injustice? Would it not be more to the point to see that Indian caste is ousted once and lor all..

This is not impossible; but Britain has never attempted to remove this blot on Indian administration. The few restless native politicians, the educated few seek, under the name of Indian liberation,' to control this vast political machine, and so advance their own personal individuality at the expense of India's ignorant millions. In. the name of Indian patriotism, these men appeal for sympathy to our thoughtless democratic politicians of the Home Land. The first principle of successful democratic government is to educate the people, and when this is done in India, there may be some hooe for its people. British rule has been to move on the lines of least resistance, and a general tolerance of native prejudice; and this has created the present situation. Equity and justice should remove prejudice and caste and, as previously remarked, this has not been attempted. The caste social system of India gives millions of its povertystricken people not even the life of a dog. Anyone familiar with Indian life knows this, only too well. British politicians are up against an Eastern policy that will finally deprive the British manufacturer of the sale of British goods. And British merchants, like their British politicians, will, when too lafe. wake up to this fact. Some time since I was listening to one of our Dominion politicians talking about our despoiling of India, and on attempting to get a bit deeper into the subject. I found our Dominion politician's knowledge of India of so limited a quantity as to be entirely worthless. There is. however, the one

excuse possible for all this present day Indian attitude; to confess ourself in«capable of understanding and grasping the Indian situation and quietly confess our inability to further govern, or hold ourselves responsible in any way for India's future welfare.—Yours, etc COMMON SENSE. March 2, 1935.