GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24903, 17 June 1946, Page 5

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Structure of New Body VICEROY’S PLAN TO END DEADLOCK (N;Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. Having failed to persuade the Indian .parties to agree to the basis suggested by the British Cabinet Mission for an interim government, the Viceroy (Lord Wavell) may now abandon the party structure and try to form a government of individuals as widely representative of India as possible, says the New’ Delhi correspondent of Reuters. The British Cabinet Mission and the Viceroy are expected to make a statement to-morrow outlining plans to overcome the deadlock and bring an Indian interim government into being. - A message from Calcutta says that the European Party in the Bengal Legislative Assembly announced that it will abstain from the elections for the proposed Constituent Assembly to draft India’s future constitution. The decision, taken to avoid the breakdown of the British Cabinet Mission’s proposals, removes one of the Congress Party’s objections to the proposals. The Congress Party earlier Anally rejected, in its present form, the British Mission’s plans for an interim Indian Government, also its * long-term proposals for India’s constitutional future, says the New Delhi correspondent of Reuters.

In a letter to the Viceroy, the Congress Party president, Dr. Azad, is understood to have rejected the interim arrangement on the grouftd that the. Viceroy introduced into all discussions parity of representation, either between the Congress Party and the Moslem League or between the caste Hindus and Moslems. The Congress Party could not accept proposals for an interim Government, if they contained the principle of parity in any form. Dr. Azad’s letter added that Congress would also reject the long-term proposals unless the European members of the Bengal and Assam legislative assemblies were excluded from participating in the elections for a constituent assembly. Dr. Azad indicated that this was the Congress Working Committee’s last word on the mission’s proposal. Any new move must come from the mission. Dr. Azad made it clear that Congress was ready and willing to consider fresh proposals.