Where The Communists Are Small Fry

Chronicle (Levin), 14 November 1949, Page 5

Where The Communists Are Small Fry

Received Sundav 7 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 12. India's Communist Party had done more to harm Communist ideals th.an any other opponents of communism, said Mr Nehru tonight on the eve of his return home. Mr Nehru said the Indian Communist Party set itself to fight every naturai Natioualist urge of the Indian people, thus lining the whole Nationalist movement against it. "The whole question has been viewed in India not from the point of view of Communism but from the point of view of certain violent activities in certain areas," he said. " In the wider sense, I don't think communism is a growing threat at all although in the local sense it may be from the point of view of violent action. They have ad opted methods wliieh are violent and in the nature of a petty rebellion. Thpy haven 't the strength for a big one." Mr Nehi-u said he had information that in the Indian Communist Party there were many who disagreed with the Party poliey and who expressed disapproval within the Party ranks. He added: "I sav with all respect, no Government in the world has been as generous as India's to rebels against the State. " Referring to Kashmir, Mr Nehru said he wanted to make it clear, irrespeetive of how long that problem took to solve, the armed force method must be ruled out. He said he would not put up with any bullying on the question by Pakistan or anv other eountry. He said Kashinir's people would decide for themselves but the Indian Government would not allow Pakistan to " go into the usual tactics of creating religious feuds as they had done elsewhere. " Mr Nehru said that although Pakistan cumniitted in Kashmir "the most brutal aggussion in the whole world," armed force should not be used to settle the issue. Pakistan had no standing but that of an aggressor which should be beaten back. The Kashmir eonflict was not between Hindus and* Moslems but between people who wanted freedoin based 011 Kashmir national-i-un and believers in the Pakistan twonation theory that natiouality went by religion.