The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1912. A NEW ERA FOR INDIA.

Dominion, Issue 1337, 15 January 1912, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1912. A NEW ERA FOR INDIA.

Occupied -with the political changes which they have themselves been effecting, the people of this country have spared but little attention for the far greater changes which are being made in the governance of India. It was the intention of King George V and his advisers that the Coronation Durbar, which was held a month ago at Delhi, should be remembered for all time, not only ,as the most magnificent spectacle of its kind ever seen, even in that home of Oriental splendour, but as the opening of a new or.a of Indian history. The Durbar was the celebration of the KingEmperor's accession, but it was more than that. Hence it was that after the "Durbar boons"—some of which were great gifts and concessionshad been announced by tho Viceroy, the King himself, as Emperor of India, declared to the enormous assemblage of his subjects that he would cause the capital to be removed from Calcutta to Delhi. "The suddenness and unexpectedness of tho disclosure," so the cable message told us, "held all spellbound, and there was a momentary 7 silence. Then the audience became afire with enthusiasm, and Indian cheers rang out." Doubtlcss,_ in that moment, the Indians realised something ' of what was implied in the transference of the scat of Government from the modern trading mart of the con- . qucring English to one of their own historic and Imperial cities, but it was noticed a clay or two later by the Delhi correspondent , of the Times that even prominent administrators did not fully grasp the ovcrwnelming importance of the change of capital. Presumably they were not aware of the contents of the Imperial dispatch which had been sent to the Viceroy's Council. This dispatch explained that the. keynote of the transfer of the capital to Delhi was the conversion of India into a group of autonomous provinces, in the governing of which the Indians would have a larger sharp than at present, though the central power would ho able to interfere in' eases of misgovernment. The removal of the capital, it was said, would materially facilitate the growth of local self-government. The dispatch then proceeded in very striking terms. It stated that it was_ generally recognised that the capital of a great central Government should be independent, and that effect had been given to that principle in. tho United States, Canada, and Australia. It was not desirable that the Government of India should be subject exclusively to the influence of Calcutta, The, citation of the examples of the United States, Canada, and Australia is highly significant; it clearly means that these great self-governing democracies are acknowledged as the models upon which tho governance of India is to be reshaped. The change amounts to a revolution directed from the Throne. It is of Continental _ scope, 'and it cannot bo effected in a day, but the fact that King George, almost immediately after his announcement, proceeded to lay a foundation stone of the new capital shows that no needless delay is intended. There _ will doubtless be much questioning as to whether the time is ripe for so great a change. It has been well received by the London press, with the exception of some few of the Conservative papers. The Radical press was enthusiastic, and said that the change even surpassed the granting of the South African Constitution. No doubt it does in its scope and possibilities, but it will assuredly be carried out more gradually than that other bold experiment. Tho Imperial Parliament h to discuss the whole subject after the King and Queen have returned to England. It was, of course, expected that the "Durbar boons" would be great, but no such step towards self-government seems to have been anticipated even by those who are now most pleased by it. Mr. Saint'Nihal Singh, an educated Indian, who appears to have studied in a practical spirit the aspirations of his fellow countrymen, writes in the December Nineteenth Century of the thoughts with which were looking forward to the Kino's visit. He describes colonial self-government for India as "the most ambitious Royal gift" that was being asked for. His view of the prospects of such a boon being granted is particularly interesting. He writes: Few Indians, no matter how highly educated they may be, want colonial self-government for India to bo given tho Hindustan all at once, though most of them would like to have a much more important voico in tho administration of their land, especially in the matter of levying, collecting, and .spending Governmental revenue, and making and unmaking tariff laws and schedules, than ■tho Morley-Minto reforms havo given them. But those who have closely studied the situation fool that such aspirations, no matter how eloquently and lmpassionafely I'lioy may ho pressed upon the attention of his Majesty, are bound to be denied, inasmuch as all the officials, on bloc, aro opposed to (ho granting of nny further political concessions, and therefore will bo likely to use all their influence to persuade tho King to pay no attention to such requests. Certainly such a view of the probabilities as they appeared shortly before the King's visit forms a background against which the new policy stands out in a very striking 7iianner. The lesser boons announced by Lord Hard'inge, so far as the list has reached us and apart from the different items of tho generous largesse which was to be expected on such occasion, .appear to go in the same direction of elevating the dignity of tho native races. Thus, thoro is to bo a, grant of £350,000 for education! and tho Indian ArmyJ

is to be dibble for the Victoria Cross. But it is upon the development of self-governing powers that tin; gratitude and the hopes of the Indian peoples will chieily dwell. They will sec in this the possibility of obtaining other blessings which wen; not directly granted them by their Emperor. Meanwhile those who look with a not unnatural apprehensiveness upon this vast and bold departure can at least recognise with thankfulness that it has been initiated under auspices which tend to unite Indian national aspirations with loyalty to the Imperial Throne.