INDIA'S PROGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1856, 16 September 1913, Page 5

INDIA'S PROGRESS.

A WONDERFUL RECORD.

NATIVES' LARGER SHARE IN

ADMINISTRATION,

India's progress during the past ten years is narrated in a Blue-book of nearly 430 pages issued in London last month. The period dealt with covers oveuts that will stand as landmarks ill the history of India. Its' first year saw the great ceremonial of the Delhi Durbar of January 1, 1903; its last the visit to India of tho King-Emperor and the Queen-Empress, in fulfilment of his Majesty's wish to announce his Coronation in person to the people of India. Memorablo events of the intervening years were tho first visit of their Majesties as Prince and Princess of Wales, in 1905-6, and tho proclamation of tho Xing-Emperor to the Princes and peoples of India on November 2, 1908, the fiftieth anniversary of tho transfer of the government of .India to the Crown.

Allusion is also made to the great earthquake in the Punjab in 1905, when 20,000 lives were lost and 100,000 houses destroyed, and to tho local famines and floods experienced during the decade. The Unrest. The introduction closes with a brief review "of the various connected tendencies and developments referred to comprehensively under the now familiar phrase 'unrest in India,' which probably m the general estimation constitute collectively the distinctive feature of tho period covered by this statement. To the word 'unrest' as here used no precise or limited 'meaning can be attached. It has always been recognised that the manifestations of unrest have included, besides elements due to seditious or anarchical agitation, other elements arising out of tho natural aspirations of the educated classes. On the one hand, excesses, leading in many cases to violent crime, have called for repressive measures; on the other, it has been tho aim of Government to encourage healthy growth, and to satisfy as far as pcssiblo legitimate ■ hopes."

There has been noticeable in recent years a certain, quickening of interest among tho more educated classes in India, in questions affecting the public welfare —education, sanitation, and the development of Indian industries. With this has gone a desire.to take a larger share in shaping the policy of government and in tho work of administration. Tho momentous changes in tho constitution and functions of the legislative councils introduced under tho Indian Councils Act of 1909 had their'origin in a recognition of these aspirations, and a desire to entrust to tho leaders of tho Indian peoples a greater share in legislation and government, and wider opportunities of expressing their views on administrative measures.

Partition of Bengal Evils. The various events in tho agitations and crimes are roviewed, and it is stated: "The 'partition' of Bengal, while it could not properly be regarded as originating the agitation that reached its height in the next two or three years, no doubt brought to the front men who would otherwise have held aloof, and afforded an opportunity for the development of schemes previously conceived. "One of tho most lamentable features of the seditious awd anarchical movements," the introduction concludes, 'has been the way in which immature minds have been perverted by tho teaching of agitators, and young men,-or nicro boys, often the sois of respectablo parents, have been made use of to carry into effect criminal schemes.'

Regarding tho frontiers, it is stated .that- tho at-titado of tho British Government towards tho border tribes may bo described briefly as ono of minimum in-' interference.

Cun-Runnlng Decrease. In general the last decado has been one of steady progress in tho work of civilisation on tho frontier, and relations with the tribes have improved. On the reverse side of tho shield thero is. the difficult question of the control of tho, arms traffic, -which has poured thousands of weapons into trans-fron-tier territory. Tho Persian Gulf blockade, however, has had a marked effect in reducing the supply of rifles and ammunition of European manufacture to tho tribesmen, and still mora may be hoped for in this respect, as tho result of tho measures recently taken by the Snltan of Muscat.

In the report of tho poljce, it it stated that the number of men punished by dismissal is rather lower at the end than at the beginning of the decade —83 officers and 2220 men in. 1911, as against 230 officers and 2392 men in 1901. Hie number of convictions for ' voluntarily causing hurt or wrongful confinement for tho purpose of restoration of property was 31 in 1911, and averaged for tho preceding nine years 18 a year. The Government has constantly endeavoured to stamp out tho abuse of police torture.

Eight Million Plague Victims. The number of deaths from plague sinco tho disease broke out in Bombay in 1896 has been over eight millions. Regarding finance, tlie report states that tile-decade was remarkable, in that a surplus was realised in every year but one—l9oß-9—when failure of the crops and a world-wide depression of traae caused a deficit.

Considerable attention is paid to the industries of India, and though India remains pre-enfmontly an agricultural country," and there is as yet practically jio factory population, tho advance of organised industries has been a notable feature of recent years. The question of education is also dealt with at great length. The total number of educational institutions increased during this decade from about 148,500 to about 176,(300, ami the number of pupils in all classes of institutions from 4,530,000 to 6,796,000.