REFORMS IN INDIA

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 103, 25 January 1935, Page 11

REFORMS IN INDIA

Sir S. Hoare Discusses British Bill “BIG BOLD ATTEMPT” Result of Long Period of Inquiry (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, January 23. Sir .Samuel Hoare, Secretary for India, in a speech at Oxford, said that the Government of India Bill which will be issued to-morrow, was the biggest and perhaps the most complex Bill ever introduced into Parliament. It would deal with every phiue of the future government of India and would contain proposals for setting up an All-India Federation, constitutional schemes for 11 greaf Provinces, several of them more populous than some of the chief States of the world, and a new constitution for Barnin, henceforth to be separated from India. To form a sound judgment on the Bill he urged that the long history of the inquiry that lay behind it and the fact that it was not written on a clean sheet of paper, but on the history of the past, should be remembered. It should be thought of as a big, bold, and comprehensive attempt to deal with the most involved and intractable problem that had ever faced the British Parliament There would, of course, he an outburst of criticism when the Bill appeared. and in India there had already been a full measure criticism on the report of the Joint Se'ect Committee. lie was not surprised at the criticism of the Indian Congress, for it had throughout repudiated the right of the British Parliament to draw up an Indian Constitution, and demanded a constituent Assembly free io make any scheme it desired. Nine out of 10 Indians, however, knew that such an Assembly would never reach an agreement. Undeniable Facts. Despite criticism, certain undeniable facts would emerge from the discussion of the Bill. Firstly, it would be clear that the National Government stood by the pledges given io India, and, 'secondly, that no new principles would be introduced into the Bill, which carried out the recommendations of the committee. After examining (lie case made by the English critics, both Labour and Conservative. Sir Samuel Hoare asked if the Bill would work. Leaving aside extremists in both countries, lie believed that there was a large amount of common ground as to what was desired on both sides. Reasonable Indians wanted a large extension of selfgovernment, and reasonable ;>eople in Britain were ready to concede it. Equally, both parties desired to avoid disastrous results which might follow too sudden and precipitate changes “Indians,” lie said, “do not wisli (o deprive themselves of the advantage of our experience and help. They only apprehend that these may be pressed to a point that would impinge upon the degree of self-government of which they feel themselves capable. We, on our part, only wisli to retain power in our own hands so far as is necessary to safeguard in emergency the essentials of good government, to protect the interests that still need protection, and to carry out the obligations that our long partnership with India lias created. Our policy is drawn up with the object which both parties virtually have in common.” Different Viewpoints. But while in England, he continued, the impressive fact was the amount of liberty conceded, and the difficulty was to persuade people that the safeguards and reservations would be adequate and effective, the amount of liberty granted was obscured to Indians by the safeguards. Indian critics were apprehensive that the GovernorGeneral and the Governors would be dictators. Critics here thought that all political power was being surrendered into the hands of an unrepresentative group of political demagogues and theorists. In both cases the actual working of the Constitution would show that there had been unnecessary apprehension. Common sense and past experience justified this prophecy.- In the past 15 years the Legislatures and Ministers in.lndia bad shown a spirit of responsibility which had been noteworthy in circumstances inconspicuously favouring responsibility. In actual practice it would be found that there would be no more temptation to Governors to issue emergency ordinances than to Legislatures and Ministers to stage constitutional breakdowns.

Much would, of course, depend upon tiie Governor-General and the Governors. The intention of the new constitutions would be to extend the sphere of their political guidance and to diminish that of their executive action. There was no reason to assume that they would be less successful in observing the spirit of the new constitution, and in striking a due balance between their divers functions in the future than in the past. After referring to the formidable task with which the machinery of Parliamentary government would ' bo faced in passing the Bill without undue delay, he said that if they succeeded they would unite in an allIndia Federation in winch the Indian princes and the British-Indian public, the Mohammedans, Moslems, and Hindus and Christians could work together for Indian progress, prosperity, and prestige within the great circle of the Common wealth of the British Empire. BY-ELECTION ISSUE Curious English Position (Received January 24, 10.45 p.m.) Loudon, January 24. A curious position has arisen regarding the candidature of Mr. Randolph Churchill who is standing as an Independent Conservative for the Wavertree by-election where he is opposing tiie National Conservative candidate, Mr. James Platt, on the India issue. The executive of tiie India Defence League, formed to oppose tiie White Paper proposals, decided actively to support. Mr. Randolph Churchill’s candidature and to send League speakers on his behalf. Lord Lloyd. the Duchess of Atlioll an’ several other peers ami members of the House of Commons have offered to speak and Mr. Winston

Churchill will address a big eve-of-pol! demonstration. A serious view of this action is taken in official Conservative quarters and there is soiuq talk of withdrawal of the party whip from “diehard” speakers. It‘is also possible that several members of Cabinet, contrary to general practice, will speak on behalf of Mr. Platt though, as the Conservative majority last election was 23973, the seat is not considered in real danger. TO FLY CONGRESS FLAG Municipal Buildings In Calcutta (Received January 24, 10.45 p.m.) Calcutta, January 24. Despite heated protests of English councillors, the Nationalist Corporation. Calcutta, decided to hoist the Congress Hag on" municipal buildings on Saturday, when there will be demonstrations throughout India demanding self-government.