INTEREST IN INDIA

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 7

INTEREST IN INDIA

FUTURE CONSTITUTION

MOTION BEFORE COMMONS

(British Official wireless.)

RUGBY, March" 27.

Groat interest was taken in the discussirn on the future of India, which

arose put of a Government motion providing that before Parliament, wag asked to take- a decision on theso proposals a joint select committeo of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, with power to call into consultation representatives of tho Indian States and of British India, should be appointed to consider'the futuro Government of India. The Opposition, although it has decided to appoint representatives to servo on tho committed, considers the Government's proposals inadequate, and has tabled amendments to that effect. On the other hand, the group of Conservative members who constitute tliQ Indian Defenco Committee consider that tho proposals go much too far, but in view of a declaration that the Joint Committee is to be set up "befpro Parliament is asked to take, a decision," they are moving no amendments, but will content themselves with a vigorous protest. Liberal members are" supporting the Government. The Secretary for India (Sir Samuel Hoare) said that it was in view of the extremely difficult and highly controversial nature of Indian problems that for months' past he had proposed to tho House an unprecedented proceduroundcr which a Joint Select Committee of Inquiry should be set up bef ore any decisions were taken. The procedure was exactly the same as he had outlined in June last, and the resolution he was moving was exactly the type of resolution he had always contemplated. "It is all moonshine," said Sir Samuel, ''to suggest that the Government has'in any way altered its general line of policy or modified its proposals of procedure, as 'a result of pressure from any section of the House." VALUE OP FEDERAL SCHEME. ■Regarding tho Indian . States, Sir Samuel Hoare said that tho Princes did not enter into the Federal, scheme except in so far as they agreed to modify their treaties upon their entry into the Federation. They would be- free to enter or not as they wished. The effective accession of a sufficient number of j States was a fundamental condition of I tho whole of tho proposals. One of the great advantages of the Federal scheme was the opportunity it w,ould give to the great provinces of I developing oh their own lines. Centralisation had been pushed too far, at any rate in recent years. He believed that the proposal for decentralisation might well bo one that would 'give a great body of new life' to Indian development. ' . Sir Samuel defended tho safeguards which had been attached from both sides.* They were safeguards that if need be- could bo carried into full effect. The importance of maintaining the credit of Indin, which was an essential condition to the success of tho Fedoration. had been kept "fully in mind.