INDIAN ARMED FORCES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22339, 26 May 1947, Page 3

INDIAN ARMED FORCES

DIVISION FEARED INEVITABLE

EFFECT OF NATION’S PARTITION

CORRIDOR TO MOSLEM STATES OPPOSED

(10.30 a.m.) NEW DELIII, May 25. “The division of India must inevitably result in the division of the Indian armed forces/'’ stated the Minister of Defence and the only Sikh representative in the interim Govcrnmenl, Air. Sardav Bakiev Singh.

“ft, will he highly inadvisable to have a joint army for Hindustan and Pakistan, although enormous difficulties will he involved in nationalising much less dividing the Indian Army before the British withdrawal in Juno, 1948. The Indian Army is one of the finest lighting forces in the world for which a large part of the credit goes to the British who will he interested in maintaining the army’s tradition and record, particularly in view of the uncertain international conditions.”

Heavy Burden on Moslems Mr. Singh said that most of the Moslems in the army came from the Rawalpindi and Mooltan districts. “When the army divided the Pakistan Moslem State will have to find funds to pay for every Moslem in the armed ranks. It is going to be a great strain on the Moslem masses who, at this stage, do not understand the implications of division.” Mr. Singh referred to Mr. Jinnah’s demand for a corridor linking the western and eastern areas of Pakistan as “unthinkable” He said that the Sikhs must insist on the partition of the Punjab if the Moslems insisted on Pakistan and the scheme of partition in the Punjab must be devised so at to draw out a large part of the Sikh population from the Moslem-dominated area. “We find it impossible to restore brotherly relations,” he said. “We know we shall suffer but we are prepared to face the lesser evil.” The vice-president of the Indian Interim Government. Mr. Nehru, described as ‘fantastic, absurd and completely unrealistic,” Mr. Jinnah’s demand for a corridor through Hindustan to connect two groups of Pakistan provinces in north India. No Foreign Bases or Rights Mr. Nehru said that the Congress Party stood for the union of India with the right of particular areas to elect to stand out and envisaged no compulsion of the others. If there were no proper settlement on this basis, then “we shall proceed with making and implementing the constitution for the union of India.” he said. “In no event can we agree to any part of India having foreign bases or extraterritorial rights.”

Mr. Nehru, speaking at Mussoorie, before travelling to New Delhi for talks said that the forces of good and evil were at war in India. Saboteurs were active while India was on the threshold of freedom.

“The situation is deplorable, but the time is not far distant where we shall have real power, when our countrymen will have no worries and when their needs will be fulfilled,” he declared. “Be confident that the day of rejoicing approaches.” Mr. Gandhi, who arrived at Mr. Nehru’s request to join the Congress discussions before Lord Mountbatten's return, said it pained him to see all eyes turned to London. “We must learn to depend on ourselves,” he said. “Independence is like a jewel. Its safely and protection lie entirely with us.