The Hokitika Guradian MONDAY, JULY 17th, 1922. PROBLEMS OF INDIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guradian MONDAY, JULY 17th, 1922. PROBLEMS OF INDIA.

A remarkable address on the political problems of India was given last week at Wellington by Hon. S. Sastri, who said the present political movement in Tndia began in 1884 when the Indian National Congress was established. For a long time, however, they lived from lianj to mouth, not having a definite political goal in front, of them, and dealing only with the redress of griev ances of th o time. At Inst doubt among them arose as to the wisdom of the course they were pursuing, and in 1907 they asked what was to be their political goal. Whither was the political constitution of India tending? In 1907 the congress decided to aim at the attainment of,a political constitution by the people of India, similar to that of the self-governing Dominions, and to achieve this by peaceful and constitutional means. To that programme they had. adhered faithfully until two years ago, when the Congress began to run off the rails altogether. Why the congress first changed its outlook and Ideal was that a number of the members began to doubt v|ie wisdom ,

cf confining their political future to. the British Empire. What right they thought, had they to bind posterity. Might they not have an indefinite destiny of their own? Teat kind of inquiry began to make itself felt ill 1918, and the troubles in tile Punjnub and elsewhere accentuated it- It was under the influence of this, under the leadership of Mr Gandhi, that the congress last year took a fatal leap. The indie conservative of them were swept aside by a grouo 5f untrained politicians, who preferred the unknown to tho known. They merely laid down their goal as “the political salvation of India” without defining Dominion status or otherwise. They were equally indefinite regarding the means hv which that, was to be achieved. Ho did not approve of the attitude of the congress; he condemned it, hut he asked thorn to try and understand. Was not the tendency throughout the world to-day to find extremists at the head of various movements. The position lie said, had been precipitated by the British treatment of Turkey. The Islamic world found that though they were prepared to concede full British rule ill India for ever, the British, In their view, were not prC-paied t<» grunt justice to Turkey when it suited them, and this threw them into the hands of the Indian Congress. The result was that both the great political parties in India combined, find they sc. cured from the British Parliament tho -Act of 1919. which gave every lissurance of the attainment of full selfgovernment within the British Empire within a few years, provided they adoted peaceful and constitutional menus. That opinion was growing in Greater Britain, with which his visit was establishing a rlos.Br coUiiectioli. TlieV would f-olith put unscathed in the achievement of their purpose, hut in the reaching of it they asked for sympathy and support.