Indian Affairs

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1922, Page 2

Indian Affairs

ATJSVJtAhIAN AND N.Z. CABJ.E ASSOCIATION. AIR SASTIM’S ADDRESS. DELHI, Dt« 27. Air Sastri in a Presdential address to the National Liberal Federation otherwise the .Moderate Congress at ALngpor, paid a tribute to Lord Alontague and expressed regret at the sinister intrigue which deprived him of office. Referring to the Indianisation of the Civil Service, Air Sastri declared if recruitment from Britain were possible only at greatly enhanced cost, the representatives of the people would be reluctantly compelled to recommend the cessation of recruitment. He declared iL was indisputable that the straightened state of Indian finances was “largely due to an inordinately bloated expenditure on the Army. He urged retrenchment and ] lid utilization of officers. Dealing with his visit to the Dominions, Air Sastri said that in three hci visited he saw no insuperable barrier in the way of Indian people, similar to that reported to exist in South Africa. He considered no risks need I*. apprehended from granting full autonomy to Indian provinces and concluded: —“We believe in the ideals of the British Commonwealth, cherish our connection therewith and trust that our equal partnership therein, which is admitted in theory will -soon lie translated into fact.”

UNKNOWN THIBET. DELHI, December 27

The British Buddhist mission has returned from Thibet. It reports they discovered the inhabitants of one village do not inter-marry with those of the next. In every village if the women outnumber tin: men polygamy is {Tactised. Smallpox was very prevalent. Bronchial disease was scarce but syphilis is the greatest scourge, from which a large proportion of the people are suffering. Everywhere there is poverty and lack of enterprise. Commercially there is nothing but wool and carpets, but the country fascinating for sporting mid geographical discoveries.

INDIAN CONFERENCES. DELHI, December 27. The Khalifat Conference has opened. The President (Doctor lAnsari), regretted Mr Bonar Law luid not guaranteed to withdraw from Afesopotiiinia and Palestine and was not committed to a sound Near Eastern policy. He emphasised that even if the Turkish question was satisfactorily settled as the result of the Lausanne Conference, Indian Afoslems would continue to demand their freedom. The National Congress concluded its session and confirmed the resolution against elections to the Council and adopted a resolution acknowledging Sultan Abdul Hamid ns Khalifat, and conferring upon Kenial Pasha the title of “Saviour of the Khalifat.