INDIA COMMISSION

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1929, Page 5

INDIA COMMISSION

ENLARGEMENT OF ENQUIRY

STATEMENT BY VICEROY * (British Official Wireless.)

(Received this day at 1.0 p.m.)

m'GHV, Octolwr 81

Lord Tnvin (Viceroy of India) has made a statement which is published in India to-day regarding the extension of the scope of the inquiry of the Indian Statutory Commission to include relations between British India and Indian States, lie says that Sir John Simon (Chairman df the Statutory Commission) lias pointed out in correspondence with the Prime .Minister that lie and his colleagues have been greatly impressed in considering the feature of constitutional development of India, with the importance of hearing in mind the relations which may develop between British India and Indian States, ami that, in Sir John Simon’s judgment it is essential that methods 'whereby this future relationship'between these two constituent parts of greater Lidia may be adjusted, should be fully examined.

Sir John Simon has suggested that after the Statutory Commission and India Central Committee have made their reports,' the British Government shall meet representatives, both of British India and Indian States, for the purpose .of seeking the greatest possible measure c*fi agreement for the final proposals, which the British Government will later submit to Parliament.

Lord Irwin proceeds—With these views I. understand his Majesty’s Government are in complete accord. The goal of the British policy was stated in a declaration on August, 1917, to he that of providing for the gradual development of self-governing institutions with a view to progressing the realisation of responsible government in India as an integral part of the British Empire.

My own instrument of instructions from the King Emperor expressly states it is his Majesty’s will and pleasure that plans laid by Parliament in 1919 should be the means whereby British India may attain its due place among his Dominions. Ministers of the Crown, moreover, have more than once publicly declared it the desire of the British Government that India should in the fullness of time take her place in the Empire in equal partnership with the Dominions but in view of the doubts'which have been expressed in both Great Britain and India re-

'’garding the interpretation to lie placed on the intentions of the British Government in enacting the statute of 1919, I am authoried on behalf of his Majesty’s Government to state clearly that in their judgment it is implicit in the declaration of 1917 that the natural issue of India’s constitutional progress as there contemplated is the attainment of Dominion status.

In full realization-of this policy it is evidently important that Indian States should be afforded an opportunity of finding their place, and even if we cannot at present exactly foresee on what lines this development may be shaped, it is from every point of view desirable that whatever can lie done should be done to ensure that the action taken now is not inconsistent with the attainment of the ultimate purpose, which those in British India or the States who look to some unity of all India nave in view. His Majesty's Government considers that both these projects, namely, that of finding the best approach to the British-Indian side of the problem, and secondly, of ensuring that in this process the wider question of closer relations in future between the two parts of Greater India is not overlooked, can best be achieved by the adoption of procedure such as Sir John Simon . has outlined. When, therefore, the commission and Indian Central Committee have submitted their reports and these have been published, and when His Majesty’s Government had been able, in consultation with the Government of India to consider these matters in the light of all material then available, they will propose to invite representatives of the different parties and interests in British India and representatives of Indian States, to meet them, separately or together, as circumstances may demand, for the purpose of a conference and discussion in regard both to British-Indian and all Indian problems.

It will be their earnest hope that by this means it may subsequently prove possible on these grave issues to isubm.it proposals to Parliament which may command a wide measure of general absent.