The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1929. INDIA’S DESTINY.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1929. INDIA’S DESTINY.

Onr of the most sensational events of -•to year lias been the statement on tne political future of India circulated a lew days ago by Lord Irvine. It is true that the assurances given by Mr .MacDonald have to .some extent allayed public, anxiety at’ Home. He told the House of Commons that no change in Britains policy was contemplated, and that the Viceroy’s reference to “Dominion status” indicated not any sudden “forward movement,” but steady advance towards a goal which may still lie beyond the range of the practical politics of to-day. Blit while this explanation is satisfactory to Britain, there is reason to believe that Lord Invin’s letter, which was certainly ambiguous in expression, has aroused in the East hopes and expec-

tations thatico.uld not be,,realised without. tlie>,most .serious Injury to.,lndia and to ,thO'JCiiUidre. -This- ,i,s• tlie reason or the excuse, jpr Mr Wiystop Churohijll’s. latent -contribution the,, controversy i M i l / iiipjurchill,, j,, jqpnsjflqr.s a,n Auckland paper,. iseyideptj.v apprehensive .of the effects produced t; by. Lord Irwin’s letter on India, but that is not his sole reas n. for submitting his views to public attention. He sees in the attitude of the,McDonald Government towards Egypt ominous signs of a mistaken desire, to propitiate a semicivilised people by .conceding .to them absolute independence .and autonomy, and. he fears, that the present Government may,adopt the ,same..line'6f policy in India? ,He woul.d regard “the immediate grant of .Dominion status to India” as nothing,.less tliaiV a crime. ,an<l: urges:; that public men of all parties should combine to make it clear -that such. a concession. ,is. under 'existing conditions,) entirely fantastic and impracticable. When ~Mr; 'Chiirchill talks about-“the long process df abdication of Qiir-nipral and. practical responsibilities, ’’’• which .he, thinks has reached its culminating point in Egypt, we must make allowance for his natural vehemence as well as for his polit cal prejudices. But we believe that -ne majority of public men of all parties at Home share his views on this special question of “Home Rule for India.” India’s “rescue from ages of barbarism” has left the people of India still antipathetic toward their white masters and resentful of their rule. On the other..,hand, racial distinctions and rivalries, differences' of sect and creed, and, above all, the deep lines of cleavage marked by the omnipotent caste system,., have completely prevented the unification of the Indian peoples and the growth of that national self-consciousness which is the only sound basis of political unity and freedom. The withdrawal of the British Raj would mean simply that India would be plunged again into the chaos of strife, bloodshed and tyranny from which Britain lias saived her, and the sword would rule the land once more. The position of the native princes, who have been for the most part loyal to the British Grown, must bo carefully considered before Dominion status could be granted to India. But, quite apart from, this, the consequences of conceding any form of autonomy under such circumstances are .so incalculable that to take this step now would be to commit one of those colossal blunders which are hardly distinguishable from crimes.