The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1930. THE INDIAN SITUATION

Hokitika Guardian, 4 January 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1930. THE INDIAN SITUATION

liik politiciil situation governing the iutiu'o rule ol India is attracting special attention at the moment, due to tiie particulars supplied by the cabled news r J he Indian National Congress, now in session, lias passed a resolution which indicates with startling distinctness the real meaning of the agitation that the Nationalists are now conducting. r I lie Congress has decided that India will be content with nothing less than ‘‘Swaraj,” or home rule; and it defines Swaraj as “independence and separation from Britain.” To secure this object, the Congress has further resolved that the people must detach themselves entirely from British rule and all that it implies by boycotting the Legislature, the Courts and the schools; and it expects to utilise the potent influence of the mystic Gandhi to oary its decision into effect. So xar as the Nationalist Congress is concerned, considers the Auckland totar, the meaning of this resolution is unmistakeahle The lenders in the Swaraj movement do not deal in halfmeasures, and they will accept no kind of compromise. They are as firmly resolved to have no dealings with Die West as the Bolsheviks are determined to take no favours from capitalism. It should lie recognised that the extremists who control the Congress represent directly hut a small fraction of the vast population of India. Probably not more than one million of the three hundred millions of Die Indian races are active engaged in promoting the Swaraj movement. At the same time, among people so ignorant and so docile as the majority of the Indians, it is difficult to over-estimate the extent to which a few’ enthusiasts can control and direct the feelings of the masses am! utjlise popular sentiment for their own purposes. A startling proof of the ascendancy that those propagandsts exercise over the imagination and the emotions of the people is provided by the recent attempt to assassinate Lord Irwin. Though no one in India can doubt that Die Viceroy, like most, of his predecessors, is actuated by sincere goodwill towards the

| people, tlie attempt to murder him is apparently accepted as a natural and ne.es.sary incident in tiie Swaraj campaign; so much so that it was only liy a narrow majority that the National Congress carried a resolution expressing sympathy lor Lord Irwin and congratulating him on his escape. This is quite in keeping with the' worst traditions of Indian Nationalism, and'it may serve to remind us that the tone and character of the movement lias not changed for the better during the past twenty years. Tlie first two years of Lord Minto’s term of office (1905-6) were marked by serious outbreaks of violence, and the ; mistaken leniency of t-Jie Viceroy manifestly helped to encourage thg.se dangerous tendencies. 'I lie native. Press was permitted without restriction or penalty to inculcate the murder of British officials and residents as a laudable duty. One of the leading Bengali newspapers repeal,-, adly reminded its readers that if they would only strike hard and boldly they could end British rule in India in a single day. “Lay down your lives but first take a life,” was its doctrine; and it was not till a long series-of murderous outrages forced Lord Minto to take action and to suppress this criminal agitation that tlie danger was for tlie time dispelled. Now it seems that tliis evil spirit is abroad in the land once more, and vigorous measures may l:c necessiir if tlie policy of conciliation and compromise so long encouraged by the British Government is not to have disastrous results. The situation revealed as a result of the Indian National Congress, even though it may not represent a material section numerically of tlie population, i,s disquieting, for there is evidently a determined hand of Nationalists bent on disruption, and tlie general situation calls fo rvery careful handling. Moderate opinion, however, is also organising as a set off to the National movement.