THE NEW EH A IN INDIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1930, Page 3

THE NEW EH A IN INDIA.

“A now era has opened in India. We heartily hope that Indians will do themselves and their cause justice at the decisively important Round Table

Conference. If there are points in tlic ■Simon recommendations (as we know that there must be) to which they may take exception, they will have every encouragement to say so. It seems scarcely possible that impartial Indians could read the recommendations without being sensible of the strong sympathy with India which runs through them. It is upon that sympathy—upon the certainty that Great Britain desires to help India to the outward-looking freedom which is possible within the Brittish Commonwealth of Nations—that the representatives of India can safely rely.”—“The Spectator” (London.) MOSLEM AND HINDU IN INDIA. Mf.Shankat. Ali, a well-known Moslem, in the “Times of India” emphasises the religious difficulty to which the Simon Commission draws attention . He says : “1 think every man who loves India is agreed that there should be an advance, but it can only come when the stronger gives up an ambition of bullying the weaker. India will only prosper if its weakest minorities are given satisfaction and their confidence is restored. The Commissioners arcright when they say that separate electorate is not responsible for the Hindu-Moslem tension. Certainly, it' is, the desire o-f the Hindus for domination that is the root cause of the present trouble. I think the Moslem community will, he glad that Government is likely to keep its promise to them and will not do' away with separate electorate without their explicit consent. Recent happenings have made me change my opinion. If the Hindu community change their hearts and give proofs of it to the Moslems, then it is possible in years to come to have a modified form of joint electorates. There are difficulties in, every, new scheme of reform, but with courage, wisdom and goodwill, all rounn. things can be arranged amicably.”