INDIAN CONGRESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 121, 20 April 1940, Page 6

INDIAN CONGRESS.

DEMANDS NOT ACCEPTABLE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. April 18. In the debate in the House ot Commons on motions relating to the government of the Indian Provinces, the Under-Secretary for India (Sir Hugh O’Neill) said the British Government could not accept the Congress Party’s demands, which would mean severance from the Empire arid the abandonment of Britain’s obligations to the Moslems and other minorities. He added: “If civil disobedience is unfortunately adopted the British Government will be bound to take full measures to counteract it.” The Viceroy, lie continued, had done all possible to secure an agreement, and said “ho had made a proposal of a far-reaching character which might have been put into immediate effect, namely, that Indian political leaders should become members of the Executive Council. Above all, he had emphasised again and again that the policy of the British Government is to grant India full Dominion status at tlic earliest possible moment, and he made it clear that we were only too willing to examine the whole constitutional field in consultation with all parties and interests in India.” None of these advances had met with response, Sir Hugh O’Neill continued, and he referred to the magnificent response made by India in the war effort. After short debates the motions relating to'the government of the seven Indian Provinces were passed by both Houses. The Opposition loaders associated themselves with the regret expressed by the British Government as to the necessity of the sten taken, and Mr Wedgwood Benn in the House of Commons expressed the view that the message of Congress was not the authentic voice of India.