INDIA'S FUTURE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 87, 3 December 1931, Page 6

INDIA'S FUTURE

(British Offieial Wireless)

BRITAIN'S INTENTIONS PRIME MINISTER'S APPEAL TO ROUND TABLE CONFEREN CE FEDERATION BY AGREEMENT

RUGBY, Tuesday. The end of the Indian Conference came with the Prime Minister's speech declaring the policy of the Government. Mr. MacDonald said he regardeH the discussions and personal contact as of the highest value. They had raised the problem of India's constutional reform far above the mere technicalities of constitution making| They had won confidence in and respect for each other which made the task oue of helpful co-opera-tion. By co-operation alone could they succeed. The Prime Minister went on to say that at the beginning of the year he had made a declaration as to the | policy of the then Government, and | he was authorised by the present | Government to give India a specifie | assurance that that was intended to be their policy. He ,detailed the salient sentences of that declaration, namely that the view of His Majesty's Government was that the responsibility for the government of India should he placed upon Legislatures, central and provincial, with such provisions as were neeessary to guarantee, during transition, the observance of certain obligations, and to meet other special circumstances, and also with such guarantees as are required by minorities to protect their j political liberties and rights. The January declaration also stated that statutory safeguards were neeessary for meeting the needs of the teransitional period. Government's First Concern. It would be the Government's prime concern to see that the reserved powers were so framed and exercised as iot to prejudice the advance of India .hrough her new constitution to full responsibility for her own government. Further, the Prime Minister made it plain that, subject to defined conlitions, the late Government were jrepared to rdcognise the principle of responsibility of the exeeutive to the Legislature, if both were constituted m an all-Indian federal basis. The Drinciple of responsibility was to be subject to the qualification that in the axisting circumstances ,defence and ixternal affairs must be resei'ved to the Governor-G&neral, and that regarding finance such conditions must apply as would ensure ths fuliilment of obligations incurred on the uithority of the Secretary of State md the maintenance unimpaired of .inancial stability and credit of India. Finally it was their view that the jrovernor-General should be empow■i'ed to fulfil his responsibility for seruring the constitutional rights of minorities, and ultimately maintaining the .tranquility of State. |

Belief in Federation These, in broad .outline, were the features of the new constitution contemplated by the late Government rnd the present Government fully accepted that statement as representng their own policy. In particular fiiey desired to reaffirm their belief in vn all-India federation as offering the only hopeful solution of India's con•titutional problem. They intended to pursue thid plan unswervingly, and .o do their utmost to surmount the difficulties in the way of its realisation. The Minister regretted the absence of a settlement on the question of safeguarding minorities, and it had aot yet been possible for the States to settle their relationship within the Federation. These facts could not be ignored. The speaker then proceeded to discuss a practical programme for the advancement of these common aims. The principle of responsible Federal Government, subject to certain , reservations remained unchanged. It had been pressed upon the Government that the surest route to federation would be to get these and other measures in train forthwith, and not delay the assumption of full responsibility by the- provinces. Communal Deadlock They must realise that the communal deadlock stood in the way of piogress, whether for the provinces or centre. The conference had twice essayed, but had failed. They would soon find that their endeavours to proceed with their plans were held up if they could not present them with a settlement acceptable to all parties. In that event the Government would be compelled to apply the provisional scheme, for they were determined ;hat even this disability should not be permitted to bar progress. The Government were determined to go ahead. It would not, however, be a satisfactory way of dealing with the problem. He therefore begged them to meet togetber in India and reach an agreement. They had brought the business down to specifie problems requiring intimate consideration first of all by bodies which are really committees, and not unweildly conferences, and they must set up the maehinery to do such work. He added: "As that is being done, and eonclusions present ed, we must be able at the same time to continue consultacion with you." I Mr. MacDonald declared that great I strides had been made at the conferances of a year ago and now which had enabled them to mobolise the goodwill of India and Britain for a solution of the great historical problems of India. The Government, he assured them, would strive unceasingly to seeure a successful eonclusion of their mutual "abours. The Prime Minister was thanked by Mr. Gandhi, Sir Abdul Quayum and the Nawab of Bhopal.