INDIA IN PERIL

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5281, 18 December 1946, Page 4

INDIA IN PERIL

^HILE Mr. Nehru's resolution for the proclamation of Indial as' an independent sovereign republic stands, he. has made haste to deny the report that before the s end of the week India would contract out of the British Empire. Neverthejess, this is the reasonable deduction of ultimate intention to be drawn .from his other remarks on the occasion of his Calcuttg, addfess which have not been repudiated. -He said that geographically, India was situated so that little could happen in all South-East Asia in defence and trade without her concurrence, meaning that he envisages the country as the dominant Power of southern and eastern Asia, governed by a permanent Hindu niajority. Before that position is achieved, however, there will be firstly, the problem of forming a Constitution acceptable to both the Moslem League and to the British Parliament, which latter must ratify the*" documeht, according to provisions laid down by the Cabinet Mission. It is unlikely that the Moslem Leaghe will agree to join in this task unless it secures prior guarantees that the grouping.of Moslem provinces proposed by the Mission is accepted. Mr. Jinnah emphasised this wheh he said at his last Press conference in London that the only practical solution was to divide India. That. answer would satisfy two of the three parties to the deal but even if the Congress Party agreed to what it regards as a xsupreme concession, these various communities would not become better disposed one to the other. Rather do,es oue envisage a situation like that which Clive found when he first went to India, but a situation with much vaster potentialities for conspiracy and schism, because the masses -are politically minded to a degree seen nowhere else in the East. If Lord Simon's and Mr. ChurchilTs fears of civil war are unhappily realised, will there be a reasonable possibility of keeping the ring clear for the Indian combatdnts themselves ? Fortunately, this seems^o be the case. The most important boundaries of India are.those with Burma and Afghanistan. Britain and America, anxious to ensure the maintenance of a cordon sanitaire in North-West Burma, have the forces necessary for the task. As for Afghanistan, this country is now a member of the United Nations and was" described by Mr. Dean Acheson as the only "truly neutral" country during the r.ecent war. Afghanistan could only have gained that reputation through its government's strength and integrity. This is exemplified by an incident over the repatriation of German natio'nals, a considerable number of. whom were trapped in the country when war with Russia broke out. The Afghanistan's considered they had a moral responsibility to see these people were repatriated to Germany. They started home, via Russia and became "lost" for nearly. a year." After constailt pressure from Kahui directed to the three Great Powers, the Germans finally did reach home and their late hosts' interest in them immediately ceased. An obligation of honour had been satisfied. Three months ago, Afghanistan let a contract with an American firm to build a series of bridges, roads and irrigation projects at a cost of five million dollars. While it is obvious that Afghan sympathies would be with the Moslem communities in- an Indian ' upheaval, there would doubtless

be sufficient strength in coritrol at Kahui to keep the contest within Tndia's geographical limits.