MR. NEHRU SPEAKS OF INDIA'S FUTURE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5281, 18 December 1946, Page 5

MR. NEHRU SPEAKS OF INDIA'S FUTURE

(Press Assn.

SECESSION DENIED WARNING ISSUED IN HOUSE OF LORDS

. — Rec. 9.80 p.m.)

LONDON, Dec. 17. Mr. Nehru, viee-president of the Indian Interim Government, on arrival from Calcutta, described as amazing the report that he told a meeting in Benares that India would declare herself out of the British Empire in three days' time, says Reuter's Allahabad correspondent. Mr. Nehru said the report was completely without foundation. Ccmmenting on Mr. Nehru's resolution calling for an independent sovereign India, Reuter's diplomatic correspondent points out. that the Indian constitution when completed by the Indian Constituent Assembly raust be ratified by the British Parliament. Until the constitution is ratified the . administration of India remains in British hands under the \ci of 1935. Nevertheless a serious view is. iaken of Mr. Nehru's resolution by the Indian States, which take the view that it raises many fundamental issues which should not be considered in the absence of the States' lepresentatives. The attempt to estahlish government in India not by co-opera-tion but by reliance on Hindu majority threatened India with civil war, anarchy and bloodshed on an unlimited scale, said Lord Simons, during tbe House of Lords debate on India. Opening the debate. Lord Simon affirmed , that the constitution of. India, established by Parliame'nt, [•ould be changed only by Parliament. ETe rebutted suggestions that any action by Britain lxad caused strife in tiidia. Britain had a most diffieult task in statesmanship to reconcile the Moslem and Hindu differences. Lord Simon aslced could Britain lenlly regard what was going on in S'cw Delhi at the present time as a Constituent Assembly. The Governaient must make itself plain on this puint. Mr. Nehru had claimed that the meeting was a Constituent Assembly capable of drawing a constitution which would beeome. the ?ivnstitution of India. This threat?ned India with a Hindu Raj. Lord Simon here ga ve the warnii(.' of the danger of civil war, as stated above. He stressed that he nul measured his words carefully before spealcing. Government Stand The Secretary for India, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, replying to Lord Simon, said: "Our intentions stand that the Indians liave the right to de;ide their future. Our conviction sta.ids that only under agreement can a stable cc/nstitution be decided, and dup intentions remain to do all in our [lower to bring the parties together. "The Government also stands by its interpretation of the statement of Ma\ 10 and will not depart therefivi.n even if appeal Js made to Ihe Federal Court in India. "Under the Cabinet inission's propo>;ls the Constituent Assembly caxmot frame a constitution which departs from the basic form recommended by the mission, unless it is agreed upon with the approval of rejiiesentatives of each major party. Pr»rision has been made in a later paiaeraph for such variation."