INDIAN PRINCES MORE HELPFUL

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5325, 11 February 1947, Page 5

INDIAN PRINCES MORE HELPFUL

i (Press .4ssn.

independence isslik j REPRESENTATION IN CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

— Rec. ,9.80 v.m.)

LONDON, Feb. 10. The Indian Princes came a step nearer possible participation in India's incfependence effort by agreeing to discuss proposals for their representa-t-ion in the Constituent Assembly, reports the Associated' Press New Delhi correspondent. The negotiating committee, which the Moslem League is. still boycotting, has apparently accepted the preliminary premises laid down by the Princes, who took the stand that t"he British Government had made it clear that it was for the States to decide whether it wished to. join the Indian union. . j A joint statement from the Princes and tfie negotiating committee stated: "Friendly an-d satisfaetory discussions have taken place." ' It added that the secr'etariats ,-of the Constituent Assembly and the Chamh€r Princes had been asked "to draw -up detailed proposals for apportionment of the 93 seats allocated to the States." Congress Party View The correspondent says the Congress Party has consistently maintained that representatives of j;he_ States in the Assembly must include those of the peoples, not only the rulers. The Chamber of Princes endorsed this move, but not all the rulers have concurred. I In Lahore, the police arrested 120 for organising a procession in defiance of the Punjab Government's public safety ordinance. • j In New Delhi the working committee of the orthodox Hindu organisation Mahasabha approved a" resolution saying the ConstitHent Assembly was "a properly constituted body. with full sovereign powers and authority to frame a political constitution for an undivided India." The committee. sa^ff the Moslem League's continued hoycott of the Assembly was "a definite "departure from constitutionalism in favour of direct action."