India’s Goal

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1007, 25 June 1930, Page 11

India’s Goal

STEPS TO SELF-GOVERNMENT

Report Well Received

COMMENT ON CONSTITUTION CHANGES - British Official Wireless Received Noon. RUGBY. Tuesday. THE unanimous recommendations of the Indian Statutory Commission contained in the 300-pa "e second volume of its report published today, will be the subject of for some time to come. First comments in Britain are almost wholly favourable to the Federal scheme which the report recommends, and which is generally regarded as testing a new course toward a policy of self-government.

Under the Commission’s scheme the provinces would have Ministries responsible to the legislatures for all departments of the Provincial Government. including that of law and order, the Governors retaining overriding powers for certain emergencies.

The Federal Assembly would replace the present Central Legislative Assembly, and the present Council of State would be retained. The Central Government would be free from any system of divided responsibility and capable of giving support to the provinces in case of need. CONSTITUTION SAFEGUARDS The maintenance of security services as all-India services recruited by the Secretary of State and the centralisation of the High Courts are recommended. The separation of Burma from India is proposed and it is recognised that the North-west Province calls ‘ for special treatment in its constitutional advance by general consent. The most important constructive suggestion contained in the Indian Statutory Commission’s report is the insistence on the necessity of guiding India toward a federal constitution. The scheme outlined, which is accepted as being fitted to the special conditions of the case, is unlimited except by safeguards against its own collapse, and, in the words of the “Manchester Guardian,” shows the way to the goal of a self-governing federation unparalleled in the world’s history. It provides for a federal scheme for British India, with a Federal Assembly in the centre, and having as federal units Governor’s provinces, which on their part would enjoy full autonomy, and whose legislatures would be armed with constituent powers. FACING REALITIES Further suggestions for setting the course toward the new goal of an allIndia federation are welcomed in the Press. The chief recommendation In this connection Is that for the creation or a consultative Council of Greater India, with 10 of its 30 members representing the Indian States, The newspapers emphasise, however, that throughout the whole report there is evidence of the fact

that the Commissioners, while looking to the possibilities of the future, never lost sight of the realities of the present.

Proposals for retaining in the hands of the Viceroy the problem of defence, which is partly an Imperial problem, *iud for maintaining the security services as all-India services, recruited by the Secretary of State, are cited as a further recognition by the Commissioners of Britain's responsibility ror internal order and protection against foreign foes. EFFECT OF CHANGE Commenting upon the report of the Commission the ••Times” says the commissioners are profoundly convinced that the prospect of periodical investigations has had a disastrous effect upon the working of the constitutional changes which were introduced 10 years ago. In the light of their emphatic opinion no one will be likely hereafter to maintain a programme of autonomy by instalments aS against steady progress by natural evolution. The delicate plant of self-government will, in future, prove itself by its fruits, continues the paper, and will not be dug up at regular intervals for standardised inspection. There is no longer any reason why the States and Provinces of India should all be expected to fit into a common mould. A DEATH BLOW

Since the need for a central Legislature remains the method of federalism will enable India to meet it as the United States and as most of the British Dominions have met it in the past, that is to say, by the co-operation of a number of autonomous units grown to political self-consciousness through responsibility for their own affairs and able to determine for themselves the ultimate form of the common structure.

The “Daily Mail” says it regards the report as the death blow to Dominion status.

The “Daily Herald” says the report, far from preparing the way for rapid transformation to self-goverment, seems to tend toward indefinitely stabilising the essentials of the present system. The powers of the Viceroy and the Governors are a negation of self-government which is fatal to its acceptance even by moderates.