INDIA’S PROBLEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 April 1940, Page 3

INDIA’S PROBLEM

CLAIM POR INDEPENDENCE MAHATMA GANDHI “THE SOUL OF INDIA. VISITING DOCTOR'S VIEWS. India today was clamouring for independent rule, observed Dr A. Bramwell Cook, of Emery Hospital. Bombay Presidency, India, who is visiting Masterton.. India, ho said, could not forget that she was a conquered race. As was the case in every country there were extremeists who screamed about British tyranny, exploitation and imperialistic despotism, whose war cry was an ultimatum to the British to abdicate from India immediately. That attitude did not represent the true spirit in India today. “Mahatma Gandhi is the soul of India." Dr Cook said. "He is reverenced in India as a god. his photograph is hung in every home, and wherever he goes acclaiming thousands throng around him. He travels third-class, spurns all luxuries, lives an ascetic life, fasts and observes silence every Friday. Ho is the embodiment of Indian thought, and. as il were, the personification of India. Ho is the brain behind the Congress Party which controls seven of the 11 Ministries of India. A few years ago he withdrew officially from the parly and now he does not even pay his four annas contribution. But the congress cannot be separated from him. He frames all congress policy, draws up its programme and prepares all official statements. "We of the West cannot, understand him. We ridicule his fasts; but to him fasting is a potent weapon. It cannot be taken by everyone. Mero physical capacity’ to take it is no qualification for it. It is of no use without a living faith in God."

Gandhi's principle was “non-vio-lence,’" Dr Cook continued, and so his followers cannot conscientiously engage in war.' It was a question on which all India felt strongly. The position now was that they wanted a bargain to get a promise of full dominion status in return for co-operation in the war. Because the Viceroy and the Secretary for India had not made that definite promise, they were holding out the threat of resigning. It" the Ministers were to resign, the result would be disorder, the Viceroy would nave to resort to minority rule, and the Ministries would have to be drawn from minority sections. It was a big question. The princes were whole-heartedly in support of the British Empire because their authority was maintained by the British Government. The unrest was almost entirely confined to British India and did not affect the States. “Mahatma Gandhi is not an extremist, as many people seem to believe," Dr Cook added. "Fortunately, he favours a moderate policy and holds the extremists in check. He is agitating for what he wants by constitutional means. "I firmly believe that Britain is I ready to accede Io India's wishes, but I Hint.’first of all she demands guaran- , tees." he went on. “Britain is in the position of a trustee to a ward. If the ward is of age and competent to manage his own allairs. the trustee s, work is finished. But the trustee must | bo satisfied before he surrenders ah- j solute control that his ward is mature and competent to administer his own affairs. Therein lies the crux of the situation. India considers herself now fit for self-government. Britain is hesitant and not so sure. She is not satisfied on two points—the defence of the country against external aggression and the maintenance of internal peace in the face of communal differences."