Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-08-13
India Heads Toward
Conflict


article appearing in Worldover
Press offers background material
vital to an evaluation of news
reports. Excerpts of the article,
written by Anup Singh, author,
lecturer and widely travelled ma
tive of India, follows:
What has driven Gandhi to this
desperate step? What can be done
about it? Americans must strive
alphabetically and imaginatively to
get at the root of the matter before
assailing Gandhi and his followers.
Those editors and radio commenta-
tors who, during and since the Grips
mission, have freely INDUCED in de-
nunciation of the Indian leaders,
have served neither Britain nor India,
nor have they helped America. They
have merely succeeded in engender-
ing for while ill-will between In
dams and Americans. We cannot
afford to repeat that blunder; and
with good will and daring we may
yet find a way to avert the impend-
ing catastrophe.
For over twenty years before this
war Gandhi has been striving for
India's freedom through peaceful
means In capturing eight out of the
II provinces in British India in an
open election in 1887, under the
British-made constitution, the Ma
tionalists vindicated their claim to
represent the masses.
Gandhi could have created havoc,
and could have crippled the war
effort in India by mass civil DISC
bedience, but over the protests OF
many of his followers he restrained
himself because, on humanitarian
grounds, his sympathies were with
Britain against Hitler.
What did Britain do to win India?
Hopes aroused by the Atlantic Char
ter were at once blasted by Churchill
who declared that its terms did not
apply to India. Midst this disillu-
sionment, bitterness and hostility
Grips hurried to India at the elev-
enth hour after Singapore had fall
len and when the Japanese were
rushing headlong westward.
Then Cripps-and the aftermath
1t is not true as has often been
asserted in the American press, that
Grips failed because Indians were
unwilling to assume responsibility, or
that they could not get together, or
that they wanted to curtail the pow
ers of the Commandments Ma
tionalist India objected to the pro-
visions of the Cripps proposal that
would have permitted any unit to
stay out of the federal union-an
advance encouragement and invita-
ton to civil war. They objected to
the provision designed to perpetuate
1ndia's autocratic princes.
But even on these two issues they
were prepared to compromise. Nego-
tiations finally failed on two other
crucial points. The Nationalist
wanted to form a Provisional Coali-
ton Government that should func-
ton as a responsible National Gov
eminent from now on. But that
meant curtailing the dictatorial pow
ers of the Viceroy, and that Britain
refused to do. The Nationalist were
willing to give even more powers
to the Commander-in-Chief, pro-
vided, as in the Dominions, he was
not also Minister of Defense, and
provided an Indian was made Min
lister of Defense with real powers
They wanted an Indian Minister
because he alone, as symbol OF
the new change, could have reused
the masses and made it peoples
war. Here again Britain refused to
share military control with India
and insisted upon protecting India
from Indians" Even on the issue OF
defense, there was at one time q
possibility of a workable compro-
mise if Britain would have agreed
as the Nationalist wanted-to sur
render the entire military control t.
the Indian government Immediately
at the end of the war. But Britain
would surrender that control only
after the federal union contemplated
in the Grips proposal began to func.
ton. Negotiations failed.
It is the aftermath of the Cripp
mission that has now forced Gandhi'
hand. And it is the recent Japanes'
move that has left him no choice
The failure of Grips left behind
a trail of bitterness and Illustration
in India. Says the recent Congress
resolution: "This Illustration resulte'
in a rapid and widespread increas