Evening star., 1942-04-01
Minority Group
In India Rejects
British Offer
Sikhs Are Expected
To Join Opposition
To MosIems
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW DELHI, April T. The
Sikh All-Parties Committee, one
Of India's minority groups, issued
the first fiat rejection today of
Britain's offer of postwar do
minion status for India.
The Sikhs, Hindu warrior caste,
rejected the plan as submitted by
Britain's special envoy, Sir Stafford
Cripps, on the grounds that it would
leave them at the mercy of the
Moslem majority in Punjab Province.
AS result tie Sikhs were ex-
pected to make common cause
against the Moslems with the
Mahasabha, organization of Hindu
extremists, whose rejection of the
offer already had appeared certain.
The chief stumbling block to ac-
ceptance was the requirement that
India's wartime defenSes be left in
British hands.
Final Decision Later.
1t appeared likely that Sir Staf-
ford would not have the final deci-
sions of all the major Indian groups
before Friday. The Congress Party
Working Committee, whose stand is
the most important, was drafting its
reply. but 1t was not known when it
would be handed to Sir Stafford.
The Mahasabha and the Moslem
League adjourned their executive
sessions until Friday. when both are
due to announce their verdicts.
A last-ninute glimmer of hope
was seen, however, in a joint state
rnent Of Sir Tel Bahadur Sapru and
DR.. Mukund Ramrao Jayakar,
spokeSmen of India's non-party
leaders, who said "it would be a
tragedy If the Cripps mission failed,
for it would produce a keen sense
of disappointment and Illustration
and provoke antagonism which in
our opinion would be disastrous in
this hour Of crisis" ...,. ..
Compromise Urged.
Although urging that Britain
compromise somewhat on the de-
fense issue, these leaders said
Britain's proposals make it clear
that after the war India will not
have to struggle for recognition of
its constitutional and international
status"
Aurobindo Chose, Indian spiritual
leader whose sanctuary at Pondi-
cherry is well known to American
visitors, also sent a message to
Cripps cohgratulating him on his
Monday broadcast explaining the
proposals
The answer of the Congress Party's
Working Committee, it was under
stood, was being drafted by Mohan-
das K. Gandhi and Pandit Java
harlal Nehru, both former Congress
presidents, for final consideration by
the committee today.
Issue Is Control Of Defense.
Discussions yesterday again re-
volved chiefly around the issue Of
control of defense for this great sub
continent and its 39O,000,000 in
habitants-already under the men,
ace of Japanese forces in Burma and
on islands in the Bay of Bengal.
This part of the British plan has
met such opposition that, failing
a substantial change, it was believed
1t might prove a stumbling block
for the whole scheme.
GA dispatch to the Daily Her.
aid, London Laborite newspaper,
said Gandhi had advised rejection
of the plan as unworthy" and a
report from New Delhi to the
London News Chronicle said the
Sikhs already had turned it down
because it would place them in
minority in the Punjab)
N. C. Chatterjee, working presi-
dent of the Mahasabha, telegraphed
that organization Bengal branch
that I'VE will reject Pakistan in any
shape or form"