Evening star., 1946-05-16
.Indiu
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Gently elected provincial legisla-
lures. Under the proposal one dele
gate would be chosen for each mil
lion people, each province rationing
the delegates among Moslems. Sikhs
and general population in proper
ton to the number of people of
those classifications.
Commons Won't Act Now.
The House of Commons is not
required to act on the proposed plan,
although eventually it will have to
pass on a plan for the Indian gov
ernment in its final form by approx
ing a British-I Indian treaty for
transferring power from Britain to
any new Indian government.
Prime Minister Attlee told the
House the government had decided
immediate arrangements should be
made whereby the Indians may de-
eide the future constitution of India
and an interim government may be
set up at once to carry on admin
istration of British India until such
time as new constitution can be
brought into being"
1T is not our object" he added
ito lay out details of the constitu-
ton in this program but to set in
motion machinery whereby the con-
stitution can be settled by the In
dians themselves"
In New Delhi, Lord Pethick-
Lawrence said in a radio address
that the new constitution would be
framed by Indians and worked by
Indians, but that Britain would con-
tinue to help them overcome the
difficulties they were certain to
encounter.
Round Table Parley Failed.
When Mr.. Attlee dispatched the
mission to India he said If the In
dians chose independence they
have the full right to do So" but
he expressed the hope they would
remain a part of the British COM
monwealth of nations, status
similar to that OF Canada, Australia,
New Zealand and South Africa.
The cabinet missions efforts to
have Indians themselves propose a
solution of constitutional and in
terim government questions was
wrecked at round table confer
ence at Simla ON differences be-
tween the Moslems and the Con-
gress Party. The inside details of
that conference have not yet been
published, but it was believed Mos
lem insistence on fully indepen-
dent Moslem state of Pakistan, sep
arate from the rest of India. made a
solution by Indians themselves i'm
possible at that meeting.
The cabinet missions plan re-
jected the Moslem Leagues idea.
The evidence submitted, the cabinet
ministers said, showed an almost
universal desire outside supporters
of the league for the unity of India.
The ministers said they did not
feel separate state of Pakistan
would solve the communal minor
ity problems of India.
Would Deal With Famine.
The two sections that Pakistan
would include contain the most vul-
nerable frontiers in India and would
be dificult to defend, the mission
added.
The interim government e1vis.
aged would deal with the country's
threatened famine and negotiate
with Britain a treaty providing for
the transfer Of power after the
framing Of the new constitution.
Acknowledging that both the
Congress Party and the Moslem
League leaders had been prepared
to make considerable concessions,
the mission said however it had
been impossible to bridge the gap
between the conflicting points OF
view.
Since no agreement has been
reached" their report said, I'VE
feel that it is our duty to put for
ward what we consider are the best
arrangements possible to ensure a
st;tsdion SPEEDY setting up of the new con-
Winston Churchhill, wartime
premier and now leader of the
Conservative opposition, called the
governments Indian proposal an
able but melancholy document. "
Il am bound to make clear, with
out delay. what is the position of
the oficial opposition" Church.
hill said.
THE new proposals seem at first
to shift the onus of deciding the
future constitution of India from
the Indian parties to the govern
ment. Insofar as this shifting oi
the onus may prove the case, ii
certainly seems to have been an un-
fortunate step. We cannot enforce
by British arms, a British made con-
stitution upon India against the
wishes of any of the main elements
of Indian life.'
Mr.. Churchill said the Conserva.
tives would preserve our entire
freedom Of action as to the future
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