13 OCTOBER 1944, Page 12

THE INDIAN DEADLOCK

Stn,—Your readers know that I did not consider attempts to find a formula of agreement between Congress and Muslim League " damnable check of outsiders," but only the course which some demand, that of establishing Pakistan without consultation of the people concerned. But my violence of phrase merits Mr. Rajagopalachari's severity, and I ask you to print his letter (though sent to me privately) as a postscript to the recent correspondence.—Yours, &c., EDWARD THOMPSON. Oxford.

" Your letter to The Spectator has been cabled out here. I read it with great interest. . . . Damnable cheek ' is not a decent phrase, anyway, in this context. But I understand what you mean.' You are, of course, Wanting your own countrymen for letting things drift to this pass. We finish today five years after the war. We are in a very bad pass, and we fear that we shall be very badly treated by your people. You intellectuals of Britain haven't the guts to get your ruling class to act reasonably and justly and quickly. At the same time you are ready to help your Government's diplomacy by encouraging our extremist and unpractical dunderheads by timely mouthing of the language of unmodified democracy and revolution. Please read the proposal which Gandhi has supported and give it somewhat above the average Briton's quantum of attention and analysis, and see if it is ' cheek' or amounts to an attempt of outsiders to sett'e other people's affairs.

" ' Basis for terms of settlement between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League to which Gandhi and Jinnah agree, and which they will endeavour respectively to get the Congress and the League to approve:

"' Firstly, that the Muslim League endorses the Indian demand for independence, and will co-operate with the Congress in the formation of a provisional interim government for the transitional period. Second!), after the termination of the war, a commission shall be appointed for demarcating contiguous districts in the North-West and North-East of India wherein Muslim population is in absolute majority. In areas thus demarcated, a plebiscite of all inhabitants, held on the basis of adult suffrage or other practicable franchise, shall utimately decide the issue of separation from Hindustan. If the majority decides in favour of forming a sovereign State separate from Hindustan, such decision shall be given effect to without prejudice to the right of districts on the herders to choose to be in either State. Thirdly, it will be open to all parties to advocate their points of view before the plebiscite is held. Fourthly, in the event of separation mutual agreements shall be entered into for safeguarding defence and commerce and communications and for other essential purposes. Fifthly, any transfer of population shall only be on an absolutely voluntary basis Sixthly, these terms shall be binding only in case of transfer by Britain of full power and responsibility for the

government of India.' "—Yours sincerely, C. RAJAGOPALACHARI.