YOUNG INDIANS AND 'GREAT 1 , BRITAIN Sm,—Most of your readers will
have read,' as I did, Mrs. Allen's leiter with great sympathy. Her point of view is that of the vast majority of freedom-loiing people here. and in other countries. I hope that you will allow me to answer very briefly the questions raised by her Indian friend' and herself.
Her remark that the young Indian scientist had found only a handful of people unwilling that India should now have self- government is surely very significant. Wherever one goes, even in Anglo-Indian (old style) circles, this observation holds true. I think the convincing proof of the general d6ire and intention on the part of British people to do everything possible to help on India's political development is given by the British officials in India, rho have been working the 1935 Government of India Act since its inauguratiOn in the Indian Provinces. -Leading Congress Ministers in many parts of India have paid generous tribute to the self-sacrificing, impartial labours of these officials, and anyone familiar with the development of the last three years in India will know what a splendid part has been played in fitting the new system of government- to the people and the country by the Provincial Governors.
Surely this attitude of British people and British officials in India is prima facie satisfactory evidence that it is the general desire of the British people to free India from what Mrs. Allen has described as " the yoke 'of alien domination." It would take up too much time to explain how the present system of government in India is very far from being a system of pure alien domination, quite apart from the almost complete autonomy of the Provinces in normal times. Just consider the course of economic and social legislation by the Central Indian Legislature in the past few years. When a Legislature elected on a reasonably democratic franchise can foster the economic interests of its own country _ by discriminating, if necessary, forcibly and comprehensively against the trade of the suzerain Power, it will be agreed, I think, that some qualification is necessary before such a system can be termed one of " alien domination."
The truth is tharthere exist in India between different races and interests certain divisions which are not artificial, but are ancient, natural, deep-seated and firmly defended by the various peoples or interests concerned. Again I need not argue this pOint in detail. I will merely draw attention to certain actions and declarations of .the past few months of Princes, Maho- medans and Congress members. The differences revealed by these things are not the factious products of British intrigue, but are inherent conditions of the problem which cannot be ignored. I think it is a very happy chance that Professor Brogan's excellent letter appears in the same issue of The Spectator as Mrs. Allen's. The problem of federating India is hardly, if any, less difficult and involved than the problem of federating Europe, and yet without the-hff-lischa Federation how can there be national unity ancbamional existence in.India? I would urge Mrs. Allen and all other honest questioners of British policy in India to- consider this point very carefully because their own reflections will tell them more than I can. In short, there is no question of giving freedom from alien domination to India. The question is how are the ancient, fiercely held and amazingly difficult differences of opinion and interest between the various elements which will have to make up the Indian nation to be reconciled. They can only be reconciled by a friendly coming together of all parties, includ- ing ourselves. Now I have tried to show that there has been a change of heart in this country in the last two decades or so. We are entitled to ask for a corresponding change of heart on the part of all the Indian elements which will enable them to come to a friendly conference with the intention of giving as well as taking, and even of shedding old and tenaciously held opinions in order to reach an agreement out of which the Indian Federation, and so the Indian nation, may come to
Previous page
