19 NOVEMBER 1927, Page 2

One discouraging sign is that the Hindu Liberals, led by

Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, have joined with the Swarajists in advocating a boycott. On Tuesday, in the House of Lords, Lord Birkenhead suggested that there should be a debate in Parliament on the Indian question as soon as possible. That certainly ought to help, and we hope the Government will take his advice. It must not be supposed, however, that all Hindus want to boycott the Commission. There are many highly educated Hindus who have seen from the first what a ruinous policy that would be. As for the Moslems, they are much less volatile than the Hindu Swarajists and Liberals, and, in the mass, they are ready to do all that they can to work with the Commission. Then again, there are those Hindus who have never had any cause to be grateful to their own political leaders. We mean the millions of untouchables. The visit of the Commission will be a great occasion for them. *