INDIA AND THE PRINCES
Sni,—Two letters on India in your issue of September 6th call for reply. Both assume that the Congress represents the great majority of the people of India. It does, perhaps, represent the majority, hut not the great majority. More important, the minorities whom it does not represent, particularly the Princes and the Muslims, are important and powerful, and have not the least intention of permit- ting their views to be overlooked when the future government of India comes to be framed.
The Princes have never shown the least desire for an independent India : they are too wise. Indeed, they only agree to Domimon status on conditions designed to safeguard their own interests—and naturally. On the question as to how far the Congress represents the people of India, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, a prominent Hindu Liberal, speaking in April, 1939, said: "The Congress Governments have alienated the support of the Zemindars, middle-classes and "—this IS very remarkable—" the Hindus: they stand bereft of all moral pres- tige, and, if this lasts much longer, there will be grave danger to ;he peace of the United Provinces."
The Working Committee of the All-India Muslim League 31 September, 1939, passed a resolution in which, inter alia, it asked His Majesty's Government for an assurance that no declaration regarding the question of constitutional advance for India should he made without the consent and approval of the All-India Muslim League. And leaders of the Liberals, orthodox Hindus, and depressed classes in October, 1939, telegraphing to the Viceroy, said: "We only wish to. raise our voice to warn His Excellency not to regard the Congress and the Muslim League as representing the whole or es en the bulk of India."
These quotations show that a solution of the problem is not so easy as the writers of the letters referred to suggest.
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