LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WHERE INDIA STANDS
Sm,—The meeting of the Muslim League Council at Bombay has made It obvious that, in a futile effort to pleas: all parties, the Cabinet Mission bas succeeded only in making bitter enemies of the Muslims as well as the Scheduled Classes and the Sikhs. It will be recalled that the Cabinet Mission's statement of June x6th said: "In the event of the two major parties or either of them proiing unwilling to join in the setting up of a coalition Government on the above lines, it is the intention of the Viceroy to proceed with the formation of an Interim Government which will be as representative as, possible of those willing to accept the state- ment of May 16th." Now what did these words, what could these words, mean? They meant that the Cabinet Delegation and the Viceroy antici- pated that either of the two major parties might not agree. And they declared that they would still " proceed with the formation of an Interim Government." Now it is at this point that the Cabinet Delegation and the Viceroy interpret the intention in one manner while the bulk of public opinion interprets it in another manner. The common man takes which will be as representative as possible of those willing to accept the statement of May 16th " as meaning representative of elements other than -the two major parties or any of them which may have " proved unwilling " to come in on the announced basis. The uncommon men, namely the three Cabinet Ministers and the Viceroy, give to these words the uncommon meaning that, even in spite of the refusal of both or one of the major parties to accept the basis, the formation of an Interim Government would still have to be carried on with the co-operation of those who had refused. Te) all men of intelligence and reason this interpretation must appear to be sheer nonsense.
A passing survey of the series of concessions made by the Muslim League during the negotiations regarding an Interim Government will convince all impartial observes how reasonable the League has been. In Simla and again in Delhi the Viceroy told Mr. Jinnah that the basis of that Government would be five Congress members, five League and two minorities. He authorised Mr. Jinnah to say so to his working committee. When a Viceroy gives such permission it automatically amounts to an assurance. The League Working Committee and Council took it as such, and were thus persuaded to accept the long-term plan. After that the Viceroy said it did not amount to an " assurance," and proposed a new basis of 5:5:3. The League did not turn down even this, but the Congress did. Then the Viceroy came out with'yet another proposal of five Muslims, five Caste Hindus and four Minorities, or, to put it differ- ently, five Muslim League, six Congress and three Minorities. This also the League accepted, but the CongreSS did not. And now there is evidently to be yet another basis In his letter to Mr. Jinnah dated June loth the Viceroy said that " negotiations designed to secure accept- ance by two parties with conflicting interests may not always end on the same basis as that on which they began" in defence of his -shifting ground time after time. But is it the intention that ultimately these " negotiations " should end on the basis, on Which Congress has stood adamant, the Muslim League being asked to make more concessions in order to reach that basis or to stay out and be damned? If that is what Lord Wavell is aiming at, then we are in for plenty of trouble.
In a speech in Bombay on Wednesday, July loth, Pandit Nehru said: " In accepting the Miision's long-term proposals, the Congress has not agreed to anything. We have only agreed to enter the Constituent Assembly. That is all. We shall make the Assembly an instrument to win freedom. I do think that very shortly we may have to kill this new Constituent Assembly and summon our own proper Revolutionary Assembly." By " freedom ' he and the Caste Hindus mean only freedont to oppress the Muslims, the Scheduled Classes and all the minority com- munities of India. Within a month from now you will find that the whole work of the Cabinet Mission has been reduced to a shambles, and Congress ;s chiefly responsible for all this. As the League Secretary puts it: " It is now not so much the British! Government that is lengthen- ing the period of our serfdom by pursuing a policy of Divide and Rule. It is the Indian National Congress which by its irreconcilable tactics is prolonging the duration of the foreigners' domination over India." I have just been informed by an important Left Wing Congressman that the Congress Programme is as follows : (I) Congress Representatives will attend the Constituent Assembly ; (2) there will be an early "walk-out'" of Muslim League representatives ; (3) the Congress will then proceed to form a Revolutionary Assembly and draft a new constitution ignoring the Muslim League ; (4) the new constitution as drafted by the "Revolu- tionary Assembly " will be then submitted to the British Government— to take it or leave it—I am, Sir, yours, &c.,
Poona.
J. D. JENIUNS.
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