Letters to the Editor
EAST AFRICA
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sia,—The Report of the Hilton Young Commission raises issues of great Imperial importance. It vitally affects India, whose connexion- with East Africa is centuries old. In recent times, Indians have been instrumental in developing East Africa and building up British interests. Sir John Kirk, Consul-General at Zanzibar, said in 1910: " But for the Indians we should not be there now." The Hilton Young Commission acknowledged that the Indian community has played " an indispensable part in the development of these territories. . . . The Indian trader has been a potent factor in the civilizing of the African." Both justice and Imperial policy therefore demand that the protection of Indian rights and honour should be the special care of His Majesty's Government.
The Hilton Young Commission's main recommendations refer to the settlement of a proper native policy, the recon- stitution of the Kenya Legislative Council, and the replacement in Kenya of the adult franchise and separate electorates for the European and Asiatic communities by a civilization franchise and a common electoral roll for all races.
Subject to the appointment of a High Commissioner and the establishment of his authority to follow throughout East Africa a native policy which will be " consistent in its main principles," and to protect the interests of the various races, the Commission recommend a progressive reduction in the number of official members in the Kenya Legislative Council and their replacement by unofficial European members nominated to represent native interests. Since the general outlook and interests of the unofficial members, whether elected or nominated, may, as Sir Hilton Young anticipates, be expected to be the same, the acceptance of this recom- mendation is bound to strengthen the influence of European settlers from the start and to lead to the early establishment of an unofficial European majority, which would eventually pave the way for responsible government. Besides, it will seriously reduce the already inadequate Indian proportion and influence in the Council. The existence of a High Commissioner will be no real safeguard for native or Indian interests, since racial matters will still be dealt with in every territory by its legislative council, and the High Commissioner will find it exceedingly difficult to exercise his special powers against the opposition of the growing unofficial element in the Kenya Council. The arguments which the Commission urge against the grant df responsible government—the same, of course, applies to Sir Hilton Young's own scheme for the immediate creation of an unofficial European majority —are fatal to the substance of their own Report.
The direction of native policy by His Majesty's Government and the protection of Indian interests depend ultimately on the constitution of the Kenya Legislative Council. Unless natives are allowed to represent their own interests the official majority should not be abandoned.
Sir Samuel Wilson is opposed to the co-ordination of native policy, but recommends instead of an advisory council a federal legislative council in which the official votes will not be under the control of the High Commissioner. He proposes also a constitution for the Kenya Legislative Council which will in all human probability give a majority to the unofficial Europeans. His suggestions unquestionably involve the domination of the whole of East Africa by the European com- munity. As the Archbishop of York recently said, they appear " as something directly antagonistic " to the Com- mission's scheme.
The question of a common electoral roll bears directly on the development of a sense of common citizenship in East Africa. It is essential to the harmonization of conflicting , interests and to the co-operation of all races. The Com- 1 mission, therefore, express their preference for a common roll, but think that it can be established only with the consent ef the Kenya Europeans, who will agree to it only if they are fissured that they will not be overwhelmed by the mere numbers Of the other communities. In order to give them a feeling of securitY Indians accepted the settlement arrived at between the India Ogee and the Colonial Office in 1922, and in return for a common electoral roll agreed to a civilization franchise which would limit the number of Indian electors to 10 per cent. of the Indian population, and to accept about half the representation accorded to the European community, although the European population is half that of the Indian. They are prepared to consider any further safeguards that might reasonably be regarded as necessary by an impartial authority. They are not seeking to dominate Kenya, they are asking for no privileges. On the contrary, they are prepared to make great sacrifices for the lasting good of East Africa. They ask, in Rhodes's words, for equal rights for all civilized men.
The present racial electorates are creating different stan- dards of citizenship for Indians and Europeans. They are intensifying race prejudice and encouraging a sense of class superiority, and neighbouring territories have not remained unaffected by the example of Kenya. Indians cannot accept the theory that their equality of status with Europeans depends on the consent of the latter. The whole of India regards this question as one of national honour and self- respect. Hindus, Muslims and Europeans, the Indian Princes and the Government of India, all are united on it. The maintenance of racial inequality in a colony administered under the direct control of His Majesty's Government cannot but seriously complicate the situation in India at this juncture. The task of statesmanship lies in not allowing East Africa to be converted into another South Africa.—I am, Sir, &c., H. N. KUNZRU, Member of the Indian Legislative Assembly and President of the Eastern Africa Indian National Congress.
National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London, Sif .1.
Previous page
