INDIAN CONFERENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 8 January 1931, Page 5

INDIAN CONFERENCE

HINDU-MOSLEM ISSUE

MORE HOPEFUL VIEW (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, 6tli January. A more hopeful view is taken regarding the efforts to reach an agreement on the Hindu-Moslom differences. The Aga Khan returned from Paris last night, and two hours after his arrival, following an informal conversation with some of his fellow Moslem delegates, a joint meeting of Hindu Liberal and Moslem delegates was held at his hotel. The meeting lasted until nearly midnight, and was engaged on exploring the possibilities of a settlement on the lines indicated in the offer of Bir Chimanlal Setalvad last week. The Aga Khan is not fully recovered from liis indisposition, and is unlikely to be able to attend this afternoon the meeting of the minorities Sub-commit-tee of the Conference.

JOINT ELECTORATE

REJECTED BY HINDUS RUGBY, 6th January. When the Minorities Sub-committee met again this afternoon Sir Muhammad Shaft made an offer on behalf of the Moslems to forego separate electorates. but attached to it conditions which Dr. B. S. Moonje declared unacceptable. Sir Muhammad Shafi said that although the overwhelming majority of Moslems still insisted on the retention of separate electorates the Moslem delegates would accept joint electorates if one condition were added to the offer made by Sir Chimanlal Setalvad, the Hindu Liberal, in a recent- speech. Sir Chimanlal Setalvad, he recalled, had conceded that Moslems should have the reservation that they return the present weightage in the minority provinces, and that before , a candidate was declared elected, he • must have 40 per cent, of the votes of his own community, plus 5 to 10 per cent, of the votes of the other community. While Setalvad had declared that the Moslems should have the right of the majority in the Punjab and Bengal lie had not defined that expression. The speaker therefore said that the Moslems were prepared to accept joint electorates in deference to the wider sister community, and the appeals made to them, provided the Hindus were willing to concede through joint electorates to the Moslems of Bengal and the Punjab representation in both Houses of Legislative Councils on a population basis in proportion to their population in those two provinces. That offer he described as an irreducible minimum. Dr. Moonje said that he was unable to accept Sir Muhammad Shaft’s conditions, and pointed out that if all the claims all the minorities had made were added up, the Hindu majority would actually be in a minority of about per cent, of seats. During the debate Dr. Moonje was invited to make proposals himself, and it was indicated also that further suggestions might come from Moslems. The Prime Minister said that he was Still hopeful of a settlement, and proposed that he as chairman should summarise the opposing claims in the form of a draft report oil which discussion might be resumed. He urged them meanwhile to continue private conversations.

THE FEDERAL STRUCTURE

FINANCIAL ASPECT REVIEWED

RUGBY, 7th January. It is anticipated that the Federal structure sub-committee at the Indian Conference will complete work to-mor-row. The most important speech to-day was that of Sir Bhupendra Micari, high commissioner designate for India in London, who •is a recognised authority on financial matters. Referring to the public debt he said all that was required was a clause acknowledging ’in explicit terms India’s liability to pay debt and interest, which should be a second charge on the Consolidated Fund. He was not in favour of any examination of that debt, but agreed that if any future dis pute arose the matter should be referred to an independent tribunal such as an Empire Court, which the Imperial Conference recommended. As to external loans he saw no reason why the future Dominion Government of India should not subscribe to the conditions laid down under the rules which applied to those States whose loans were classed as guarantee securities. The greatest safeguard against a financial breakdown, lay in responsibility. He hoped when responsible Government was introduced his countrymen would rise to their responsibility, and with the help of the Princes who would form an element of the federation, an effort would he made to raise the amount of gold required for establishing a reserve hank without external assistance.