India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947; India -- Politics and government -- 1765-1947
Coming, as it does, from a member of the Anglo-Indian bureaucracy, this
statement means much more to the Indian people than even the words of
the British Premier. If this statement is not mere camouflage, but
represents a genuine change of heart on the part of the British
bureaucracy in India, then it is all the more inexplicable to us why the
new scheme of the Secretary for India and the Viceroy should breathe so
much distrust of the educated classes of India. Any way, we have nothing
but praise for the spirit of frankness and fairness which generally
characterizes the report. However we might disagree with the conclusions
arrived at, it is but right to acknowledge that the analysis of the
problem and its constituting elements is quite masterly and the attempt
to find a solution which will meet the needs of the situation _as
understood by them_ absolutely sincere and genuine. This fact makes it
all the more necessary that Indian Nationalists of all classes and all
shades of opinion should give their best thought to the consideration of
the problem in a spirit of construction and coöperation, as
distinguished from mere fault-finding. Nor should it be forgotten for a
moment that Mr. Montagu and Lord Chelmsford were all the time, when
drawing their scheme, influenced by considerations of what, under the
circumstances, is practicable and likely to be accepted, not only in
India by the Anglo-Indian bureaucracy and the non-official European
community, but by the _conservative_ British opinion at home. It is the
latter we have to convince and win over before the scheme has a ghost of
a chance of being improved upon. When we say _conservative_ opinion we
include in that expression the Liberal and Labour Imperialists also. We
should never forget that it is hard to part with power, however
idealistic the individual vested with power may be, and it is still
harder to throw away the chances of profit which one (and those in whom
one is interested) have gained by efforts extending over a century and a
half, and in the exercise of which one sees no immediate danger. I am of
the opinion that hitherto Indian representation in England has been
extremely meagre, spasmodic and inadequate to the needs of the
situation. Outside England, India's voice has been altogether unheard.
We have so far displayed an almost unpardonable simplicity in failing to
recognise that the world is so situated these days that public opinion
in one country sometimes reacts quite effectively on public opinion in
another. It is our duty, therefore, to increase our representation in
England and to keep our case before the world with fresh energy and
renewed vigour, not in a spirit of carping denunciation of the British
Government of India, but with a desire to educate and enlist liberal and
right-minded opinion all over the world in our favor. In the following
pages an attempt is made to examine the Montagu-Chelmsford report in a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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