The Pittsburgh Press (September 2, 1946)
Background of news –
India’s government
By Bertram Benedict
The so-called “interim” government of India probably will be found to wield little real power, if indeed it is not soon abandoned as futile. It is being boycotted by the Moslem League.
Last Wednesday, Jinnah, the Moslem leader, called the interim government project “reckless and irresponsible,” leading to a “grave and very dangerous situation.” And Moslems compose about one-fourth of India’s teeming population, are in a majority in five of the 11 provinces of British India, are predominant also in some of the 562 “native states.”
The interim government chosen by Viceroy General Wavell is to be composed of five Hindus, representative of the India Congress; one “Untouchable,” also a Congress man; three Moslems, outside of the Moslem League; three representatives of minorities. The Moslem representation may be raised to five, if two more non-League Moslems can be found.
The League is entirely Moslem, whereas the Congress, although dominated by Hindus, has members from all races and religions in India.
Plenty complicated
The steps leading to the interim government are almost as complicated as the Indian problem itself, which is as complicated as they come.
The British cabinet committee sent to India early this year proposed equal jurisdiction for Moslems and Hindus in a new government of India. Acceptable to the Moslems, the plan was rejected by the Indian Congress as making for a divided, instead of a united, India.
Thereupon the cabinet committee proposed an interim all-Indian government until a new constitution was drawn up by the Indians themselves in a constituent assembly. The members of this assembly were to be chosen by the legislatures of the 11 provinces, with the native states also represented.
The constitution was to be a three-level affair. On the top level, a central government was to have charge of foreign affairs, defense and communications, with power to raise revenue for these three primary functions of government. On the lower level, the provincial governments were to have local autonomy, much like the states of the United States. In the middle level, the provinces were to consider what additional power should be turned over to the central government.
Approval withdrawn
The Moslem League at first accepted both the constituent assembly and the interim government, provided that the League selected the five Moslem members of the latter. But the provisions for the constitution as a whole were unacceptable to the League which then withdrew its approval of the interim government.
The Congress accepted the constitution proposal. It rejected the interim government proposal if all five of the Moslem members were selected by the League.
After the League withdraw from the interim government proposal and non-League Moslems were selected as members, the Congress came along.
In the meantime, members of the constituent assembly to draft a new constitution have been chosen by the provincial legislatures, but have not yet convened.