India and the Reforms The opposition of leading Indian Liberals
like Mr. Sastri, Sir Phiroze Sethna and Sir Chimantal Setalvad to the Report of the Joint Committee on Indian reforms is disappointing. But it must be remembered that the Liberals, who have often been charged with an undue subservience in relation to the Government of India; and an undue subordination of nationalist aspirations, can least afford to declare approval of the reforms. Criticism from all quarters in India was to be expected, -but, as Sir Samuel Hoare observed in his broadcast address on Tuesday evening, there is no more sign of practical alternative proposals in India than in this country. In those circumstances there is only one policy for the Government—the policy the Government is adopting, of pressing forward firmly with a Bill to bring the reform proposals into force and of getting the new constitution working at the earliest possible date. The Secretary of State's appeal to opponents like Lord Salisbury and Mr. Churchill to refrain from gratuitous obstruction now that they have been fairly beaten in both Houses as well as in their Party meeting, will not necessarily fall on deaf ears. Holding the views they do, opponents of the Bill are entitled to make reasonable endeavours to improve what they consider a bad Bill by amendments, but between a few reasoned amendments and calculated obstruction there is a wide gulf.
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