INTERVIEW
WITH THE GREAT INDIAN LEADER MOTILAL NEHRU THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITE PARTY IN
THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT FOR THE EGYPTIAN NEWSPAPER ARHAM
The well known Indian Leader and
Great Nationalist Motilal Nehru, has recently arrived in Cairo.
Readers know him of course from the
messages and essays published on India in our paper and other, and from the
successive telegrams received every now and then from India about his personal,
National activity and the Great Opposition he leads in the India Assembly which
is considered as a Parliament for India.
The opposition Party he leads is
called : “ Sawaraj Party” and on several occasions the attitude of this Party
and its President gained the absolute
admiration of everybody.
This leader has great fame and
reputation all over the World, especially in connection with the struggle he
conducted against the British Colonisation in India. This called down on him
the anger of the British Authorities and he was emprisoned by them for six month. This emprisonment and
other in just measures are similar to those adopted here by England when the
Egyptian Nationalists endeavered to obtain their independence and practicaly
the same pleasures applied everywhere by usurpers against nations claiming
their independence and liberty. The usurpers resort to the force of arms to
face such circumstances.
Jawaharlal Nehru the son of this
leader was also emprisoned for following his father’s steps because he strived
for the Independence and liberty of his country and collected round him the
youth of all elements struggling for their own complete rights.
Perhaps
the son will go further than the father against colonists owing to his
possession the energy of youth and the spirit of patriotism in which he was
brought up by his father which factors would never allow him to yield to the
English any single right of his country.
So,
Jawahar Lal Nehru and “Young India” stand for complete independence.
This
is the history of Motilal Nehru that I went to interview for the “Ahram Paper”.
When I welcomed him to this country, I asked him if he would speak a little
about India and Indians as we are both struggling for the same principles and
trying to get rid of the same usurpers who took India to suck its wealth, and
usurped Egypt on the plea that Egypt was necessary for the safety of its lines
of communication.
I
asked him about the National Movements for Independence in India and its
supporters. His reply was :
“
The National Indian Congress is the greatest party that uphold the doctrines of
the “ Sawaraj ” in India i.e. independence . This party endeavours to obtain
its end by peaceful means. It is thought by some Indians that this independence
can be obtained through the formation of National Government of Indians only;
this Government to be wholly responsible to the nation, but to remain a member
of the British Empire.
Other
Indians maintain that their independence would not be complete unless all
relations are served between India and Great Britain.
The
supporters of these two opinions however, work together in the National Indian
Congress for the Independence of their country.
The
present movement in India is intended to establish a Constitution for the
Country to determine the measures to be adopted by India when Independent”.
-- But
the British Government has formed a Committee to investigate the question of
home rule for India?
--
Yes, the British Government has selected a Committee under Sir John Simon to
proceed to India to investigate how far such home rule can be granted; but the
National Indian Congress together with all other small parties have declared
their intention to boycott this Committee because it is we, the Indians, who have
the right to establish our Constitution for ourselves, and not the British
Government or any authority selected by him.
--
Can you tell me anything the strength of the party applying for Independence
--
This party was formed not very long ago, under the presidency of my son Jawahar
Lal Nehru. Most of his supporters are the youth of the country. The party is
not very strong at present. It really represents Republic principles. The party
was able to gain the approval of the motion of complete Independence by the
Congress with a great majority. I am afraid that the older generation are not
ready to support these principles, although all the youths have declared to
fight for their complete independence
--
Can I know anything about the number of members of the Congress and their
election.
--
India is divided into election Circles according to provinces. Each province
can send delegates in the proportion of one to 50000 persons. Electors are to
be supporters of “Sawaraj” (Independence) and must sign a declaration to this
effect. Each elector must pay an annual subscription of four “Annas”
(about-1/2) which will give him the right to elect a delegate for the Congress.
The most interested supporters of this Movement are the educated people who take
an active part in it. The majority of the inhabitants who are uneducated do not
take an active part, but they are interested in the movement.
--- What about the difference between the Mohamedans and Hindus?
--- It
not possible to deny that these difference exist as fights and blood shed have
taken place. The main reasons for these were not due to religion as colonials
pretend, but in fact due to the policy adopted by the British Authorities with
them. The Colonials themselves instigate the people to these disturbances in
different ways.
There are certain difference of views between
the Mohammedans and Indians which are not difficult to settle, and we have
progressed a long way to their settlement. Mohammedans say that, before the
English Colonisation, they were the rulers of the Country and they must have
certain privileges. The Hindus say that they form 86% of the population of the
country and that they must have their share in the Government Commensurate with
this proportion.
Each of the two parties is, as you
see, afraid of the oppression of the ruling party.
In spite of this, when a call was
made for good understanding between two parties, the Hindus, to come to an
agreement, offered some of their rights to the Mohammedans. They gave to them
30% of the seats of the Representative Councils, although these seats according
to the percentage of the Mohammedans only came to 14%.
The first man who made a call to
agreement for the welfare of the country “Mahatma Gandhi” who advised the
Hindus to give the Mohammedans what they asked for, as the latter are few in
number and no harms could ever come through granting their demands.
--- What
is Mahatma Gandhi doing now?
--- He
is still maintaining his idea of boycotting. But as he found that the movement
did not succeed for various reasons, he withdrew from the political stage and
directed his activities towards the economical business of the country
especially to the well-Known spinning factory which [he] controls. He thinks
that political efforts should follow the economical ones, and all his efforts
are therefore expanded in this direction. For this purpose he visits the
villages in India. He has no confidence in the educated people but obtains his
supports from the great majority of the uneducated.
-- Does
the Congress spread its propaganda Abroad?
--
The conference has so far restricted its activities to India alone, but it has
been decided this year to make propaganda abroad, especially in the Eastern
countries. Will you please mention in your paper that one of the dearest hopes
of the Indian Congress is to establish good relations with the Egyptian
Nations; and that should an Egyptian delegation visit India they will receive
the warmest reception not only from the Conference but from all Indians,
whatever sects they may belong to. Our aim is to create relations with the
Eastern Countries who are struggling for their independence, such as China,
etc. I shall avail myself of my presence in Egypt to discuss this matter with
some prominent Egyptians. It is our duty to take our part in your joys and
pains; and if it is not now possible to support each other politically, we can,
at least do so morally and we can exchange visits. It is quite true that the
British Government will fight this movement in refusing us visas but we would
like to overcome all difficulties which may handicap our rapprochement.
--
Can you tell me something about the Indian independent principalties?
--
There are no independent principalties in our country because these
principalties are far worse than colonies, every prince has a British delegate
with him who has the complete control over all the acts of the prince, even
those movements concerning the poorest employee. Princes are at the mercy of
the British Government. The Indian people have some rights, but the princes
have gradually been deprived of all their rights.
If
you consult the agreements between these princes and Great Britain, you will
find them tolerable, but the Britishes ( as is their costum in every country
they occupy) have deprived these Princes of gradually of Authority and have
created “antecedents” which gave them a
complete and absolute control over the Princes.
You may think that these Princes
have got their Armies, but it would be sufficient for you to know that the name
of such armies is “British Service Armies” and that they compose a party of
Great Britain’s Forces to realise that the Princes only enjoy the pleasure of
spending on their armies which are in fact at the Service of Great Britain.
When asked for his opinion as to the
British Committee he said that we do not hope much of it; because it will soon
say that we are not fit for Autonomy on the grounds that we are retrogressive
and divides, but the results of this Committee are dependent upon solidarity
and our perseverance in boycotting it.
I asked him as to the Educational
Situation; he said : Ignorance is prevalent in India amongst the great
majority. It is the policy of Great Britain in countries they occupy to keep
the people in complete ignorance because education will enlighten their brains
and make them revendicate their rights.
As to the political situation, he
said : all the sources of income in our country are in the hands of Great
Britain and it is impossible for any industry to prosper without the help of
Great Britain; this entails that the Indian interests are dependent upon
British interests.
Here, Mr. H.R. Bay arrived and we
discussed other matters.
Source: M.N. Papers,
MSS, NMML
