The proclamation of 1858, impliedly promised some such free autonomous
representative government. Years rolled by, we passed through many
changes, we had many different promises on different occasions, but
these promises had never been redeemed. The other day, His Majesty the
King-Emperor came to this country and from his lips, we had the message
of hope. Though we have been disappointed over and over again, the time
has come when these promises must be redeemed. In connection with the
political situation of the present moment, I ask you to consider first
the statement of the Secretary of State for India, which was published
on the 20th August last (1917). I invite your particular attention to
the words of that statement. I will read out to you certain portions
which are significant of what is to come.
"The policy of His Majesty's Government etc., etc., is that
of increasing the association of Indians in every branch of
administration and the gradual development of self-governing
institutions with a view to the progressive realization of responsible
government in India, as an integral part of the British Empire etc.,
etc."
I draw your particular attention to the words "Progressive realization
of responsible government in India, as an integral part of the
British Empire." That is the ideal which the Secretary of State has
sketched out. What is the deduction from this? What is it that we
have got to hope for from this statement? It is this: that there will
be several representative institutions and that these institutions
will be responsible institutions and that these institutions will
form the Government of India, which will be an integral part of the
British Empire. Now, what does that mean? It means that there should
be autonomous governments in every province that these provincial
governments are to be responsible and autonomous, that is to say,
responsible not to the Government of India, not to anything which
is above them, but to the people, the electors who would elect the
representatives to these autonomous legislative bodies. That is the
doctrine of responsible self-government as it is understood in politics
and in constitutional law. Now, therefore, you get these provincial
governments which are responsible to the people, i.e. the members
being elected by the people and you get these autonomous governments
connected with the Government of India and again the Government of
India connected with the Empire. How that connection will be served
has been described by certain political thinkers in England but I do
not desire to deal with it because before it is declared as the policy
of Government, we have no right to take those utterances as part of
any statement by the Government. Having sketched out this ideal, the
Secretary of State goes on to say; "They have decided that substantial
steps in this direction should be taken as soon as possible etc., etc."
Therefore, gentlemen, you get two things perfectly distinct in this
statement and I appeal to you that you should not lose sight of
these two, viz. the ideal of responsible government which will be
representative in the highest sense of the word and which will be
connected with the empire and secondly, some steps should be taken
immediately in that direction. That is the declaration of policy made
by His Majesty's Government. We have, therefore, a right to expect that
some definite steps will be taken soon towards the practical attainment
of that ideal.