The reforms panel

AS might have been expected, the announcement of the Government of India’s decision to appoint a Committee to enquire into the working of the reforms has fallen flat upon the country. The public feels that at a time when it has been crying itself hoarse for the bread of liberty, what the Government has offered it is nothing better or more substantial than a stone. It need not go beyond the very restricted scope of reference to the Committee to see how lamentably it falls short of the requirements of the case. The Committee is only “to enquire into the difficulties arising from or defects in the working of the Government of India Act and the rules, thereunder,” and “to investigate the feasibility of securing remedies for such difficulties or defects consistently with the structure, policy and purpose of the Act.” And as if this not halting and unsatisfactory enough, it is further provided that “the action recommended to be taken should be under the Act or by such amendments of the Act as appear necessary to rectify any administrative imperfections.” If the Government had deliberately resolved to further attenuate the very slender chances of the success of the inquiry, it could not have differently worded its announcement. The wording is even worse than that of that part of Sir William Vincent’s speech in the Assembly which dealt with this subject and certainly than that of Lord Olivier’s speech in the House of Lords. In both these cases, it was assumed that those holding the inquiry would be at liberty to say whether for the purpose of further progress it was necessary to amend the Act with a view to making a fundamental change in the Constitution.