द इण्डियन स्ट्रगल / भारतीय स्वाधीनता संग्राम (नेताजी सुभाष चन्द्र बोस - ऐतिहासिक विश्लेषण)

224 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
a Nationalist upheaval in British India, the British Govern-
ment turned to the Indian Princes for sympathy and assistance.
The Princes, on their side, were also faced with a democratic
movement within their territories which had the support
of the people of British India and they wanted the help
of the British Government to hold in check the popular
revolt. It was in pursuance of this demand that the Indian
States Bill was introduced by the Government in the Indian
Legislative Assembly in September 1922, and when thrown
out by the Legislature, was certified as law by the Viceroy.
The culmination of this friendship was the idea of federation
—an unholy alliance between the British Government and
the Indian Princes, in order to thwart the mass awakening in
India.
The net result of the first session of the Round Table
Conference was the offer to India of two bitter pills—Safe-
guards and Federation. To make these pills eatable, they
were sugar-coated with 'Responsibility.' Liberal politicians
felt quite happy when the Prime Minister announced in his
closing speech on January 19th, 1931, that they would be
given responsible Government at the centre, if they agreed
to Safeguards and Federation and they never stopped to
inquire what would remain of real 'Responsibility' after
Safeguards and Federation had been conceded. To make
matters worse, the anti-Nationalist Moslems who were
present at the Round Table Conference declared that they
would agree to responsible Government with Federation and
Safeguards, only if the communal question was decided to
their satisfaction. On January 19th, 1931, the Round Table
Conference was adjourned sine die. The Liberal politicians
seemed to be in high spirits, so satisfied they were at their
own achievements in London. For the layman, the only
thing they brought from across the seas was the assurance
given by the Prime Minister that 'steps would be taken to
enlist the co-operation of those sections of public opinion
which had held aloof from the Conference.'