In a speech delivered at the 'Bombay Dinner' in London during the mail week, Lord Birkenhead addressed the issue of communal disturbances in India, placing the blame squarely on the Indian people themselves. He argued that neither the slowness of constitutional progress nor the communal strife could be attributed to British policy or actions, but rather to the omissions and commissions of Indians.
Birkenhead's Views on Constitutional Reforms
Lord Birkenhead praised the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms as 'the most daring experiment in constitution-making ever undertaken by any nation at any time during the world’s known history.' He spoke of cooperation and assured that England was not a 'niggardly bargainer,' repeating themes familiar to Indian audiences.
Shifting Responsibility for Communal Discord
Referring to communal dissensions, Birkenhead stated: 'I do not doubt that as we have weathered other storms in India we shall equally weather this, and I would at least say, and I hope this may be accepted as a sincere utterance, both to the Moslem community and to the Hindu community, that they may rely absolutely upon the British Government, without favour, to give their help whenever they are invoked, or whenever it may become necessary without invocation, without the slightest prejudice as between those two communities, but with the spirit of one who, holding a detached position, knows that both are necessary to the strength of India in the present, and I hope, of India in the future.'
Impact and Context
This speech reflected the British government's stance of non-interference in communal matters while maintaining a position of neutrality. Birkenhead's remarks were made during a period of rising communal tensions in India, and his attribution of blame to Indians was seen as a dismissal of British administrative shortcomings. The speech reinforced the notion that Indians themselves were responsible for resolving their internal conflicts, with the British acting only as impartial arbiters when called upon.
