Fazl-e-Umar — Page 156
Fazle Umar 156 P OLITICAL dE b U T OF H A d HRAT K HALIFATUL M ASIH II [ra] The First World War, which had been prophesied by the Promised Messiah [as] some years earlier, broke out within less than five months of the election of Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] to his exalted office. As the war proceeded Indian political leaders began to hope, and then to demand, that after the cessation of hostilities, India should advance constitutionally to the status of a Dominion (to be part of the British Commonwealth with independent self-government). In response to this demand His Majesty’s Government announced in Parliament in August 1917, that the objective of British policy in India was the attainment of Dominion status by India. In pursuance of this declaration Mr Edwin Samuel Montague, Secretary of State for India, visited India for the purpose of ascertaining public opinion on the shape and measure of India’s advance towards Dominion status after the end of the war. Representatives of political and sectional organisations were invited to Delhi to place their views before His Excellency the Governor General, Lord Chelmsford, and the Secretary of State. Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra] also received an invitation to go to Delhi to meet the Governor General and the Secretary of State and to present his views. He prepared an address and went to Delhi with a delegation composed of certain leading members of the Community. In the meeting one of them read out the English transla- tion of the address which had been prepared by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih II [ra]. He himself had separate interviews with the Secretary of State and the Governor General for the purpose of an exchange of views. The Secretary of State told him that he had been much impressed with the address and sought clarification on certain points. He had also taken careful note of the suggestions made in the address, two or three of which he intended to incorporate in his report so that they should not be overlooked when final proposals would be formulated. This was Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih’s debut