The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 85
[ 85 1 Committee. the Central Government is the supreme authority, with full power to interfere in the internal affairs of provinces, to deprive them of any p1ivileges whenever it chooses to do so, or, to alter the very form of the pro vincial governments. It can, if it likes, curtail the })owers of the Provincial Governments and extend its own. Rights to eve-�y new work will belong to the Central Govern ment, which will be competent to transfer it to the Pro vinces or to retain it by itself. Let us now examine the effects of these two proposals upon Hindu-Muslim relation. Muslim population in India is about 2S�lo of the whole, and however generously they may be treated, they are sure to remain a very small minority in the Central Government. The Nehru Com mittee proposes to grant them only 25 % of the seats in the Legislature. There will thus be 3 Hindus to 1 Moslem in the Central Parliament. The Muslim League demands a minimum of one-third of the seats for the Muslims. In this case, there will be 2 Hindus to 1 Mu&,lim in the Cen tral Body. In either case it is evident that the Muslim minority can do nothing against the Hindu majority. The Central Government will, therefore, necessarily be dom inated by the Hindus. Under the circumstances, with an omnipotent Central Government and the provinces reduced to mere agencies, the only possible result will be that the Government will be run by the Hindus ; and even if a few provinces are constituted as predominantly Muslim. it will be in the power of the Hindus to regulate thP Government according to their sweet will. The Nehru Committee has thus obviously paralysed the Muslims by rejecting the federal form of Government for India, ac cording to which all provinces stand as equal partners. Even if all the other demands of the Muslims were enter tained, but for this alone they will have no voice in the