The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 86
[ 86 ]. Government of the country. For further elucidation, let us assume that all other Muslim demands have been acceded to. Let us examine how things will stand under the form of Government proposed by the Nehru Committee. According to the Muslim demands, of the provinces, Bengal, the Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and the N. W. F. Provinces shall be predominantly Muslim, while the U. P. , Behar, Bombay, Madras, the Central Province and Assam shall be predominantly Hindu. According to the Nehru Committee's recommendation, the provinces in spite of certain powers and privileges, shall be mere agents of the Central Government, where the Hindu element will preponderate. Under such conditions, it may easily be seen that, there will be nothing to prevent the Hindus from having their way in all matters. For example. the Punjab and Bengal Governments might resolve to give to the Muslims their due share in the University or decide to increase their representation in the services in proportion to their population and there upon the Ce�tral Government might step in and say that the measures were communal in their nature and must not be proceeded with. The two Provincial Governments might refuse to be bullied, and then, as a result, the Central Government might move a bill proposing to de prive the two provinces of certain privileges or to alter their constitution ; for, according to it they would have proved themselves unfit to govern. What will then the position of the Muslims be? It is useless to ask why such a contingency should arise. Does not the Govern. . ment even now supersede Municipalities for some alleged mistakes? With the Central Government as the supreme authority, the provinces would be reduced to the position of mere Municipalities. Whatever powers might be dele --. gated to them, they would be nothing more than agents,