The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 93
[ 93 ] FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT DETRIMENTAL TO ANY CoMMUNlTY. After having explained the necessity and the ground of the Muslim demand for federal government, and how without its being conceded, the Muslim rights can never be secure, and also how its rejection by the Nehru Com mittee amounts to a virtual refusal to protect the Muslim rights, I now proceed to consider the other aspect of the question, viz. , the justice of the demand. In order to decide this, we have to consider, firstly, whether the demand irnolves the infringement of others· rights ; and secondly. whether it is detrimental to the progress and development of the country. In the event of the answer to either of these questions being in the affirmative, we shall have to consider whether the advantages accruing to the l\luslims outweigh the loss that the acceptance of their demand would entail to the country as a whole, or to any community in particular. The first point, namely, whether the interests of any other community is likely to suffer, does not arise at all. For under a federal type of Government no community stands to lose. The Hindus, who preponderate in India, shall continue to enjoy such preponderance in the Central Government. As for the provinces, Hindus shall pre� dominate in those provinces where they are in a majority and similarly the Mussalmans in the predominantly Mus lim provinces. Thus, under this system, there will be no loss either to the Hindus or to any other community. The acceptance of the Muslim demand will, therefore, lead to no infringement of the rights of any other com munity. The demand is, in fact, not a prayer for any concession ; it is a demand for the mere protection of