The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 96
96 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN Constitutional system. It could, however, make a lot of noise. It was a system under which the Legislature had the power of criticism without responsibility. But very often the criticism was very helpful. It helped us who were in charge of departments vis-a-vis Britain and we could make use of the criticism to make progress along certain lines. In due course, the Ottawa Trade Agreement came under review in the Assembly, and the Assembly passed a resolution that the Trade Agreement needed revision in several respects and called upon the government to undertake a revision with the Board of Trade, and to explore possibilities of expanding India's trade with countries outside the Commonwealth and Empire. As Commerce Minister I was entrusted with this task, and I had to go over to England in 1937 and twice in 1938 to hammer out a new trade agreement. The Coronation of King George VI was to take place in May 1937, to be followed by what in those days used to be called the Imperial Conference and is now called the Prime Ministers' Meeting. It was arranged that I should represent British India at the Coronation, while the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda would represent the Princes. After the Coronation I was to stay on, first to take part in the Imperial Conference and then to start negotiations with the Board of Trade for modification of the Ottawa Trade Agreement. Thus I had to stay in England for several months in 1937. I had with me a panel of non- official advisers on the Trade Agreement Negotiations. At my instance it was decided that the panel should be composed of persons who would examine everything from an independent point of view and give me useful advice. This panel, which had six members, included three prominent Congress industrialists: Mr. G. D. Birla, Mr. Kusturbhai Lalbhai and Sir Parshotam Das Thakar Das. Representing agricultural interests we had the late Nawab Liaquat Ali Khan, who subsequently became the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Sir Datar Singh from the Punjab. The British commercial and industrial interests in India were represented by Sir Edward Benthal, who some time later became Railway Minister in India. When invitations to serve on the panel were sent out Sir Parshotam Das Thakar Das came up from Bombay to see me and he told me that he had been deputed by G. D. Birla and Kusturbhai Lalbhai to represent them also. He wanted to have a frank talk with me before any of them