The Nehru Report and Muslim Rights — Page 22
[ 22 ] same treatment to Hindus in five provinces. Was not this a great gain? Was not a new weapon gained for the assertion of Muslim rights?" ( Civil & Military Gazette, 2nd Jan. , /928, p. 3, Col. 4 ). The above passage shows that Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had clearly in his mind that the provinces would enjoy complete autonomy, or else, how could the Muslims be said to have a new weapon in their hands if complete control rested with the Central Government having full power to interfere in matters provincial. A Central Government with a Hindu element preponderating, could at any time interfere with the affairs of the Moslem pro vinces ; an indication of which might be found in the tacit assurance given by the compilers of the report to the Sindh Hindus. Similarly, the question of language is another point not touched by the Calcutta League. Jts silence should not be taken to mean that it attached no weight to the question. It was silent because the Con gress had once finally settled the question and accepted Hindustani or Urdu as the national tongue, both Persian and Nagri scripts being permissible. The Calcutta League had assumed that what the Congress had once decided and agreed to, the Nehru Committee would not overrule. In short, although the Calcutta League in its resolu tion had omitted certain points, yet this fact should not at all lead one to conclude that it was opposed to the Lahore League in respect thereof. The difference existed only over the demand of the Lahore League ( J} for the separa tion of certain provinces as a matter of right, and (2) for the retention of separate electorates so long as the Muslims