The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 53
53 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN The Third Roundtable Conference was, in due course, followed by the Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament on Indian reforms. His Majesty's Government issued a White Paper on Indian constitutional proposals, summarizing the results reached through the Three Roundtable Conferences. They presented the White Paper to Parliament, and they invited both Houses to set up a Joint Select Committee to study the proposals, take evidence, and to make their report. On the basis of their report a bill was drafted, which subsequently became the Government of India Act of 1935. The Joint Select Committee was, of course, composed only of members of both Houses of Parliament, but an Indian delegation was also invited to sit with the Committee while it was taking evidence and to take part in the examination of witnesses. The participation of Indian delegates in the work of the Committee finished at the end of the public sittings. They took no part in the discussions in the Select Committee. The Select Committee was a very representative one. it included all the available ex-Viceroys, Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, Lord Reading and Lord Halifax. Between them they brought to the deliberations of the Committee a fund of experience and knowledge of Indian affairs and conditions which could not be surpassed by any other three men. Then there were men like the late Marquis of Salisbury, father of the present Marquis, Austen Chamberlain, the elder brother of Neville Chamberlain, who subsequently became Prime Minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Cosmo Lang and many outstanding and eminent members of both Houses. Sir Samuel Hoare, later Lord Templewood, was still Secretary of State for India, and defended the proposals contained in the White Paper. The Indian delegation included Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Mr. Jayakar, Sir Hari Singh Gour, and many other eminent Indians. The Muslim delegation was a comparatively small one. I think there were only four or five of us. Sitting with eminent statesmen from Britain, occupied with this very grave and important project, observing their methods and the working of their minds was a privilege and a very valuable experience. Of the witnesses, some came as groups and some as individuals, but the most outstanding one who came to give evidence was, Mr. Winston Churchill. He came as an individual, in his own right, but he was a host in himself. He was then out in the cold, as it were; he was not in office