§ LORD SYDENHAM rose to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India is preparing, so as to be ready to be put in operation when the war ends, a scheme for giving grants of land to officers and men of the Indian Army who have distinguished themselves in the field; and whether, to meet the case of those who are not agriculturists, Government posts will be made available.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, the fighting races of India have really made a fine contribution to the service of the Empire in this war. Nearly the whole of the Indian Army is now serving out of India, and has been represented in seven out of the ten distinct and separate groups of military operations in which we are or have been engaged. It has won distinction for itself in Flanders, in the Gallipoli Peninsula, in Mesopotamia, and in Egypt. The greater part of these gallant men had never even seen the sea before August last, and could not have had the smallest idea of what life on board ship was like. Therefore it is difficult for us to realise what it must have meant to them to be suddenly transported 5,000 miles across black water, and thrust into surroundings and climatic conditions which differed entirely from everything to which they had been accustomed. The experiences in the trenches during weeks of sunless days, in the mist and cold and penetrating damp, must have been a very severe trial to all the Indian troops; yet we know that they bore those trials with great endurance and cheerfulness. The fighting in which they were engaged was something also quite outside their experience and beyond anything they child have anticipated. Nevertheless they adapted themselves very quickly to it, in spite of the heavy losses they have suffered.
§ The people of India may be justly proud of the achievements of their fellow-countrymen, and we have reason to be grateful to them for the share they have taken in the battles of the Empire. The greater number of the Indian officers and men come, as we all know, from the land, to which they are deeply attached, and no recognition would be so appropriate or so highly valued as a grant of land from the Sirkar, which would confer honour and prestige on them and 594 on their families and descendants. In India such grants have always been the natural and traditional rewards for distinguished military service. I do not think there can be any difficulty in making grants of that kind in the great irrigated districts of India and elsewhere. There may, however, be some difficulties which would require time to get over because it is essential that if grants of land are made they should be made in or near the homes of the people who receive them. But there are sonic of tale troops drawn from the non-agricultural classes, and the best positions for them would be posts in the Government service. I do not think there will be any difficulty about that, because the number of posts at the disposal of the Government of India is very large and varied; so it seems to me that provisions can be made for them in that way. Happily in India the objections which have sometimes been raised in this country to reserving posts in the Public Services for reservists and time-expired soldiers do not exist.
§ I am sure the noble Lord who is to reply will be able to say that arrangements of this kind are already being made, but what I want to emphasise is this, that it is most necessary that any scheme that is provided should be ready to be put into operation directly the war ends. The effect of a quick recognition of these gallant services will be felt not only throughout the Indian Army but all over India itself. And I think we may be certain that the Princes and Chiefs of India, who have shown their heartfelt loyalty by freely giving their services and troops to the Imperial cause, will generously reward those who have done honour to their States and to India as a whole. I beg to ask the Questions standing in my name.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (LORD ISLINGTON)My Lords, I am sure that everyone in this House will agree with the tribute that has been so eloquently, and by no means exaggeratedly, paid by my noble friend to the valour and patriotism displayed by the Indian troops in this war in so many fields of operations. But I am sure that; my noble friend will realise, and probably indeed will anticipate, that I am to-day only in a position to answer in very general terms the two Questions which he has put on the Paper
595 I may say that His Majesty's Government and the Government of India are fully alive to the importance, where possible, of affording recognition to officers and men of the Indian Army who have distinguished themselves in the various campaigns, and in this connection we are informed by the Government of India that they have already addressed Local Governments asking them to state whether they have land available, and, if so, to what extent that land may be suitably allotted to officers and men of the Indian Army. The Government of India inform us that as vet they have not received replies from all the Local Governments. To supply precise information that would be of any value will, I am sure my noble friend will realise, require most careful examination on the part of local bodies and those whom they depute to undertake the work. And even when that is done and the Government of India are furnished with reports from the various Local Governments, it will be necessary that the most careful consideration should be given by the Government of India to see that the land offered is suitable for the particular purpose. As my noble friend well knows, a large proportion of the troops that are recruited for the Indian Army come from the Northern portions of India, and it is doubtful whether any considerable number of those so recruited would either desire or be able to take up land in other, say the Southern, parts of India.
There are also many questions, both intricate and difficult, to consider before a scheme of military land grants can be adopted with any hope of its being of a practical and generally satisfactory character. It should be borne in mind that the amount of land available and suitable for this purpose throughout India is limited in character. Several of the Provinces, it may be found on examination, have but little laud available, whilst in others the land would not be suitable for the particular purpose. As regards the Punjab, I may say that prior to the war a considerable block of land is one of the newly-irrigated districts was definitely allotted to those who were with the Colours. Some of that land has already been absorbed, but there is still a proportion of it available for allotment, and I have no doubt that that will be at the disposal of Government for the purpose that my noble friend 596 has suggested. The Government of the Punjab along with the other Governments are considering whether more can be reserved for this purpose. The information on that point will in due course be available. Again, the large proportion of the troops in the field are drawn already from the agricultural classes. A very large number of them, if examination were made, would probably be found to be occupiers and owners of land and of the class known as yeomen farmers. What I have said, therefore, in answer to my noble friend will, I hope, assure him that the question of military land grants is having the most careful consideration, and that the importance of having recognition in this connection available at the date which my noble friend suggested is a matter which is well in the mind of Government.
As regards my noble friend's second Question, whether to meet the case of those who are not agriculturists Government posts will be made available, it is quite impossible for me to give any precise answer. My noble friend must realise, I think, that such a proposal is necessarily surrounded with considerable difficulty. It does not follow at all that the races and classes from which Indian soldiers are recruited are either by inclination or by education suited to fill civil posts in the Indian Administration. I must, I am afraid, in this connection confine my answer merely to saying that the Government of India are giving very close attention to the whole problem. They are considering whether there are, in the case of those who are not agriculturists, other means of offering suitable and adequate recognition to those who have distinguished themselves in the field; and I can assure my noble friend that, if such means can be found, the Government of India at the proper time will give full and sympathetic consideration to whatever proposals are put before them.