VISCOUNT CRANBORNEMy Lords, I beg to ask a question of which I have given private notice. It is to ask His Majesty's Government whether, arising out of the invitation which has been sent to the Viceroy and the leaders of the Congress Party, the Moslem League, and the Sikhs in India to come to this country to confer with His Majesty's Ministers here, they have any statement to make as to how this invitation has been received.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA AND BURMA (LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCE)Yes, my Lords. His Majesty's Government have invited Lord Wavell to come to this country for consultations in regard to the political situation ill India, and have requested him to invite two representatives of the Indian National Congress, two representatives of the Moslem League and one representative of the Sikh Community to accompany him. We are still in communication with the Parties and I can, therefore, say nothing further al the present time.
The House will be aware that Mr. Jinnah, the President of the Moslem League, has stated that the Moslem League representatives will not attend the Constituent Assembly which has been set up on the basis proposed by the Cabinet Mission and is due to meet on December 9. This situation is mainly due to differences of view between the Indian National Congress and the Moslem League as to the interpretation of certain provisions in the Cabinet Mission's Statement of May 16. The purpose of the proposed discussions is to endeavour to reach a common understanding between the two major Parties on the basis of which the work of the Constituent Assembly can proceed with the co-operation of all Parties.
§ VISCOUNT SIMONMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether we correctly understand that the invitation is addressed to the Congress Party, to the Moslem League and, I gather, also to the Sikhs, but that no such invitation has been addressed to the representatives of what are now called the Scheduled Classes or Caste? Dr. Ambedkar is widely known as their representative. Do we understand that no effort is being made to get their point of view brought directly before the Government at this time?
§ LORD PETHICK-LAWRENCEIn reply to the noble Viscount, the position is that this controversy has arisen between the major Parties, and this invitation is addressed to them in order to get the maximum possible measure of agreement in the Constituent Assembly. The point with regard to the Depressed Classes does not arise at this stage.