Kudos to the Council of State

THE Council of State has justified its existence. It was brought into being with the sole object of thwarting the people’s House in all those matters in which the views and wishes of the people are opposed to those of the bureaucracy. During the five years of its first term, it has seldom missed an opportunity of fulfilling this object of its founders. The rejection by it, at its meeting on Thursday, of the Repressive Laws Bill which was passed by the Assembly in March, and more particularly the overwhelming majority by which the measure was rejected, may well be described as its crowning achievement from the point of view of the bureaucracy, and its parting kick from the point of view of the people. In a House consisting at the time of about 40 members, only nine could be found to support the motion for the consideration of the Bill. All honour to these nine, and especially to those of them who did not record a silent vote on the subject, but of the House itself there is only one thing to say. To say that it is utterly unrepresentative of Indian opinion is to utter a commonplace. In the present conditions and with its present composition, it is a menace to the people’s rights and liberties, as real and as grave a menace as the extraordinary powers vested in the head of the Government. Unless at the forthcoming election the constituencies will make a point of unseating all or most of those members who have consistently voted against popular measures and in favour of the Government, the country must definitely make up its mind to mend or end this glorified District Board.