Proposed round table conference

WE accord our cordial and wholehearted support to Annie Besant’s proposal to hold a Round Table Conference representative of all political parties in November to outline a scheme of united action for the attainment of Swaraj. The exact plan, as the learned doctor unfolded it to a press representative at Simla, is that delegates to the proposed conference should try to agree upon the kind of outline which could be taken as the basis for fuller work and that they should take back such outline to their organisations and submit there for discussion and amendment at the annual meetings and amendment at the annual meetings which generally take place at Christmas time. Under that authority, the delegates might meet again in January or early in February to draft a definite measure to be laid before Parliament. The organisations which are to be invited to send delegates to the Conference are the All-India Congress Committee, the All-India Liberal Federation, the National Convention, including the National Home Rule League, the Swarjya Party, the Muslim League and the Independent Party of the Assembly. The list, as Besant explained, is not exhaustive, and it is to be hoped that the discussions which she has been having with the leaders of different groups of members of the Assembly will make it more complete. One obvious omission that will occur to everyone in this Province is the Sikh League. An even more glaring omission is the Hindu Mahasabha, unless Pandit Malaviya, whom Besant must have consulted, has assured her that the Sabha would not claim individual and separate representation on the Conference.