Who wants dyarchy?

IN view of the action of the Bengal Legislative Council in again refusing the salaries of ministers, and thus, effectively killing dyarchy, it is of interest as well as importance to enquire who among the people of India, for whose supposed benefit the new Constitution has been brought into existence, really want dyarchy to continue. If there are any Indians who, from the nature of the case, might have been expected to be partial to dyarchy, it is those actually associated with the working of dyarchy, whether as ministers or members of the Executive Council, even as they are the only Indians who can speak or write with the greatest authority on the subject, the authority of actual experience. And yet only a cursory reference to the opinions expressed by these gentlemen on the subject of the working of the Reforms conclusively shows that the overwhelming majority of them are against the continuance of dyarchy. Let us refer to some of these opinions. If there are any two men who as ministers seemed to be quite happy and contended with their lot, they are Sir Surendranath Banerjea and Sir PC Mitra. And yet the first has recorded the opinion that “dyarchy should go as quickly as possible, not because it has been a failure everywhere but because public opinion apparently does not want it.” This expression of opinion by the veteran leader is of particular importance in view of the somewhat bitter attack he has considered it right to make upon CR Das on account of his share in killing dyarchy.