Moslem v. Hindu

Communal problems in India are something new—one of the greatest gifts of British Imperialism. Lieutenant Colonel Coke, Commandant of Merabad in the middle of the 19th century, says: "Our endeavour-should be to uphold the (fortunate for us) separation which exists between the different religions and races, not to endeavour to amalgamate them. [unclear: Dl] et Impera should be the principle of Indian government."

Then our divisions were religious, but a twist' made by the Government so easily made it a political division. The Moslem-league is a by-product of British Imperialism which few Indians appreciate. In 1906 a deputation was made to the Viceroy by some Moslems to claim some political recognition. In a presidential address made by a Moslem leader, Mohamed All. In 1923. It was revealed that it was the British Government that compelled the Moslems to make such a deputation. When Congress was getting too strong for the Government, favours were bestowed on the Moslems to counterbalance the growing strength of Congress. Mr. J. R. McDonald in "The Awakening of India" writes: ". . . The Mohammedan leaders were inspired by certain Anglo-Indian officials, and these officials pulled wires at Simla and in London and of malice aforethought sowed discord between the Hindu and the Mohammedan communities by showing the Mohammedans special favours."

These special favours were only too evident. In the United Provinces in 1910, the joint electorates, the Moslems of which constituted one-seventh of the population, returned 189 to the District Boards and 310 to the Municipalities, whereas the Hindus, who represented five-sevenths of the population, returned 445 to the District Board and 568 to the Municipalities. Under the Morley-Minto reforms, the Moselms had only to pay income-tax on 3000 rupees to become an elector while the non Moslems had to pay on 30 times as much. Also a Moslem graduate could vote only three years after graduation, whereas a non-Moslem had to wait 30 years.