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PAKISTAN : COMMUNAL AGGRESSION 261
means of the pressure of a fast unto death. * Some people encouraged by this success actually agitated for revision of that part of the Award which related to the Muslims and some Muslims were even found to be in favour of entering into such negotiations.† This alarmed the Muslim community. The other reason for the fear of a revision of the terms of the grants arose out of certain amendments in the clauses in the Government of India Bill which were made in the House of Commons permitting such revision under certain conditions. To remove these fears and to give complete security to the Muslims against hasty and hurried revision of the grants, His Majesty’s Government authorized the Government of India to issue the following communique‡:—
“It has come to the notice of His Majesty’s Government that the impression is prevalent that what is now Clause 304 of the Government of India Bill (numbered 285 in the Bill as first introduced and 299 in the Bill as amended by the Commons in Committee) has been amended during the passage of the Bill through the Commons in such a way as to give His Majesty’s Government unfettered power to alter at any time they may think fit the constitutional provisions based upon what is commonly known as Government’s Communal Award.
“His Majesty’s Government think it desirable to give the following brief explanation both of what they consider is the practical effect of Clause 304 in relation to any change in the Communal Award and of their own policy in relation to any such change.
“Under this Clause there is conferred on the Governments and Legislatures in India, after the expiry of ten years, the right of initiating a proposal to modify the provisions and regulating various matters relating to the constitution of the Legislature, including such questions as were covered by the Communal Award.
“ The Clause also imposes on the Secretary of State the duty of laying before Parliament from the Governor-General or the Governor as the case may be his opinion as to the proposed amendment and in particular as to the effect which it would have on the interests of any minority and of informing Parliament of any action which he proposed to take.
“ Any change in the constitutional provisions resulting from this procedure can be effected by an Order in Council, but this is subject to the proviso that the draft of the proposed Order has been affirmatively approved by both Houses of Parliament by a resolution. The condition is secured by Clause 305 of the Bill.
- This resulted in the Poona Pact which was signed on 24th September 1932.
† For the efforts to gel the Muslim part of the Award revised, see All-India Register, 1932. Vol. II, pp. 281-315.
‡The communique is dated Simla July 2, 1935.