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DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Dominions, to represent Great Britain’s Commercial and other such interests in India.
Such a new Executive Council will, you realise, represent a definite advance on the road to self-government. It will be almost entirely Indian, and the Finance and Home Members will for the first time be Indians, while an Indian will also be charged with the management of India’s Foreign Affairs. Moreover Members will now be selected by the Governor-General after consultation with political leaders; though their appointment will of course be subject to the approval of His Majesty the King-Emperor.
The Council will work within the framework of the present constitution ; and there can be no question of the Governor-General agreeing not to exercise his constitutional power of control; but it will of course not be exercised unreasonably.
I should make it clear that the formation of this interim Government will in no way prejudice the final constitutional settlement.
The main tasks for this New Executive Council would be :
First, to prosecute the war against Japan with the utmost energy till Japan is utterly defeated.
Secondly, to carry on the Government of British India, with all the manifold tasks of post-war development in front of it, until a new permanent constitution can be agreed upon and come into force.
Thirdly, to consider, when the Members of the Goverment think it possible, the means by which such agreement can be achieved. The third task is most important. I want to make it quite clear that neither I nor His Majesty’s Government have lost sight of the need for a long-term solution, and that the present proposals are intended to make a long-term solution easier.
I have considered the best means of forming such a Council; and have decided to invite the following to Viceregal Lodge to advise me:
Those now holding office as Premier in a Provincial Government ; or, for Provinces now under Section 93 Government, those who last held the office of Premier.
The Leader of the Congress Party and the Deputy Leader of the Muslim League in the Central Assembly; the leader of the Congress Party and the Muslim League in the Council of State; also the leaders of the Nationalist Party and the European Group in the Assembly.
Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Jinnah as the recognised leaders of the two main political parties.
Rao Bahadur N. Siva Raj to represent the Scheduled Classes.
Master Tara Singh to represent the Sikhs.