Chapter 197: The Imperial Mission

“What’s solicitous is that the wording of the two parties isn’t too drastic, which is at least not bad, in fact, if we set our goal on dragging out time, we might anticipate it to be much better.”

When confronted with the solution inquiry, Alan Wilson threw his hands in the air and said that he had no solution, and that the job he was doing now was to stall for time, to try to make peace in the middle, and to find things to do for the two religions.

Truth be told, what Britain is doing in British India now is actually similar to the mediation done by the United States in East Asia, which is to mediate between the two parties to form a coalition government, which is also the purpose of the three Cabinet ministers coming to British India.

But the MPs in London who held the majority to make British India independent were thinking of two religions in one country. Now the three Cabinet Ministers have realized that this is almost just impossible. The PML-N simply had no interest in a coalition government and was pursuing a state that had nothing to do with Hindus.

As long as the PML-N’s attitude does not change, the division of British India will be a foregone conclusion once independence is achieved.

“It looks like retaining British India as a whole is out of the question!” Pethick Lawrence sighed, “The parliamentarians in the country, still hold out hope for this, so we declare the mediation a failure?”

“There’s no need to announce it in such a hurry if the goal is set on dragging it out as long as possible.” As soon as Sir Barron heard this he opened his mouth and suggested, “We are a democracy, we have to reserve the right of anyone to speak, in fact if the PML-N and the Congress feel that they are not talking enough in New Delhi, they can go on to London for public debates.”

“It would be better to go by boat, it would also delay things a bit.” Alan Wilson suggested in a whisper, “After arranging for the representatives of the two parties, to turn around along the way, so that it will take at least a couple of months to go back and forth, while the Honorable Ministers, in British India can listen to a wide range of opinions, and wait until the Ministers have left with sincerity, and then after that, arrange for the two parties to go to London, so that a year may pass right away. ”

“Some nominal sweeteners could be given, such as arranging for representatives of the two parties to arrange for a chance to sit in on a United Nations meeting, pretending that they have implemented independence and are adapting to the role of a nation.”

“India has long served as an auxiliary force for the British Empire to control its African colonies, and there are quite a few expatriates in quite a few of them, so arrangements can be made for representatives of the two parties to meet with the local expatriates in the middle of their trip to London to make some speeches and whatnot, and at least another month can be wasted.”

Sir Barron and Alan Wilson sang in unison, around the central idea of finding trouble for the two parties in British India, and continued to carry out the transfer of contradictory suggestions, listening to the three cabinet ministers in a daze.

Anyway, the colony of British India is large enough to be good at using this potential, the British India into the whole of the British Empire colonies, all the Indian immigrants, more water plus noodles, more noodles plus water, so repeated ad infinitum, dragged through a year is not a breeze.

Originally felt that the mission failed three cabinet ministers, listening to the words of the two civil servants, under the fine taste, it seems that there is still some sense, anyway, things have not come to the point of irreversibility, since it is so big a thing as independence, more than a few debates, listen carefully to some opinions, which are all very normal.

“But wouldn’t it be worse consequences if the two parties were allowed to travel to other colonies and spread the idea of independence?” Pethick Lawrence suddenly spoke up, “In case the independence of India causes a demonstration.”

“Indians, as accomplices of the colonial government of the British Empire, are certainly ostracized by the natives. In fact, we can start a wave of Indian exclusion to divert the attention of the Indians.” Alan Wilson said while thinking, “The necessity of this move lies in the fact that Indian immigrants are widely distributed, we can do this in any British colony to sort of make the Congress Party or the PMLN wake up a bit, but for the sake of the colonial order, it’s better to look for an isolated place to take the bull by the horns.”

“What place would be suitable for such an operation!” Alexander, the Minister of the Navy, asked rhetorically, rushing at Alan Wilson.

“How about Mauritius, a small place where the situation can be easily controlled and a warning to the Indians? Personally, I feel it’s perfect for it, and you can also utilize the mixed European and African offspring, the Creoles.” Alan Wilson justified, no psychological burden for such unloading attention.

For an island country in eastern Africa, located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, about eight hundred kilometers from Madagascar, and two thousand two hundred kilometers from the African continent. As a volcanic island country, Mauritius is surrounded by coral reefs, the island has a variety of landforms, the coast is a narrow plain, the central plateau is mountainous, with a number of mountain ranges and isolated peaks.

First of all this island area is small, the total area of only two thousand square kilometers, as an archipelago for the British Empire such as the strength of the sea to excel in the country, very easy to control.

Although the area is not large, but the population has been quite a lot, the total population of the islands has exceeded 200,000 people. Mainly divided into two ethnic groups, the descendants of the Indo-Pakistani people as the main body, occupying the majority of the total population, as a mixed European and African Creoles, occupying less than one-third of the population, the ratio is also very suitable for picking.

Alan Wilson even thinks, like Mauritius such a small island country, not independent as the British Empire’s overseas province is completely reasonable, as for what foreign population impact, to the United Kingdom to form the largest foreign population impact is the Indian.

Compared with Indian immigrants, any ethnic group is not considered a population impact on Britain.

Seeing Pesik Lawrence two people with a face of not understanding, the naval minister Alexander opened his mouth to explain, “It is a French-speaking island in the South Indian Ocean, Creole is a French dialect, but the Indians we immigrated speak English.”

Hearing the words of the Navy Minister, it took the two Pesik Lawrence to understand and questioned, “That’s a lot of force to control, or else we’ll let the French get the upper hand again, and it’ll simply be worse than it is now.”

What time is it, and you still don’t forget to insult the French today? Alan Wilson was helpless with the three cabinet ministers in front of him.

“If the situation is inevitable, it is possible to try.” Alexander, as Minister of the Navy, was much more decisive than the other two ministers, and did not mind using some small means to bring the Indians to their senses.

By now, the three cabinet ministers had at least a consensus that the two parties in British India were very hostile, and that the overwhelming rhetoric of the domestic Congress to maintain the unity of British India was impossible to achieve.

With this mental preparation, then the procrastination mentioned by Sir Barron and Alan Wilson was not a bad one.

Then the idea of the three men of Pethick Lawrence now is to put on a smile, listen to the opinions, make a pro-people style, but say that all the decisions are not in their hands, and stay in British India for a few months, and then in the Congress and the PML-N to send representatives to London to negotiate, and try to put the inefficiency of the electoral state advantage, and to buy time for the British India to be drained of its funds.

Although this idea is very ungentlemanly, the Indians started it, rejecting the British Empire’s mediation in good faith, so must be responsible for the next series of consequences.

With the thought out of the way, the three cabinet ministers were not tired, but began to enjoy their trip to British India. Doing their jobs, creating a pro-people image, and treating it as if they were conducting an election.

Arrived in British India three cabinet ministers, as well as the entire cabinet mission, began to show the pro-people behavior to the Indians, of course, not as shameless as Alan Wilson performance, what honor dare to Hinduism above.

But inevitably still have to say some, Hinduism is the spiritual wealth of mankind words, every word out, caused by the Indians of mouth to mouth.

As for Allen Wilson and the Minister of Indian Affairs Pethick Lawrence, nothing to talk about how to protect women’s rights and interests of the draft.

Although the heart has long been prepared to start from the Hindu holy women above, but can not say it in front of Pethick Lawrence, but with the attitude of asking for advice, let Pethick Lawrence introduce his own glorious history on the protection of women’s rights and interests, to see if they can learn any useful experience.

“With all due respect, Minister, there may be some methods which cannot be practiced on the present basis in British India.” Alan Wilson suggested with a solemn look on his face, “Certainly not by coercion as was done in the past when the self-immolation of widows was eradicated.”

Pethick Lawrence a face of bewilderment, Allen Wilson then knew that the Minister of Indian Affairs in front of him, the original did not know that Britain had once taken drastic measures against the self-immolation of widows in India, introduced the situation at that time.

Even the means of artillery execution, Pethick Lawrence realized that the original when the Viceroyalty of India also did this kind of thing.

“Such tactics are certainly to be avoided, we can’t have the Americans or the Soviets launching a diatribe against the British Empire.” As a minister, Pethick Lawrence still had sensitivities, and it involved his political life.

“Then it’s time for a very soft approach. It should be done in an artistic situation to let the Indian public at large know that it is wrong and to arouse the consciousness in the minds of the people for the protection of women. It would be best expressed through a movie, but it takes a national icon to have that kind of appeal.” Alan Wilson said word for word, “There is no actor in British India who has that kind of appeal, and I want that actor to show kindness, knowledge, and beauty, among other things.”

“You speak of an actor who has that, and an appeal probably only Vivien Leigh can do it.” Pethick Lawrence shook his head and smiled bitterly, “No one else has that influence.”

“Why not, isn’t it right for an actor to make a small contribution for the British Empire?” Alan Wilson righteously said, “She should feel honored, it’s a responsibility given to her by the Empire.”