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Unit Swara Jists and Constructive Work UNIT SWARAJISTS AND CONSTRUCTIVE WORK , Structure 2 1.0 Objectives 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Background ; 21.3 Swaraj Party: Formation 21.3.1 Gandhi and Swarajists 21.3.2 Objectives and Aims 21 -3.3 Programme 21.3.4 Methods 21.4 Swarajists at the Polls 2 1.5 Work in the Legislatures I, 21.6 Constructive Work 21.6.1 Khadi 21.6.2 Untouchability 21.6.3 Other Soc~alProblems 2 1.7 Demoralisation and Decline 21.7.1 Drift 2 1.7.2 Merger 21.7.3 Disintegration 21.8 Causes for Decline 21 3.1 Rising Communal Tempo 2 1.8.2 Lure of Office 21.8.3 Class Character 2 1.9 Let Us Sum Up 21.10 Key Words 2 1.1 1 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises 21.0 OBJECTIVES This Unit intends to give you an account of the emergence of Swarajists as a new trend in the nationalist politics. Its manifestation was the foundation of the Swaraj Party under the leadership of Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das. After reading this Unit you will: get familiar with how the Swaraj Party originated and what ideology it professed. know its programme and reasons for its disintegration. assess its contribution to Indian Politics. get a summary of the sequence of events following the withdrawal of the Non- cooperation movement. 21.1 INTRODUCTION The period 1922-29 is important for many reasons. It began with the ending of the Non-Cooperation Movement and ended with the starting of yet another movement. It also enriched India's struggle for liberation by introducing new trends and forms of political action. It placed before the nation the twin programme of council entry and constructive works. It also brought to the forefront, new leaders with a different outlook. Besides, the period witnessed new problems, new tensions, new dilemmas and new constraints on India's fight for independence. In this unit you are going to be introduced to all those aspects of the period 1922-29. - Nationalism: The Inter War years-I 21.2 BACKGROUND Under the leadership of Mahat'ma Gandhi the Congress emerged as a great nationalist forum of all shades and opinions voicing anti-imperialist sentiments. During Gandhi's first Civil D~sobediencemovement (1920-22), its roots spread out among all classes of people. The formal acceptance of Swaraj as the goal of the Congress really converted Non- cooperation into a mass movement. Gandhi's catchy slogan 'Swaraj in one year' stirred ' the masses of men into action. The suspension of Non-Cooperation id February, 1922 created widespread disappointment and precipitated an opelS division in the leadership of the Congress. The Govpnment took advantage of the situation to take resort to a policy of repression. It invoked Bengal Regulation I11 of 1816 and promulgated an ordinance providing for summzuy arrest and trial before special commissioners. The BritisH Prime Minister, Lloyd George, delivered his 'steel frame' speech, praising the work and , efficiency of the I.C.S. cadre. This was in tune with the shift in policy which virtually repudiated the principles of self-government and strengthened the autocratic British regime. A sense of disillusionment led many at this stage to question ihe efficacy of Gandhian methods of struggle. Was it at all possible to train millions of people in the philosophy of non-violence? Even-if it was possible, how long would it take? Gandhi was now behind the bars and there was no definite political programme before the country: The artificial Hindu-Muslim unity was fast disappearing. Acute Hindu-Muslim tensions and outbreak of communal violence dissipated national energies. The Constructive Work of the Congress. an essentially socio-economic programme of amelioration, could not attract the upper middle class intellectuals. They had never appreciated Gandhi's emotional and metaphysical approach to politics. They looked at politics from the plane of reality, and were keen to rescue the Congress and its politics from the demoralisation that had set in after the withdrawal of Non-Cooperation. 21.3 SWARAJ PARTY: FORMATION At this stage a new lead was given by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru. When the Civil Disobedience Enquiry Committee.reported that the country was not yet ready to embark upon a programme of mass civil disobedience, and the constructive programme found only a limited response, these leaders proposed that instead of boycotting the legislatutti%, Non- cooperation should be carried into them. They put forward the idea of Council-Entry to wreck the reforms from within. This proposal attracted several congressmen but it was stoutly opposed by orthodox Gandhians led by Rajagopalachari, Rajendra and Vallabhbhai Patel. There was a split in the Congress. The No-Chhhgers or onhodox Gandhians decried the programme of council-entry and desired the congress to follow Gandhi's constructive programme. The Pro-Changers or Swarajists wanted the constructive programme to be coupled with a political programme of council-entry. The matter came to a head in December 1922 at the Gaya Session of the Congress where Rajagopalachari led opposition to Council Entry forcing C.R. Das to tender resignation from the presidentship of the Congress. On being outvoted C.R. Das announced the formation of the Swaraj Party on 31 December, 1922 with himself as President and Motilal as Secretary. 18. C.R. Das The victory of the No-Changers at the Gaya Congress was short-lived. The Hindu-Muslim riots of 1923 darkened the political atmosphere. It was also clear that the civil disobedience could not be resumed as a national programme. The special Congress session, held at Delhi in September 1923 under the presidentship of Maulana Azad. allowed congressmen to contest the forthcoming elections. Annual session at Cocanada blessed the council-entry by maintaining that Non-Cooperation could be practised inside the councils also. The Congress called upon all its members to double their efforts to carry out the constructiv'e programme of Gandhi. Thus the split in the Congress was avoided. 21.3.1 Ganldhi and Swyrajists The elections were fought and the Swarajists swept the polls in some provinces. Their position and strength within the Consress increased..Gandhi was released from the jail in February, 1 924. His release revived the old conflict and a split in the Congress seemed - imminent. In June Gandhi made a declaration in favour of the original 'boycott' Swarajists and Constructive programme. He went to the length of saying that those who did not accept his policy Work should function as a separate oiganisation. His resolutions at the A.I.C.C. meeting at Ahmedabad in June 1924 were virtually aimed at eliminating the Swarajists from the Congress. One of the resolutions called upon every office-holder of the Congress to spin two thousand yards of yam every month and authorised the PCCs to take proper action against the defaulters. Those who did not accept the boycott of the councils were to resign from the AICC. The electorates were warned against those who flouted the Congress policy. The swarajists were disturbed as their success with the electorates was tq a great extent due to the prestige and resources of the Congress. They offered stiff resistance to these resolutions. In the face of opposition from Das-Nehru combine Gandhi diluted his resolution which was eventually carried with the omission, by way of compromise, of the penalty of loss of office originally attached to it. It was a serious blow to Gandhi's power and prestige. He publicly confessed that he was 'defeated and humbled'. Gandhi now lent his support to swarajists and made them the accredited agents of the Congress to deal with the Government. The Belgaum Congress, presided over by Gandhi. laid the foundation of mutual trust between No-Changers and the Swarajists. He brought about an agreement incorporating the suspension of non-cooperation except in so far as it related to the refusal to use or wear cloth made out of India. It laid down that different kinds of Congress work might be done by different sections. The constructive programme with its emphasis on the spinning wheel, Hindu-Muslim unity, prohibition and the removal of Untouchability was prescribed ! to congressmen as the chief means for the attainnient of Swaraj. 19. Motilal Nehru t 21.3.2, Objectives and Aims The objectives and aims of the Swaraj Party were indicated in its programme first published in February, 1923. The immediate objective was 'speedy attainment of full Dominion Status', including 'the right to frame a constitution adopting such machinery and system as are most suited to the conditions of the country and genius of the peoples'. Its manifesto of 14 October 1923 as well as the nature of its demands in the councils, revealed that it wanted full provincial autonomy implying control over bureaucracy as a necessary preliminary to the right to frame constitution. The other objective of the party was to secure the recognition of the principle that the bureaucracy derived its power from the people. The manifesto made it clear that the demand which its members would make on entering legislatures was to press the Government to concede "the right of the people of India to control the existing machinery and system of government", and to resort to a policy of "uniform, continuous and consistent obstruction" if the Government refused to entertain such a demand. The constitution of the Swaraj Party, framed in 1923, underwent many changes until its relationship with the ~ongiesswas finally determined at the Belgaum Congress in December, 1924. The constitution of 1924 laid down the party's objective as the attainment of Sn!u~-ujby the people of India by all legitimate and peaceful means.
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