Congress Activities 1944 Congressmen in Gujerat Districts have been returned unopposed during the recent elections to local bodies. A statement issued in this connection by prominent Congressmen of Gujerat like Jiwanlal H. Diwan and Khandubhai K. Desai declares that the underlying intention of contesting these elections is not to work the adminstration of these bodies but to show the extent of Congress influence over the public, the people's faith in the Congress policy and hatred towards the present policy of Government. The Gujerat Congress Seva Dal opened a “Workers' Training Class” in the premises of the Gujerat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad, from May 5th. About 100 candidates have joined. An informal meeting of about 50 Congressmen was held at Bombay on May 9th under the presidentship of Nagindas T. Master when resolutions were adopted (1) reiterating the unflinching faith of Congressmen in Gandhi's leadership and (2) exhorting all Congressmen to continue the constructive programme of the Congress, offer help to the victims of the recent explosions and render assistance in redressing the hardship caused by food shortage, famine and disease. M. R. Masani, H. R. Pardiwala, Joachim Alva, Mrs. Violet Alva and Ishwarbhai S. Patel were prominent amongst those attended. At Poona about 25 Congressmen assembled on May 21st under the presidentship of V. P. Limaye and appointed a Committee with B. M. Gupte as President and A. T. Dandavate as Secretary to organise collections for the Kasturba Memorial Fund and 5,000 spindles of yarn to be presented to M. K. Gandhi on his next birth-day. The Committee further decided to take up mass spinning and render all possible assistance to Rashtra Seva Dal Branches. Congressmen in Gujerat Districts are reported to be pre-occ-upied with the food problem and the Rationing Scheme. Congress workers of Ankola (Kanara) discussed the food situation and formed a Food Committee to approach the local authorities to secure permission to store 10,000 bags of rice for Ankola Taluka 64 Congress Activities The Congress Sewa Dal, Ahmedabad, has organised a training class for women at the Gujerat Vidyapith, from May 22nd, and 30 ladies have joined to date. Babu Laxminarayan, Assistant Secretary, All-India Spinners' Association, Bombay, addressed a private meeting at Hubli, on May 17th and stressed the necessity of opening more Khaddar Production Centres all over the country. T. S. Naik of Sirsi (Kanara) has been touring villages in Kanara District in order to organise “Charkha Sangh” branches. A private meeting of about 75 Congress workers from Ahmednagar District was held at Ahmednagar on May 21st with K. S. Firodia in the chair. L. M. Patil (ex-Minister of Bombay) and R. B. Girme were prominent among those present. A resolution reiterating confidence in Gandhi's leadership was adopted. A district “Seva Samiti” was also formed with the avowed object of redressing the grievances of the people regarding food etc. Babu Laxminarayan, Assistant Secretary, All-India Spinners' Association, attended a private meeting of Congressmen at Belgaum on May 21st, when it was decided to start an association of Khaddar Producers with A. B. Latthe and J. V. Yalgi as organisers. It is reported that the Gujerat Central Food Committee recently formed at Broach will not function without first consulting Gandhi. The Consumers' Co-operative Societies in Ahmedabad convened a meeting of May 26th and recorded a protest against the alleged unsympathetic and non-co-operative attitude of the Rationing Department. A meeting of 20 Congressmen of Sholapur held on June 2nd, set up a Committee with M. B. Kadadi (M. L. C.) and V. B. Sathe as President and Secretary to collect contributions to the Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Fund. Congressmen in Gujerat have been very active in touring villages and enquiring about the food situation. At a private meeting of 12 Congressmen of Surat held on June 5th ''the Growth of Food Crops Act, 1944” was discussed and a resolution was adopted pointing out that Government have ignored natural circumstances, material and implements available for agriculture and the economic condition of farmers, Some Congressmen in Kanara district are similarly occupied in gathering information on the food situation. 65 Congress Activities At a private meeting attended by Babu Laxminarayan the Secretary of A. I. S. A. and Vithaldas Jerajani and some 22 representatives from Surat, Bulsar, Navsari, Baroda, Nadiad and Ahmedabad at Surat on June 12th, the present policy of the All-India Spinners' Association was explained and it was announced that in future Khadi Bhandars would work on a co-operative basis. It is reported that the members of the Congress Food Committee have been touring the Jalalpur Taluka (Surat) to study the food situation and collect statistics regarding supply and demand for foodgrains. The following sums have been raised for the Kasturba Memorial Fund :— Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association 1,00,441 East Khandesh 11,500 West Khandesh 7,420 Rander (Surat) 215 Nasik 20 Committees to collect funds have been set up in Thana, Belgaum, Kolaba, Ahmednagar and Bombay Suburban Districts. The Kasturba National Memorial Committee, Bombay, intends to present a purse of Rs. 75,000,000 to Gandhi, on his 75th Birthday (October 2nd). The Detenues' Relief Committee, East Khandesh, has collected Rs. 260 to date. A branch of the Charkha Sangh (A. I. S. A.) has been established at Gadag (Dharwar) with Bhaskar Giridhar Kulkarni of Hip-pargi as Manager. At a private meeting of the Nasik District Food Committee held under the presidentship of B. S. Hire, the food situation was discussed and a Sub-Committee with G. G. Soundankar as President was set up to consider complaints. The Dharwar District Ryots' Conference was held at Hubli on July 2nd, under the presidentship of Anantrao Jalihal of Gadag. About 250 persons attended. Dinkar Desai, Secretary of the Bombay People's Food Council, who was the main speaker condemned the new system of grain purchase which ignored the 66 Congress Activities needs of agriculturists, but advised them to sell surplus grain to Government. He observed that Government's neglect of irrigation and the poverty of the farmers were the chief obstacles in the way of the “Grow More Food” campaign. The president said that it was impracticable to collect food grain on a revenue basis. The conference adopted 13 resolutions inter alia suggesting the abolition of the “Graded levy System” and recommending collection of grain through committees composed of both villagers and officers, the formation of co-operative societies consisting of representatives of Government and the ryots for distribution of food grains and requesting Government to prohibit the killing of cattle used for agriculture and to lift the ban on public meetings in connection with the food problem, etc. The People's Provincial Food Council held a meeting at Bombay on July 5th under the presidentship of M. R. Masani. Among those present were :— 1. V. L. Mehta,. 2. N. S. Habbu, 3. S. R. Bhagwat, 4. S. N. Kamdar, 5. Fazal I. Rahimtoola, 6. Dr. D. R. Gadgil and 7. M. A. Bhaijee. The following resolutions were passed :— (1) Urging Government to check inflation at the root by stopping the issue of fresh currency for the financing of purchases made and operations conducted in India on behalf of the British and Allied Governments and for financing the budgetary deficits of the Government of India, (2) Noting with concern the fixing of a quota of 2 lbs. of food grain per adult per week for certain sections of the population in the province, expressing the apprehension that it would seriously impair the health of the rural population, objecting to the differentiation between the various centres in respect of ration units and demanding a uniform minimum ration of one lb. of food grains per day per adult, (3) criticising the procurement policy of the Government of Bombay and (4) favouring the utilization of co-operative organisations to democratize the control measures. M. R. Masani, referring to the recent announcement regarding the importation of 400,000 tons of food grains during the next three months, said that this would supply only about half the quantity which the Food Grains Policy Committee had stipulated as the bare minimum. He said that since April last, notes in circulation had gone up by about Rs. 35 crores and the food problem was aggravated to that extent. He was of the opinion that it was not fair to fight inflation by denying the farmer a fair price for 67 Congress Activities his produce when inflation had been taking place at the rate of Rs. 3,50,00,000 per day. He also referred to the transport of fish from Tasmania to Australia by air and concluded with a declaration that the availability of shipping space was closely connected with the problem of political freedom. Under the instructions of N. K. Upadhyaya an “Arya Samiti Sangh” has been formed at Nagathan (Bijapur) to watch the working of the Government Rationing Scheme and to protect the interests of the people. T. R. Nasvi and others collected Rs. 883 in Dharwar District, for the relief of political prisoners. On July 9th, members of the Ron Taluka Food Committee met at Ron (Dharwar) and decided to approach Government with a request to exempt Ron Taluka from the operation of the “Growth of Food Crops Act, 1944”. A private meeting of 50 members of the Surat Co-operative Stores was held on July 9th when Rajni M. Patel (Communist) explained to them the food situation in the district and advised them to apprise Government of the condition of villagers. He requested Government to help agriculturists by supplying them with agricultural implements at cheap rates.