National Struggle (1935 - 1947)

Congress Crisis on Method of Struggle
  • Gandhi’s perception there was rising corruption and indiscipline in the organisation.
  • Unhappy with the rivalries and petty squabbles among the Congress leaders.
  • Masses were not in the mood for a struggle, others who felt that the struggle should continue.
Haripura and Tripuri Sessions: Subhash Bose’s Views
  • Subhash Chandra Bose was president of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee.
  • Organisation of the youth and promoting the trade union movement, not agree with Gandhi and other leaders.
  • With Jawaharlal Nehru opposed the Motilal Nehru Report.
  • Bose was all for full independence.
  • Also announced the formation of the Independence League.
  • Again fully active in the Salt Satyagraha Movement in 1930, against the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement and the signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931
Haripura Session
  • February 1938, Haripura, Gujarat Bose elected as President.
  • Resolution that the Congress sould give moral support to those who were agitating against the governance in the princely states.
  • 1939: Subhash Wins but Congress Faces Internal Strife.
    • January 1939, Subhash Bose decided to stand again for the president’s post in the Congress. Gandhi was not happy with Bose’s candidature.
    • Bose had represented the “new ideas, ideologies, problems and programmes”
    • Bose won & got the full support of the Congress Socialist Party and the communists.
    • Gandhi congratulated Bose & say "Pattabhi’s defeat is my defeat". Gandhi versus Bose issue.
Tripuri Session
  • March 1939, all was not well within the Congress.
  • Working committee, the ruling body of the Congress, is not elected, but nominated by the president.
  • With Bose’s victory the polarisation in terms of ideology and method of future struggle was clear.
  • Subhash Bose had accused the working committee leaders of being ready to reach a compromise with the government on the matter of federation.
  • Leaders felt they could not work with a president who had publicly cast doubts on their nationalistic principles and resigned from the working committee.
  • Six-month ultimatum to Britain to grant the national demand of independence, he said ultimatum was rejected, mass civil disobedience movement should be launched.
  • Bose write letter Congress was strong enough just as the masses were ready for such a struggle.
  • Gandhi, belief that it was not the time for such ultimatums as neither the Congress nor the masses were yet ready for struggle.
  • Resolution was moved by Govind Ballabh Pant, reaffirming faith in Gandhian policies and asking Bose to nominate the working committee “in accordance with the wishes of Gandhiji”, and it was passed without opposition from the socialists or the communists.
  • Gandhi said, Bose should choose the members of the working committee and lead the Congress.
  • Bose continued his effort to win Gandhi’s confidence but did not succeed, Bose refused to nominate a new working committee. Bose wanted an immediate struggle.
  • Gandhi belief that the time was not ripe for struggle. Ideologically Gandhi and Bose were on different platforms.
  • Gandhi not willing to lead a Congress struggle based on the radical lines preferred by Bose. Bose was not willing to compromise on his ideas.
  • Bose had misjudged the support of socialists and the communists, not keen on a split in the Congress.
  • Preferred a united Congress led by Gandhi, as the national struggle was of utmost importance and the Congress was at the time the main organ of this struggle.
  • Bose saw no option but to resign. He resigned from the president’s post in April 1939. & Rajendra Prasad as president.
  • Bose and his followers formed the Forward Bloc (at Makur, Unnao) as a new party within the Congress. Call for an all-India protest on July 9 against an AICC resolution.
  • Congress Working Committee took disciplinary action against Bose, August 1939 he removed from the post of president of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee.

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