INDIA PREPARING FOR SWARAJ
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [Correspondents are requested to keep their letters as brief as is reasonably possible. The most suitable length is that of one of our "Nails of the Week" paragraphs. Signed letters are given a preference over those bearing a pseudonym.—Ed. THE SPECTATOR.] [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—All Political Organisations in India have a lot to learn from the Congress Party. The other political parties outside the Congress may or may not agree with the goal or policy of the Congress, but they have much to learn from the Congress Party's methods and propaganda. Notwithstanding the numerous and somewhat violent internal quarrels and
1 indifferent discipline which affect the Congress Party, it must be given great credit for its recent activities. The great election- campaign under the new Reforms recently initiated by Congress. over the country is a case in point. For the Congress at least it must be said that, though it had not formally decided at the Lucknow session to contest seats at the coming elections, it has now commenced operations in every Province, while the other Parties are up to the time of writing all asleep.
Nothing is heard of their programmes and there is no " electioneering." The Congress managers, on the other hand, have set their splendid machinery in motion over the whole country-side, and it has been done as it were by the simple process of pressing the Congress button.
Non-Congress Nationalists, Democrats, Progressives, non- Brahmins, European Associations, the Depressed Classes, Anglo-Indians, the Muslim Community, indeed all the " Minority " Parties, are still groping in the dark. As for our friends the " Liberals "—well, one knows nothing about their work among the 36 million voters now enfranchised under the Act. (Let us not forget that out of these 36 millions 28 million are wholly illiterates and belong to the " Have Nots.") The Congress Party has taken time by the forelock, and it is doing excellent work among the " Have Nots," and it is done in a very methodical manner. The Provincial elections will be held in February, 1937. There is only about nine months left in which to work, and all the other Parties (having none of the advantages of organisation such as that possessed by the Congress) will have only theist"- selves to- thank for their defeat if nothing is done, and if they do not exert themselves betimes.
In the space of four weeks that have elapsed since the
Congress session at Lucknow, local Congress lesiders have carefully scrutinised all the Provincial Electoral Rolls, and are taking steps to ensure that all likely voters do not allow their franchise to go by default. Congress leaders commanding great influence in 'the Provinces have met together to discuss future -plans of campaign. Provincial Committees have met and set up separate bodies to take up election work in right earnest. Even the Congress President, Pandit J. Nehru, is taking part in the election campaign. He was the mover, a few days ago, of an important resolution " authorising the Congress Council to undertake election work in accordance with the Lucknow decision."
A remarkable feature of the Congress Campaign is that all Congressmen seem to have entered into the " spirit of the game." In Bombay, Congress leaders have taken the incredible step of waiting on a high Government Official. They approached a member of the " Accursed Bureaucracy" to secure some important election facilities. This may be regarded as a sad " climb down " for Congressmen, who a few weeks ago refused " to go anywhere near a Civilian." But different tactics for different times and different eircumstanees Bombay Congress leaders urged a number of points for the consideration of the Bombay Chief Secretary, and came away loud in praise for the " most sympathetic hearing given by the English official.
In the United Provinces, the home of the Socialist President of the Congress, leaders have been no less active than in Bombay: Over 200,000 application forms have been despatched to all district and town Congress Committees, with instructions " to get as many of them as possible filled up at once by prospective voters and submit them to district officers." In moving a resolution setting up an electioneering machinery for the United Provinces, Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru made it clear that " any work within the Councils must haye as its background constructive work in the country on the broad basis of national freedom and not on narrow or personal issues."
The Punjab, too, which in recent months has not been famous for its Congress activities, has recently bestirred itself. The working committee of the Provincial Congress Committee have decided to set up immediately District Committees to " advise on prospective candidates," and a " finance committee " to " raise funds for election purposes."
Indeed in the Punjab Congress is determined to kill two► birds with the same stone. A sub-committee has been appointed to " make an extensive tour of the Province " and not only enroll voters, for the elections, but also " enlist large numbers as members of the Congress, to save the voters from the clutches of the reactionaries."
In Madras, Congressmen have been busy for many months, while the Justice Party leaders are busy talking about " improving the constitution." In Bengal, the position is rather obscure. The important task before Bengal Congress- men is to secure a majority if possible, in the new council, in spite of the Communal award, " whose worst features will be felt in Bengal." Mr. Gandhi and his " Poona Pact " are equally cursed in that great Province. And in Bengal there is a further difficulty.
In addition to Anti-Congress forces (and the Moslems are in a slight majority in the Province), the Bengal Congress organisation has to fight a bitter " fratricidal war " with the Congress Nationalists, who have decided to set up their own candidates in opposition to the Orthodox Congress Nominees. The Communal Award and the Poona Pact act as " apples of discord " in the Province. Nevertheless, the Congress will not " sweep the polls," in Bombay, Madras, and Bengal, Punjab, and the Moslem Provinces in the North. The Constitution may break doWn in one or two provinces. But the probability is that office will beget responsibility, and, with a fairly liberal distribution of titles and other honours, Congressmen a year hence will be found more moderate in their views about the New Constitution than our " Liberal " friends. Actually an old Congressman is now acting Governor of the Central Provinces, and he is not the first, and won't be the last. Some Liberals, like the Right Hon. Srinivasa Sastri, are still too busy denouncing the Constitution for any effective electioneering work. The Indian " Liberals " are now a " wash out " in every Province.---I am, Sir, yours. &c.,
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