The Failure of Non-Co-operation Mr. Gandhi's declaration . in favour of
the abandonment of civil disobedience, and the decision of an All-India Congress Conference in favour of entering the Legislative Assembly, are significant and satisfactory developments. It is true that the object of Swaraj deputies will be to oppose the White Paper, and that Mr. Gandhi, makes two reservations—one, that he may still take to civil dis- obedience himself (he is under pledge not to, resort to it before August) ; and the second, more cryptic, that dis- obedience for specific purposes will still be permissible. But the conviction has evidently become general that non-co-operation as a piece of strategy has failed. The Swarajists who may be elected to the Assembly will very likely create difficulties there, but the very fact of their candidature will mean that Parliamentary methods are being substituted for non-Parliamentary, and the elected members themselves will gain something in responsibility when they come into contact with realities at Delhi. Mr. Gandhi is known to have been impressed by the co- operation established between the Government and all classes of the population in relief work in Bihar, and that may well have contributed to his decision.
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