[The thirty-third Indian National Congress and numerous other conferences and conventions assembled at Delhi in the Christmas week. About the same time the Mahomedan Educational Conference met at Surat and the All-India Christian Conference at Nagpur. An attempt is made in the following pages to give the render a brief but succinct, account of the proceedings of the numerous gatherings held at Delhi and other important centres during the closing week of December last. Ed. I.R.] The Indian National Congress HE thirty-third session of the Congress delegates. The Chairman of the Reception Committee, Haziq-ul-Mulk Hafiz Muhammad Ajmal Khan, delivered his welcome address in Urdu in the course of which he laid stress on the HinduMuslim agreement and the announcement of August 20. Now when the right of self-determination is being granted to the smallest nationality in Europe, he asked: Shall India, who has so ungrudgingly and cheerfully made sacrifices to the defence of the principles of liberty and freedom, right and justice, be deprived of the right to determine her own form of government? Can she be denied the right which her sons have won for others? Mrs. Besant, in moving the election of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya as the President, referred to him as the symbol of Indian unity. She was seconded by the Hon. Mr. Fazlul Huq and supported by Messrs. B. Chakravarty, V. S. Sastri, Jinnah, Khaparde, K. K. Chanda and others. "Maintain your rule but bear the peoples' happiness in mind, and rule in accordance with the peoples' wishes. That was in short the aim and object of the Congress." He then read the printed portion of his address dealing at some length with the happy termination of the war and India's great contributions towards the victory and then discoursed on the findings of the Rowlatt Committee. He criticised the Montagu-Chelmsford proposals which, he said, fell far short of the CongressLeague scheme. He added: It is for you to decide whether in view of the events which have taken place since the Congress met you will reconsider any or all of the matters which were considered by the Special Congress or whether you will let its decisions stand as they are. Considering how grave and momentous are the issues involved I would reconsider them and welcome any suggestions which would improve them. Since the Congress met events have taken place which would obviously justify such a course. Discussing the new outlook after the war the President appealed to the good sense of freedomloving Englishmen to apply the principles of autonomy and self-determination to the problems of India as well. (See page 41.) After the President's address, a considerable part of which was delivered extempore, the election of the members of the Subjects Committee was proceeded with. The Congress adjourned until Saturday, the whole of the next day being occupied with the sittings of the Subjects Committee. The Congress met again on the 28th. Resolutions on Loyalty and on the Allies' victory were put from the chair and carried. The Hon. Mr. G. S. Khaparde next moved for the re-affirmation of the Special Congress resolutions demanding self-government, the declaration of rights and the resolution regard ing commissions in the army. Messrs Patel, Golam Mohuddin, and Pandit Bajpaye and Udai Singh spoke in support of this resolution which was declared carried. Before proceeding with the day's work the President announced that he had received several amendments with regard to a resolution which he said should be discussed in the Subjects Committee. The Congress accordingly adjourned so that the Subjects Committee and the Council of the League might discuss the resolution in question (See page 65 for the Resolution on the Reform Scheme). This Resolution was moved on the third day by Mr. Chakravarty and seconded by the Hon. Mr. Patel. The Hon. Mr. V. S. Srinivasa Sastri who was given a courteous and considerate hearing moved an amendment to the resolution. His amendment was to drop from the first clause of the resolution all the words beginning from "subject to this modification" and to omit the clause pronouncing the reform scheme disappointing and unsatisfactory" and the clause fixing a period of fifteen years for the conferment of responsible government a whole. Mr. Sastri said the clause he wished to drop was new and had been introduced in supersession of another resolution by the Special Congress fixing the period of six years for full provincial autonomy. Dr. Pramatha Nath Banerjea seconded the amendment. Mrs. Besant said that she was in agreement with Mr. Sastri with regard to the first part of the amendment. She and Mr. C. P. Ramaswami urged the Congress to stand by the Bombay resolution. The Hon. Mr. B. N. Sarma and Dewan Bahadur Govindaraghava Iyer strongly urged the desirability of adhering to the Special Congress resolution, while Mr. C. R. Das, Fazlul Huq and others spoke on the resolution opposing the amendments. The amendments were then put to vote and were defeated by an over whelming majority. On the Congress re-assembling on the 30th Pandit Rambhuj Chaudhury moved the resolution relating to Punjab and the Reforms. Mr. B. C. Pal moved the resolution on the Rowlatt Committee Report (see page 65). The Resolution on Self-determination which was settled in the Subjects Committee was moved by Mrs. Besant (for speech, see page 43) Mr. C. R. Das seconding. Speeches in Hindi and Urdu were also made in support of the same. Mrs. Sarala Devi Choudhrani moved a resolution demanding women's suffrage which was seconded by Anusuyabhai Sarabai. Mr. J. B. Petit moved the resolution relating to the Report of the Industrial Commission. The last day of the Congress session began with the reading of a few messages by the President, The resolution regarding India's representation at the Peace Conference, (printed on page 65,) was moved by Mr. C. R. Das and supported by Mr. B. G. Horniman, Mr. Chakravarti amended the resolution as follows: That this Congress urges that in justice to India it should be represented by an elected representative or representatives to the same extent as the self-governing Dominions at any Conferences that may be held to deliberate on or settle the terms of peace or reconstruction. In view of the shortness of time and in anticipation of the request made in the preceding part of the resolution being acceded to by His Majesty's Government, this Congress elects as its representatives Lok Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mr. M. K. Gandhi and Mr. Hassan Imam. Pandit Radha Kant Malaviya opposed both the resolutions. Various other speakers supported the amended resolution which was carried, Mrs. Besant, Mr. Ramaswami and Pandit Radha Kant voting against it. Though the resolution was carried there is no use concealing the fact that a large body of Congressmen have been averse to Mr. Tilak's election to the Peace Conference. Sir Dinshaw Petit moved" that having regard to the unprecedented economies to which India had been subjected during the period of the war and considering the injury likely to be caused to the infant or nascent industries of the country by the addition of any further burden of heavy taxation as well as by the facilities enjoyed by competing foreign industries and in view of the cessation of hostilities the Congress should urge that the Government should, as indicated by Sir William Meyer, reconsider the matter and relieve India of the burden of the contribution of £45 millions for war purposes." The President then urged the adoption of a resolution for appointing a conciliatory board under the chairmanship of Sir Dinshaw Petit to deal with the Hindu-Moslem controversies. Sharp differences of opinion arose over the resolution demanding complete provincial autonomy, the nomination of Mr. Tilak for the Peace Conference, and the postponement sine die of the resolution welcoming the visit of the Prince of Wales. It is thus clear that at the Congress an attempt was made, and made with success, to press for claims unthought of at the Special Congress. Those who had pledged themselves to the resolutions of the Special Congress and those who had come in the vain hope of discovering a common ground found themselves stranded. sober counsel fell on deaf ears. Words of The clamour was for more and yet for more. There was no use arguing for steadiness or consistency. The extreme wing of the Congress carried the day when demands made in the name Congress were passed with acclaim in the noise of the and tumult of a great gathering. No wonder that even a section of the nationalists could not keep pace with the new order and therefore gave up all hopes of reconciliation. A resolution was adopted for sending a deputation to England to press on the attention of the British democracy the demands asked for in the present session of the Congress. It urged :— This Congress resolves that a Committee consisting of the Hon'ble Pandit Gokaran Nath Misra, Mr. C. Vijayaraghava Chariar, the Hon'ble Mr. N. C. Kelkar, Mr. C. R. Das, the Hon'ble Mr. V. J. Patel, Mr, Barkat Ali and Lala Harkishan Lal and the Pre sident ex-officio, be appointed to select the members of the deputation to proceed to England to advocate and press the demands of the Congress as contained in the resolutions of this session to and co-operate with the Provincial Congress Committees in collecting the necessary funds with Mr. Kelkar as the con vener. Some of the leading Congressmen who had originally expressed willingness to join the depu tation now declined to do so as they could not bind themselves to the terms of the Delhi resolution; and even a modest amendment suggesting the advocacy of the reforms on the general lines of the Congress demands was thrown out. The cleavage among the Congressmen became more pronounced. The difference of opinion took an acute turn when the Congress passed such a resolution as the following on the British Congress Committee. That in the opinion of this Congress the Congress constitution should be so amended as to bring the work of the British Congress Committee into co-ordination with that of the other component parts of the Congress Organisation. b. That in the opinion of this Congress it is necessary to make the newspaper India more attractive and to associate an Indian with the editorial management. c. That in the opinion of this Congress half the delegation fees which used to be earmarked for the British Congress Committee, be set apart generally to be utilized for propagandist work in England. d. That in the opinion of this Congress the depu tation which will proceed to England in connection with the Constitutional Reforms be authorised to enter into negotiations with the authorities of the British Congress Committee to make the necessary arrangements on the lines suggested above. e. In Article 28 of the Congress Constitution after the word "shall" omit the words "remit to the British Committee of the Congress through the General Secretaries of the Congress and substitute therefor "make to the All-India Congress Committee," and also omit the words "subject to a minimum of of Rs. 3,000" at the end of the said article and the words "This amount shall be a fund of the Indian National Congress" and shall be administered by the All India Congress Committee subject to the supervision and control of the Indian National Congress." The Indian Congress Committee may at their discretion spend in the United Kingdom or elsewhere such amounts or any portion thereof for work of propaganda of this Congress that the Congress desires the All-India Congress Committee to consider and report what changes may be introduced in the working of the Congress Constitution, Rules and procedure of the Congress Session and the Subjects Committee in the matter of the electorate, elections, etc. This resolution was in effect a vote of censure on the British Congress Committee, a Committee which under the guidance of such men as Sir William Wedderburn, Mr. Hume and Sir Henry Cotton laboured unceasingly for over a quarter of a century in advancing the neglected interests of India; and their successors have been but steadily pursuing the sound policy and sober counsel laid down by Sir William and his colleagues. What sacrifices the good men of the British Committee have undergone in the service of the Congress is a matter of recent history. In fact it is a most ennobling chapter in the history of the relations between England and India. Some Congressmen have therefore thought it cruel that a responsible body like the Congress could be persuaded to vote for so ungrateful a step.. And then, what a reward for all that Mr. Polak, one of the great heroes of the South African Indian struggle and at present the able and energetic acting Editor of India has been doing for of the Congress on the Reform Scheme and in particular the demand for complete Provincial Autonomy in the case of some Provinces. The method and the manner in which the Delhi Congress has dealt with the decisions arrived at the Special session at Bombay undoubtedly show how unjust have been the accusations hurled on the large body of the old Congressmen who felt it their duty to meet in a separate assembly and support the main policy of the Montagu-Chelmsford scheme in the best interests of the country even with its imperfections. With our internal dissensions, and an organised Anglo-Indian agitation in India and in England under the leadership of the Sydenhamites, with a knowledge of the composition of the present Cabinet and the heroic endeavours of Mr. Montagu to lead India onward by some steps at least, it is unwisdom on the part of the extreme wing to expect to persuade the British Democracy to its own way of thinking. our country with such singular disinterested. The Indian National Congress ness! Friends of this country may well quail as they see the graceless way the new Congress has chosen to deal with the propaganda work of the newspaper India, battling against apathy and obloquy with a devotion and courage which no money can buy. To treat the men who do our work at considerable sacrifice with such scant courtesy as to style them the agents of the India Office is to betray a woeful want of charity or judgment. Certainly no self-respecting body of English friends would care to work for Indian interests if they are regarded as mere agents and tools for carrying out the mandates which are opposed to their convictions. We cannot conclude this brief and hurried account of the proceedings of the Delhi session of the Congress without expressing our deep regret that such an astute political veteran like the Hon. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya should have committed the blunder of advising the Congress to reconsider the decisions of the Special session An Account of Its Origin and Its Growth Full Text of all the Presidential Addresses Reprint of all the Congress Resolutions Extracts from all the Welcome Addresses Notable Utterances on the Movement Portraits of all the Congress Presidents This is an exhaustive and complete Collection of all the Congress Presidential Addresses and the Resolutions passed at the sittings of all the Congresses. The book also contains extracts from the Welcome Addresses deli. vered at all the Congresses and several Notable Utteranoes on the Congress Movement by men like the late Charles Bradlaugh, Robert Knight, Sir William Hunter, Mr. Justin McCarthy, Sir Richard Garth, Lord Cromer, Sir Charles Dilke and others. An attractive feature of the book is a collection of the portraits of all the Congress Presidents. Cloth Bound. Over 1,100pp. Crown 8vo. |