History · Spectrum Books A Brief History of Modern India
Chapter 17 : Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, Revolutionary Activities, and Other New Forces
Table of contents32 sections
- 1.Emergence of Swarajists, Socialist Ideas, Revolutionary Activities, and Other New Forces
- 2.Swarajists and No-Changers
- 3.Genesis of Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party
- 4.Swarajists vs. No-Changers: Arguments
- 5.Agree to Disagree
- 6.The Swarajist Manifesto for Elections
- 7.Gandhi's Attitude
- 8.Swarajist Activity in Councils
- 9.Achievements and Drawbacks of Swarajists
- 10.Constructive Work by No-Changers
- 11.A Critique of Constructive Work
- 12.Key Terms
- 13.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 14.Emergence of New Forces: Socialistic Ideas, Youth Power, Trade Unionism
- 15.Spread of Marxist and Socialist Ideas
- 16.Activism of Indian Youth
- 17.Peasants' Agitations
- 18.Growth of Trade Unionism
- 19.Caste Movements
- 20.Key Terms
- 21.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 22.Revolutionary Activity with a Turn towards Socialism
- 23.Revolutionary Activity during the 1920s
- 24.Major Influences
- 25.In Punjab-United Provinces-Bihar Region
- 26.In Bengal
- 27.Official Reaction and Decline
- 28.Ideological Rethinking
- 29.Redefining Revolution
- 30.Key Terms
- 31.📌 Exam Tidbits
- 32.Quick-Recall Box
Chapter preview
Swarajists and No-Changers
Genesis of Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party
- Context: The withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement by Gandhi and his subsequent arrest in March 1922 led to disintegration, disorganisation, and demoralisation among nationalist ranks. A debate emerged on the strategy for the transition (passive) phase.
- The Split in Strategy:
- Swarajists: Led by C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, and Ajmal Khan. They wanted to end the boycott of legislative councils, enter them to expose their weaknesses, and use them as an arena of political struggle. Their goal was to 'end or mend' the councils (obstruct their working if demands were not met).
- No-changers: Led by C. Rajagopalachari, Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, and M.A. Ansari. They opposed council entry and advocated concentrating on constructive work, continuing the boycott, and preparing for the resumption of civil disobedience.
- Gaya Session (December 1922): The Swarajists' proposal of 'ending or mending' the councils was defeated.
- Formation of the Party: Following the defeat, C.R. Das (President) and Motilal Nehru (Secretary) resigned from their Congress posts and announced the formation of the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party (or Swarajist Party).
Swarajists vs. No-Changers: Arguments
| Feature | Swarajists' Arguments | No-Changers' Arguments |
|---|---|---|
| Core Strategy | Enter legislative councils to open a new front; this would not negate non-cooperation. | Opposed council entry; advocated concentration on constructive work and boycott. |
| Mass Morale | In a political vacuum, council work would enthuse the masses and keep up morale. | Constructive work would prepare everyone for the next phase of civil disobedience. |
| View on Councils | Use councils as an arena of political struggle, not as organs for gradual transformation. Deter the government from stuffing councils with undesirable elements. | Parliamentary work would lead to neglect of constructive work, loss of revolutionary zeal, and political corruption. |
Agree to Disagree
- Both factions wanted to avoid a 1907-type split and kept in touch with Gandhi (who was in jail).
- Both accepted the necessity of Gandhi's leadership for a united nationalist front.
- Delhi Compromise (September 1923) : A meeting was held where Swarajists were allowed to contest elections as a group within the…
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