FUTURE STRATEGY OF NATIONALISTS

1. Introduction
- After withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience Movement, the nationalists debated future strategy in two stages:
  a. First stage (1934–35): What should be the course during the non-mass struggle phase?
  b. Second stage (1937): Whether to accept office after provincial elections under the 1935 Act.

2. FIRST STAGE DEBATE (1934–35)
A. Three Views on Immediate Strategy
1. Gandhian View: Focus on constructive work.
2. Constitutionalists’ View (Ansari, Asaf Ali, Bhulabhai Desai):
   - Participate in Central Legislature elections.
   - Elections would keep up political morale.
   - Participation does not imply faith in colonial constitutionalism.
   - Would strengthen Congress for future mass struggle.
3. Leftist View (Nehru):
   - Resume and intensify non‑constitutional mass struggle.
   - Situation still revolutionary due to economic crisis and mass readiness.

B. STRUGGLE–TRUCE–STRUGGLE (STS) STRATEGY
- Believed that:
  a. Mass movements must be followed by a truce.
  b. Masses require rest to regain strength.
  c. Government must be given time to respond.
- Accepted by large number of Congressmen including Gandhi.

C. EVENTS AFTER THE DEBATE
- May 1934: AICC (Patna) creates Parliamentary Board to contest elections.
- Gandhi realises:
  a. Congress intelligentsia leaning toward parliamentary politics.
  b. His emphasis on charkha alienated some.
  c. Socialists (Nehru) differed sharply from him.
- October 1934: Gandhi resigns from Congress.
- November 1934: Congress wins 45 out of 75 Indian seats in Central Legislative Assembly.

3. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT, 1935
A. Key Features
1. Proposed All‑India Federation of provinces + princely states.
2. Division of powers into Federal, Provincial and Concurrent Lists.
3. Residuary powers vested in the Viceroy.
4. Abolition of provincial dyarchy → Provincial Autonomy.
5. Dyarchy introduced at Centre (never implemented).
6. Bicameralism in six provinces.
7. Separate electorates extended further (women, labour, depressed classes).
8. Council of India abolished; Secretary of State given advisors.
9. Set-up of:
   - Federal PSC, Provincial PSCs, Joint PSC,
   - Federal Court,
   - Reserve Bank of India.

B. British Strategic Objectives
- Revive moderates and liberals.
- Create belief that mass struggle is ineffective.
- Make Congressmen “taste power” to weaken revolutionary zeal.
- Cause division:
  • Placate right wing with reforms.
  • Crush leftists with repression.
- Build powerful provincial Congress leadership, creating internal rival centres.

C. Nationalists’ Response
- Congress unanimously rejected the Act.
- Hindu Mahasabha and National Liberal Federation supported working it.
- Congress demanded a Constituent Assembly based on adult franchise.

4. SECOND STAGE DEBATE (1937)
A. Common Agreement
- Oppose the Act firmly.
- Contest elections with strong economic and political programme.
- Use elections to spread anti‑imperialist consciousness.

B. Divisions on Office Acceptance
1. Opposition (Nehru, Bose, Socialists, Communists):
   - Office acceptance would contradict rejection of the Act.
   - Would amount to responsibility without power.
   - Proposed:
     a. Join councils to create deadlocks.
     b. Build workers-peasants’ class organisations.
     c. Prepare long-term socialist orientation.
     d. Prepare ground for resumption of mass struggle.

2. Congress Decision
- Fight elections first.
- Decide office acceptance afterward.
- Resolution: Not to submit to Act, but to combat it inside and outside legislatures.

C. Provincial Elections 1937
- Held in: Madras, Bombay, Bengal, Bihar, C.P., Assam, U.P., NWFP, Punjab, Sindh, Orissa.
- Largest enfranchisement so far: 30.1 million (incl. 4.25 million women).

D. Congress Election Manifesto
- Total rejection of the 1935 Act.
- Promise of:
  • Release of political prisoners,
  • End of caste & gender disabilities,
  • Radical agrarian reforms,
  • Reduction of rent/revenue,
  • Relief from rural debt,
  • Cheap credit,
  • Workers’ rights: union formation, right to strike.

E. Gandhi’s Role
- Did not attend even one election meeting.

F. Congress Performance
- Won 716 of 1,161 seats contested.
- Majority in 7 provinces; largest party in 3 others.
- Prestige of Congress soared.
- Nehru accepted STS strategy as dominant approach.

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Subject: Modern History

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