TAG: GS-1: MODERN HISTORY
THE CONTEXT:
Recently, the revisiting Haripura Panels and the vivid brush strokes of Indian history.
Explanation:
The Indian National Congress held its fifty-first session in Haripura in the Surat district in Gujarat. It was held on 19th February 1938 and presided over by Subhash Chandra Bose.
- The Congress reinforced their commitment towards the attainment of Poorna Swaraj(Complete Independence) for the Indian nation and the need for a responsible government.
- They rejected the federal structure given by the British in the Government of India Act 1935, instead proposed a federation in which the States participated as independent units, enjoying the same democratic freedom as the rest of India.
- The session was a general success, with the Congress having strengthened its objectives and mobilised its efforts even further for a free India.
1938, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose had emerged as candid spokespersons of the Congress. By the same time, Congress had divided among two groups based upon the ideology. One was the conservative group and another was radical. During this period, Gandhi remained almost retired from the active politics and took the job of upliftment of the Harijans.
- Babu Subash Chandra Bose was very critical to the ideology of compromise of Gandhi.
In the midst of the violence and non-violence, in the midst of new developments of the socialist ideology, in the midst of the subdued resentment against the Congress ministries which had become slow in their progress towards independence and in the midst of the conflict of ideologies, Congress met at Vitthal Nagar Haripua from 19th 21st February 1938. President of this Congress was Subhash Chandra Bose. He outlined his policy as follows:
” My term of office as the Congress President will be devoted to resist the unwanted federal scheme will all the peaceful and legitimate powers, including non-violence and non-cooperation if necessary and to strengthen the country’s determination to resist this scheme”.
Bose had the idea of developing the power of resistance among the people of India as to make the British Government abandon the idea of forcing the federal scheme down the throats of Indians.
But it was this 1938 Haripura session when the differences between Gandhi and Bose surfaced over their attitudes towards the Great Britain. Subhash Chandra Bose was against the plan of the British to drag India into the Second World War. He was aware of the political instability of Britain and wanted to take advantage of it, rather than wait for the British to grant independence. Which is evident from his statement Britain’s Peril is India’s Opportunity.
In this session, under Bose, a resolution was passed.
- As per Haripura resolution, Britain was given 6 months ultimatum to the British, failing to which there will be a revolt.
But this was something Gandhi could not digest. Subhash did not endorse the nonviolence and Satyagraha tactics of Gandhi to throw the British away. The result was that there was a great divide between Gandhi and Bose. Similarly, Nehru also fell apart from Bose.
- This variance grew further when Subhash Chandra Bose organized National Planning Committee.
- National Planning Committee was the Forerunner of India’s Planning Commission. The idea was to draw a comprehensive plan for economic development of India on the basis of Industrialization. It was against the Charkha policy of Gandhi.
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