The Swarajists and No Changers | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

• The Swaraj Party, originally called the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party, was established in India in December 1922.
• The party aimed to achieve greater self-government and political freedoms for the Indian people under British rule.

Background

• After Gandhi’s arrest in March 1922, there was a breakdown and disorganization within the nationalist movement. This led to a debate among Congress members about the next steps during this transition period.
• One group, including C.R. Das, Motilal Nehru, Ajmal Khan, proposed ending the boycott of legislative councils. They believed that by entering these councils, nationalists could expose their weaknesses and use them as a platform for political struggle.
• This group aimed to ‘end or mend’ the councils. If the government ignored nationalist demands, they would obstruct the councils’ work.
• Those in favor of entering the councils became known as the Swarajists or Pro-changers.
• In contrast, the No-changers, led by Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, C. Rajagopalachari, M.A. Ansari, opposed council entry. They advocated for constructive work, continued boycott and non-cooperation, preparation for resuming the suspended civil disobedience program.
• The disagreement over council entry led to the defeat of the Swarajists’ proposal at the Gaya session of Congress in December 1922.
• Following this, C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru resigned from their positions in Congress and formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party, or Swarajya Party, with C.R. Das as president and Motilal Nehru as one of the secretaries.

Swarajists' Arguments:

• The Swarajists believed that joining the councils would not undermine the non-cooperation movement.
• They argued that in a period of political emptiness, working within the councils would help inspire the masses and maintain their morale.
• The presence of nationalists in the councils would prevent the government from filling these positions with undesirable individuals.
• Their goal was to use the councils as a platform for political struggle, not as a means to gradually transform colonial rule.

No-Changers' Arguments:

• No-Changers contended that parliamentary work would divert attention from constructive activities, diminish revolutionary fervor, lead to political corruption.
• They believed that constructive work was essential for preparing everyone for the next phase of civil disobedience.
• Despite their differences, both sides aimed to avoid a split similar to 1907 and maintained communication with Gandhi, who was imprisoned.
• Both factions recognized the importance of presenting a united front to compel the government to introduce reforms and acknowledged Gandhi's leadership in this effort.
• A compromise was reached in September 1923 during a meeting in Delhi.
• The Swarajists were permitted to contest elections as a faction within the Congress.
• The Swarajists agreed to the Congress program with the exception of participating in legislative councils.
• Election for the newly formed Central Legislative Assembly and provincial assemblies were scheduled for November 1923.
• In October 1923, the Swarajists released a manifesto for elections, outlining their views on British governance in India.
• The British, according to the manifesto, govern India primarily to serve their own selfish interests.
• The so-called reforms are seen as a facade to further British interests, disguising the reality of continued exploitation of India's vast resources and keeping Indians in a subservient position.
• The Swarajists aim to present the demand for self-government within councils as a nationalist objective.
• If this demand is rejected, they plan to obstruct council governance uniformly and consistently, creating deadlocks on every measure to disrupt the councils from within.
• The Swarajist program includes:
  • Achieving dominion status.
  • Securing the right to frame a constitution.
  • Gaining control over the bureaucracy.
  • Establishing that the bureaucracy derives its power from the people.
  • Ensuring the people's right to control the government machinery and system.
  • Full provincial autonomy.
  • Attaining swarajya (self-rule).
  • Organizing labor in industrial and agricultural sectors.
  • Gaining control over local and municipal bodies.
  • Promoting propaganda outside India.
  • Federating Asiatic countries to enhance trade and commerce.
  • Implementing the constructive program of Congress.

Gandhi’s Attitude:

• Gandhi was initially against the Swarajist idea of joining councils. However, after his release from prison in February 1924, he started to reconcile with the Swarajists because:
• Counter-productive: He believed that opposing council entry publicly would be counter-productive.
• Swarajist Success: In the November 1923 elections, the Swarajists won 42 out of 141 seats and a majority in the Central Provinces assembly. Their strong and independent approach convinced Gandhi that they wouldn’t be mere extensions of colonial rule.
• Government Crackdown: A government crackdown on revolutionary terrorists and Swarajists in late 1924 angered Gandhi, leading him to support the Swarajists.

Decline of the Swarajist:

• Swarajists were initially strong due to their unity and coalition in the legislatures.
• However, their ideological consensus was weak, consisting of leaders with diverse political views.
• A rift within the Swarajists became evident with the formation of the Nationalist Party by leaders like Malviya and N.C. Kelkar, the Independent Party led by Jinnah.
• By 1924, the Swarajist position weakened due to communal riots, internal splits among Swarajists, the death of C.R. Das in 1925.
• The Responsivists, including Lala Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malaviya, N.C. Kelkar, advocated cooperation with the government to protect Hindu interests.
• In contrast, Non-responsivists like Motilal Nehru focused on mass civil disobedience.
• The main leadership of the Swarajya Party withdrew from legislatures in March 1926.
• Another faction contested the 1926 elections in disarray.
• The Policy of obstruction and wrecking reforms from within had limitations and became a constraint.
• The arrival of the Simon Commission created a new political situation, making the constitutional programme less relevant.
• In 1930, the Swarajists merged with Congress and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34) following the Lahore Congress resolution on purna swaraj.

Their Achievements

• With the help of coalition partners, they outvoted the Government on several occasions, including issues related to budgetary grants, successfully passed adjournment motions.
• They delivered powerful speeches advocating for self-government, civil liberties, industrialization.
• Vithalbhai Patel was elected as the Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly in 1925.
• One of their notable achievements was the defeat of the Public Safety Bill in 1928. This bill aimed to give the Government the power to deport undesirable and subversive foreigners, as the Government was concerned about the spread of socialist and communist ideas, which they believed were being propagated by British and other foreign activists.
• Through their activities, they filled a political vacuum during a period when the national movement was regaining its strength.
• They exposed the weaknesses of the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, also known as the Montford scheme.
• They demonstrated that the councils could be used in a creative and effective manner.

Drawbacks of the Swarajists

• The Swarajists had no clear plan to link their actions in legislatures with the mass movements outside. They depended solely on newspapers to communicate with the public.
• An obstructionist approach had its drawbacks.
• Both the 'Swarajist Programme' and 'Swarajist at Work' exhibited significant contradictions and weaknesses. They advocated for class collaborations, such as the unity of zamindars and peasants, capitalists and workers, which was based on irrational grounds. They struggled to reconcile their constitutional politics within the legislature with mass politics outside of it.
• They could not maintain strong partnerships with their coalition allies due to conflicting ideas, which further limited their effectiveness.
• In the later phase, there was a shift towards responsive cooperation instead of non-cooperation. They failed to resist the temptations of power and office. For instance, Motilal Nehru served on the Skeen Committee, Vithalbhai Patel became the president of the assembly, A. Ramaswamy Iyengar accepted membership in the Public Accounts Committee.
• They did not support the peasants' cause in Bengal, leading to a loss of support among Muslim members who were pro-peasant.

Constructive work of No-changer

• The no-changers engaged in quiet, grassroots constructive work, promoting khadi, spinning, national education, Hindu-Muslim unity, the struggle against untouchability, the boycott of foreign cloth and liquor.
• This work was symbolized by numerous ashrams across the country, where political cadres received training in khadi work and work among lower castes and tribal people, particularly in Kheda and Bardoli in Gujarat.

Benefits of Constructive Work:

• Provided relief to the poor and promoted nation-building.
• Familiarized urban and upper-caste cadres with the conditions of villages and lower castes.
• Built bonds with previously untouched masses and developed organizing capacity.
• Filled rural masses with hope and increased Congress influence.
• Highlighted the importance of uplifting lower castes and Adivasis for a united struggle against colonialism.
• Demonstrated Indian determination through the boycott of foreign cloth.
• Trained youth in non-colonial ideological frameworks through national schools and colleges.
• Served as a major channel for recruiting and training freedom fighters and political leaders.
• Constructive workers became the backbone of civil disobedience movements, acting as organizers and active Satyagrahis.

A Critique of Constructive Work:

• National education primarily benefited the urban lower middle classes and rich peasants. Genuine enthusiasm for national education was more of a reaction to the movement's excitement.
• In times of passivity, the allure of degrees and job prospects drove students towards official schools and colleges.
• Promoting khadi was challenging because it was more expensive than imported cloth.
• When addressing the social issue of untouchability, there was insufficient focus on the economic grievances of landless and agricultural laborers, who were mostly untouchables.
• After his release from jail in 1924, Gandhi distanced himself from direct politics and dedicated his efforts to constructive work. The government viewed him as a political spent force.