द इण्डियन स्ट्रगल / भारतीय स्वाधीनता संग्राम (नेताजी सुभाष चन्द्र बोस - ऐतिहासिक विश्लेषण)

DESHBANDHU C. R. DAS IN POWER 115
ill on January 12th and had been operated upon. This
news had caused anxiety and alarm from one end of the
country to the other and there was a very strong public
demand for his release. On the morning of February 5th,
the day on which the above resolution was to be moved,
the Mahatma was quietly released. A few days later, on
February 8th, Pandit Motilal Nehru, the leader of the
Swaraj Party in the Assembly, moved a resolution demand-
ing that a Round Table Conference be convened for drawing
up a Constitution for India, establishing full responsible
Government and that the new Constitution be placed before a
newly-elected Indian Legislature and be submitted before
the British Parliament for being embodied in a statute. Reply-
ing to this resolution on behalf of the Government of India,
Sir Malcolm Hailey, promised an investigation into the
complaints against and criticism of, the Constitution. If
after the investigation it was found that there was possibility
of constitutional advance within the four corners of the Act,
the Government would have no objection in making recom-
mendations to the British Cabinet to that effect. But if on
the other hand, further constitutional advance involved an
amendment of the Government of India Act, 1919, then the
Government could not promise any action at that stage.
This reply was extremely disappointing and as a retort, the
Assembly threw out some of the demands for grants and
refused leave to introduce the entire Finance Bill. The
Finance Bill had therefore to be restored with the help of
the special powers of certification vested in the Viceroy.
The debate over the demand for a Round Table Conference
was followed by the appointment of a Committee with the
following terms of reference—to inquire into the difficulties
arising from or the defects inherent in the working of the
Government of India Act, 1919; to investigate the feasibility
and desirability of securing remedies for such difficulties and
defects, consistent with the structure, policy and purpose of
the Act, either by action taken under the Act and the rules or
by such amendments of the Act as appear necessary to rectify
any administrative imperfections. This Committee was
presided over by the Home Member, Sir Alexander Muddi-