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

122 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
reported to have remarked: 'I shall cling to the Swaraj
Party as a child clings to its mother.'
After establishing peace within the Congress camp through
his understanding with the Swaraj Party, the Mahatma turned
to another acute problem. Since 1923, Hindu-Moslem
dissensions had appeared in different parts of India and
Mahatma Gandhi was far-sighted enough to realise that if
the evil was not nipped in the bud, it would soon grow into
a national calamity. The communal storm might not break
while the Swarajist Campaign, supported by both Hindus
and Moslems, was in full swing—but the moment there was
a lull in the campaign, the evil was sure to rear its head. So
in September, 1924, at his instance, a Unity Conference was
convened at Delhi. The Conference was largely attended,
even the Anglican Metropolitan of India and representatives
of the Britishers in India, participating in it. At the time of
the Conference the Mahatma embarked on a three weeks' fast
as a self-imposed penance for the wrongs committed by
members of different communities who by their action dis-
turbed intercommunal peace in India. The Conference was a
successful one. A formula was devised for promoting unity
between the different communities in India and a Conciliation
Board of fifteen members was set up which was to intervene
whenever and wherever any communal trouble arose. In
spite of the success of the Unity Conference, practical results
did not follow. In March 1924, Mustapha Kemal Pasha took
the extraordinary step of abolishing the Khalifate altogether.
Those Moslems who had been drawn towards the Indian
National Congress owing to the desire to secure support for
the Khilafat Campaign, no longer felt any urge to remain
friendly towards the Congress. The Khilafat Committees
themselves went out of existence in most parts of India and
many of the erstwhile members of those organisations were
absorbed into reactionary mushroom organisations. About
this time the All-India Moslem League came back to life
again. This body had been the premier organisation for
Moslems in India till 1920. Since that year it had been
practically replaced by the All-India Khilafat Committee
which had succeeded in drawing most of the active elements