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

128 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
approval to her pet constitution, but none of the Congress
leaders would be drawn into her net. She therefore had to
leave the Belgaum Congress disappointed.
The political situation remained unchanged when the year
1925 was ushered in. Deshbandhu Das continued in power.
In the early part of 1925, there was a further trial of strength
between the Government and the Swarajists in Bengal. The
Ordinance which the Governor-General had promulgated in
October 1924, conferring on the Bengal Governor powers of
summary arrest and imprisonment without trial, was to
expire in April 1925. Thereafter, if the Bengal Government
desired to have those powers, they would have to introduce
legislation to that effect in the Bengal Legislative Council. A
Bill was therefore duly introduced and the Government
strained every nerve to have it passed into law. As the
Swarajists were really in a minority in the Legislative Council,
the Government felt hopeful that they would be able to carry
the legislation through. The Deshbandhu was then taking
rest at Patna as he had been suffering from a nervous break-
down. But in spite of his ill-health, he resolved to inflict a
crushing defeat on the Government in person. On the
appointed day he arrived at the Council Hall in time and had
actually to be carried in an invalid-chair. Once again the
laurels of the day were his. The Bill was thrown out, but by
virtue of the extraordinary powers given to the Governor
under the Constitution, he was able to certify the Bill as
law.
Soon after this incident the annual conference of Bengal
Congressmen was summoned at Faridpur and in view of the
critical situation in the country, Deshbandhu Das was elected
President. Against all medical advice, he resolved to go there
and preside over the deliberations. People did not understand
at the time why he was so insistent on attending this con-
ference. Anything that he said would have drawn the same
amount of attention even if it happened to be a Press state-
ment. The real reason, however, as to why he wanted to go
there was that he had to give a public indication of his
demands, for the benefit of the Government. Moreover, he
wanted to demonstrate to the Government that his views