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

144 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
Swarajism and in a portion of the Bombay Presidency, the
Nationalist strength was divided, because of the formation
of the Responsivist Party. With the formation of a Respon-
sivist Party in the Central Provinces Legislative Council and
of a Moslem bloc in the Bengal Legislative Council, it became
possible for the Government to appoint Ministers in these
two provinces, where none had existed for three years. In
the Indian Legislative Assembly also, the Nationalist strength
being somewhat weakened by the formation of a Responsivist
bloc on the one side and by a Moslem bloc on the other, the
Government had a comparatively easier time than they had
in the previous Assembly. Apart from the Legislatures, a
certain amount of disintegration was also visible in the rank
and file of the Congress. In provinces like Punjab, Bombay
Presidency and the Central Provinces, this was due to the
activities of the Responsivist Party. In provinces like Bengal
where the Responsivists had little influence, the disintegration
was caused by warring factions within the Congress Party.
In Bengal after the death of Deshbandhu Das, through the
influence and support of the Mahatma, the late Mr. J. M.
Sengupta had succeeded to the leadership. He had not been
in office for a year before opposition to his leadership appeared.
The opposition ultimately crystallised under the leadership
of Mr. B. N. Sasmal, at one time a most popular figure in
Bengal Congress circles. The fight went on till 1927. For
some time there were two rival Provincial Congress Commit-
tees in Bengal and in the elections to the Calcutta Municipal
Corporation, held in March 1927, two sets of Congress
candidates were set up. Mr. Sasmal’s party was defeated in
this fight and that led to his temporary retirement.
In the face of dissensions outside and inside the Congress,
the leaders had a trying time in 1926. For a time it looked
as if nothing could stem the rot that had set in. The brunt
of the responsibility had to be borne by Pandit Motilal Nehru
who was deprived of the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi,
who had retired from active politics, and of Deshbandhu Das
who had died the year before. The National Demand put
forward by him in the Assembly in September 1925, had been
turned down by the Government. In the circumstances what