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

THE GANDHI-IRWIN PACT AND AFTER 245
to the reactionary forces that were working against him
both in India and in England. With the arrival of Lord
Willingdon, the official attitude began to stiffen. Effect was
not given to the Pact by officials in different provinces. In
Gujerat the peasantry had great difficulty in getting back
their confiscated lands and the Mahatma had to spend
practically the whole of his time between the Karachi Con-
gress and his departure for London in attending to their
grievances. In the United Provinces, though the civil-dis-
obedience movement was suspended, the peasants said that
they were unable to pay the rent. Even the Mahatma's advice
that they should pay 50 per cent. of their dues—they could
not give effect to. The situation was, however, worst in
Bengal. In spite of the Pact, imprisonment without trial
continued from day to day on the plea that there was a
revolutionary movement afoot. Out of nearly one thousand
state prisoners incarcerated without trial, not a single soul
was released. The Conspiracy Cases then going on in the
province were continued as usual. From time to time terrorist
activities took place by way of retaliation against official
oppression. No change in the official attitude was visible at
all in Bengal after the truce and in India as a whole, signs of
goodwill on the official side were lacking.
By July, the Congress head-quarters had unmistakable
proofs that the provisions of the Pact were not being given
effect to. A 'charge sheet' containing allegations of breaches
of the Pact on the official side were handed over to the Home
Secretary to the Government of India at Simla by the
Mahatma personally. The air was thick with rumours that
the Mahatma would decline to go to London. The authorities
in London grew anxious as they wanted the Mahatma to come
at any cost. Pressure was brought to bear on the Viceroy to
see that everything possible was done to facilitate his going
to London. In August, the Mahatma had long talks with
the new Viceroy as a result of which the tension was con-
siderably eased. The Mahatma wanted an arbitrator to inquire
into complaints about the non-fulfilment of the Pact, but to
this the Viceroy would not agree. He however promised
inquiries into the specific allegations made by the Mahatma.