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

MAHATMA GANDHI IN EUROPE 257
power in England in 1930 and Lord Irwin in Delhi, the
Congress could have given a different turn to the Conference.
In 1931 the situation was altered completely The Labour
Cabinet was replaced by a virtually Conservative Cabinet;
Lord Irwin made room for Lord Willingdon, while Sir
Samuel Hoare succeeded Capt. Wedgwood-Benn at the India
Office. The last flickering hope died out when the General
Election in October brought the Conservatives into power
(under the name of the National Government) with a thump-
ing majority.
In spite of these unfavourable circumstances when the
Mahatma did go to England, he should have concentrated
entirely on the work of the Conference, with a view to
counteracting all the mischievous moves of the Government.
Probably under the influence of pro-Indian Britishers like
Mr. C. F. Andrews, he unfortunately took it into his head
that he should go about rousing sympathy for India among
Britishers. That was not the purpose for which he had come
to England nor was it possible for him to do so within the
short time and with the limited energy at his disposal. Going
over the list of persons whom the Mahatma met, one cannot
help feeling that for the purpose for which he had come to
England, most of the engagements were unnecessary, if not
useless. If he had come on an ordinary propaganda tour, a
programme such as he had, would have been quite helpful
and in order.
There was another deeper cause which accounted for the
Mahatma's failure. During his stay in England he had to
play two rôles in one person, the rôle of a political leader
and that of a world-teacher. Sometimes he conducted himself
not as a political leader who had come to negotiate with the
enemy, but as a master who had come to preach a new faith
—that of non-violence and world-peace. Because of his
second rôle, he had to spend much of his time with people
who were quite useless in promoting his political mission.
In the absence of advisers from his own party, the place was
filled by some of his British admirers. From the moment of
his landing in Europe till the moment of his departure, he
was surrounded by them. In order to demonstrate his fair-
R