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

270 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
Committee will regard it as an indication on the part of the
Government that it has reduced to nullity the Delhi Pact.
‘In the event of a satisfactory response not forthcoming, the
Committee calls upon the nation to resume civil disobedience.’
The same day the Mahatma sent a long rejoinder to the
Viceroy asking him to reconsider his decision and grant an
interview without imposing any conditions as to the scope
of discussion. He enclosed a copy of the Working Committee’s
resolution and added: ‘If His Excellency thinks it worth
while to see me, the operation of the resolution will be
suspended pending our discussion, in the hope that it may
result in the resolution being finally given up.’
On January 2nd, 1932, the Viceroy informed Mahatma
Gandhi that an interview under the threat of civil disobedience
was out of the question. The Mahatma replied as follows:
‘... Surely it is wrong to describe an honest expression of
opinion as a threat. May I remind the Government that the
Delhi negotiations were opened and carried on whilst civil
disobedience was on and that when the Pact was made, civil
disobedience was not given up but only discontinued. This
position was reasserted and accepted by His Excellency and his
Government last year prior to my departure for London....
Meanwhile I wish to assure the Government that every
endeavour will be made on the part of the Congress to carry
on the struggle without malice and in a strictly non-violent
manner....’
That was the end of the negotiations. On January 4th, the
Government of India issued a statement justifying their
attitude and conduct. Simultaneously orders were issued to
local authorities throughout India to strike at the Congress
organisations at once. The ordinances carefully prepared by
the Government of India in 1931 during the period of the
truce, were at once put into operation. According to lists
previously prepared by the local authorities, sweeping
arrests of Congress leaders were made before they could find
time to launch the civil-disobedience campaign. Within a
week almost everybody who was somebody in the Congress
Party was in prison. Nevertheless, the campaign began to