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

290 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
There was another important matter which came up before
the Assembly in September—the Criminal Law Amendment
Bill 1932. The purpose of this Bill was to place on the Statute
Book the Ordinances which had been promulgated in January
by the Viceroy and had been renewed in June as Special
Powers Ordinance, 1932. As the Ordinance was to lapse in
December, it had either to be renewed again or permanently
placed on the Statute Book. In connection with this Bill, as
in connection with the Ottawa Agreement, the absence of
the Nationalist members, who had resigned in 1930, was
keenly felt. The Bill was passed into Law in November.
In August a delegation of the India League of London,
consisting of Miss Wilkinson, ex-M.P., Miss Monica Whately,
Mr. Leonard Matters and Mr. Krishna Menon (Secretary),
arrived in India to study the political situation in the country.
During their stay in India they did not make public speeches,
nor did they give interviews to the Press. Only once on the
occasion of the fast of Mahatma Gandhi—were they moved
to breaking their silence and they declared: ‘The removal of
Mahatma Gandhi means the disappearance of the greatest
force working for moderation, peace and friendship towards
Britain.’
Reviewing the year 1932 as a whole, one may say that it
opened in the midst of excitement and enthusiasm. But as
had happened before with Mahatma Gandhi’s movement, it
ended in an anti-climax. The ‘epic fast’ of the Mahatma
was the turning-point and from that moment onwards, the
Government definitely got the better of the Congress. As
the year came to a close, the thought that was uppermost in
the minds of most Congressmen was how to push on the
anti-untouchability campaign and resolutions were being
passed from many a platform at the instance of the Congress
leaders, asking the Viceroy to accord sanction to the Temple
Entry Bills in the Madras Legislative Council and the Indian
Legislative Assembly. Civil disobedience indeed!