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

DEFEAT AND SURRENDER 303
the rumour that Gandhiji is giving up the leadership of the
Congress is to be traced to the fact that Gandhiji has been
thinking of introducing reforms in the Constitution of the
Congress in order to make it more definitely purged of all
forms of violence. . . . If the Congress does not adopt his
reforms, he may even be prepared after the ensuing Congress
session to start an independent organisation to have a body
of strictly non-violent workers.' About ten days later, the
Mahatma himself issued a statement confirming the rumour
that `he had the intention of retiring, but saying that at the
request of friends, he had postponed his decision until after
the session of the Congress at Bombay. He referred to
corruption in the ranks of the Congress and declared that he
' proposed to move the following three amendments to the
constitution of the Congress:

1. Replacing the words 'legitimate and peaceful' by
   'truthful and non-violent' means to achieve the aims
   of the Congress.
2. Replacing the four-anna (anna is one-sixteenth of a
   rupee; Rs. 13½ = £1 approximately) franchise¹ by
   the delivery by every member to the Congress Depot
   of 8,000 feet of well-tested even yarn of not less
   than fifteen counts spun by himself.
3. No one to be entitled to vote in a Congress election
   unless he has been on the Congress register for six
   months and has been a habitual wearer of Khaddar
   only during the same period.
   The Mahatma concluded by saying that he apprehended
   that his suggestions would not be acceptable to the majority,
   but there was room for compromise, and if they wanted him
   as leader, they would have to give due consideration to his
   proposals.
   The annual session of the Indian National Congress is to
   be held at Bombay on October 26th, 27th and 28th, 1934,
   and the elections to the Indian Legislative Assembly under the
   ¹ According to the present constitution of the Congress, every member
   has to pay a minimum annual subscription of four annas. The Mahatma's
   idea is to make spinning obligatory on the members instead of merely
   paying a subscription.