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

THE CLOUDS GATHER 55
organising a non-violent revolt against the British Govern-
ment. He had disciplined his body and mind for a life of
suffering. He had, moreover, brought with him a group of
loyal followers from South Africa and during his six years'
stay in India, had won many supporters for his cause. He
only wanted more allies in order to be able to capture the
leadership of the Indian National Congress. About this
time the Ali brothers and other Moslem leaders were pre-
paring to launch the Khilafat movement and they, too, were
looking out for allies. Nothing could please them more than
to find that the premier nationalist organisation of the country
would take up the cause of Turkey. So an alliance was at
once struck between Mr. Gandhi and the Ali brothers on the
basis of two issues, viz., the Punjab atrocities and the Khilafat
grievances. The Ali brothers and their followers while
keeping up a separate organisation—the All-India Khilafat
Committee—would join the Indian National Congress and
agitate for the redress of the Punjab and Khilafat wrongs and
for the attainment of political freedom, which was the only
guarantee against such wrongs in future. On the other
hand, the Indian National Congress would lend its full
support to the Khilafat organisations in the country and
agitate for the redress of the Khilafat or Turkish grievances.¹
The elections to the legislatures under the new Con-
stitution—called the Government of India Act, 1919—were
due in November, 1920. The Amritsar Congress had resolved
in December, 1919, to work this Constitution but in the
meantime public opinion had changed considerably. A
special session of the Congress was therefore summoned in
Calcutta in September, 1920, under the presidency of Lala
Lajpat Rai, the well-known Punjab leader. Mr. Gandhi was
fully aware that his new policy of opposition to the reformed
constitution would not be accepted by an influential section
in the Congress. He had, therefore, strengthened himself
¹ In November, 1919, a Khilafat Conference was held in Delhi composed
of both Hindus and Moslems under the guidance of Mr. Gandhi, to consider
what steps should be taken to help the cause of the Khalifa (who was also
the Sultan of Turkey). At this conference, Moulana Hasrat Mohani, an
influential Moslem, suggested the boycott of British goods while Mr.
Gandhi proposed non-co-operation with the Government. It was not till
1920, however, that the Khilafat Movement was actually launched.