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

78 THE INDIAN STRUGGLE
public support for the Government. The Congress Working
Committee promptly issued instructions for a boycott of the
Prince's visit. It was 'stated that, though the people had
nothing against the Prince personally, since he was coming
to strengthen the bureaucracy which they were engaged in
fighting, they had no option but to boycott his visit. As a
first step towards this boycott, a ‘hartal’ or boycott demonstra-
tion was called for November 17th, when there should be a
complete suspension of business all over the country. On
that day, the boycott demonstration in Bombay was not a
success. There was a clash between supporters of the
Government and those of the Congress which resulted in
prolonged rioting. But in Northern India, especially in
Calcutta, the demonstration was a unique success, due largely
to the wholehearted co-operation of the Khilafat organisa-
tions. So great was the success in Calcutta that the Anglo-
Indian papers, the Statesman and the Englishman, wrote the
next day that Congress volunteers had taken possession of the
city and the Government had abdicated and they demanded
immediate and drastic action against the Congress volunteers.
Within twenty-four hours, the Government of Bengal issued
a notification declaring them to be illegal. This was followed
by similar notifications in other parts of the country.
We had been spoiling for a fight in Calcutta and the official
notification therefore was thrice welcome to us. The general
opinion was in favour of an immediate reply to the official
challenge. But our leader, Deshbandu Das, was cautious.
He wanted time to take stock of his following in the province
and to consult Mahatma Gandhi and the Working Com-
mittee. Secret circulars were sent out at once to different parts
of the province for a report as to the measure of public
support that would be forthcoming if the Congress started
open defiance of the official ban. In less than a week encourag-
ing reports began to pour in from the districts. A meeting
of the Provincial Congress Committee of Bengal was there-
upon summoned behind closed doors towards the end of
November to decide our course of action. This committee
was a body of about 300 members representing the Congress
organisations of Bengal. By that time I had become a member