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

THE ANTI-CLIMAX 89
kind. The beginning of the no-tax campaign in Bardoli
would be the signal for starting a similar campaign all over
the country. Elaborate arrangements were also made to
start a no-tax campaign¹ in Bengal simultaneously, and the
United Provinces and Andhrà (northern portion of Madras
Presidency) were also well-prepared for a campaign of that
sort. The ultimatum of the Mahatma threw the whole
country into a fever of excitement. With bated breath
everybody began to count the hours as they sped by. Sud-
denly there came a bolt from the blue which left the people
speechless and dumbfounded. That was the incident at
Chauri-Chaura.
On February 4th, at a place called Chauri-Chaura in the
United Provinces, the villagers in a fit of exasperation set fire
to the police-station and killed some policemen. When this
news reached the Mahatma, he was horrified at the turn of
events and immediately summoned a meeting of the Congress
Working Committee at Bardoli. At his instance, the Com-
mittee decided to suspend the civil-disobedience movement
(that is, the defiance of laws and governmental decrees,
including non-payment of taxes) entirely throughout India
for an indefinite period and all Congressmen were enjoined to
confine themselves to peaceful constructive work. The
‘constructive programme’ included hand-spinning and hand-
weaving, removal of untouchability, promotion of inter-
communal unity, suppression of the drug traffic, extension of
‘national’ education, suppression of litigation and establish-
ment of arbitration-boards—without voluntarily violating any
law or governmental ordinance existing at the time.
The Dictator’s decree was obeyed at the time but there was
a regular revolt in the Congress Camp. No one could under-
stand why the Mahatma should have used the isolated incident
at Chauri-Chaura for strangling the movement all over the
country. Popular resentment was all the greater because the
Mahatma had not cared to consult representatives from the
different provinces and because the situation in the country
as a whole was exceedingly favourable for the success of the
¹ Non-payment of the Chowkidari tax, which all villagers then had to
pay for the upkeep of the village police, etc.