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

THE ANTI-CLIMAX 95
in tactics. He thus conceived of his plan of non-co-operation
within the legislatures. According to this plan, Congressmen,
instead of boycotting the elections, would stand as candidates
at the polls and after capturing the elected seats, would carry
on a policy of uniform, continuous and consistent opposition
to the Government. The boycott of the legislatures, as
conceived by the Calcutta Congress in 1920, had proved to
be a failure. While the nationalists had kept away from the
legislatures, undesirables had captured those bodies. These
people, instead of assisting the popular movement in the
country, had lent their support to the Government. Through
their help the Government was able to demonstrate to the
world that in their policy of repression, they had the support
of the elected members of the legislatures. According to the
Deshbandhu, in a revolutionary fight, the points of vantage
should not be left in the hands of the enemy. Therefore all
elected seats in the legislatures, as also in all public bodies
(namely municipalities, district boards, etc.), should be cap-
tured by Congressmen. Where there was room for doing
any solid constructive work, they could do so. But failing
that, they could at least keep up a systematic opposition to
the members and agents of the Government, and thereby
prevent them from doing mischief. Further, the election
campaign would give the Congress an occasion and an
opportunity for doing its own propaganda simultaneously all
over the country. The adoption of this new policy did not
imply that they were to abandon any of the other activities
of the Congress, but simply meant an extension of those
activities to include capture of the elected seats in the legis-
latures and all public bodies.
Discussions regarding this new plan were carried on
vigorously from day to day in the Alipore Central Jail. It
soon appeared that in all these discussions the main contention
of the opponents was that the Government of India Act,
1919, hardly left any room for useful opposition within the
legislatures. Owing to the presence of Britishers and of other
members nominated by the Government, it was difficult, if
not impossible, for the elected members to secure a majority
either in the Indian Legislative Assembly (the Central Legis-