DEBATES ON FUTURE STRATEGY AFTER CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

Question 1

What were the three perspectives put forward on what the nationalists should work on immediately after the end of the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Answer 1

1. There should be constructive work on Gandhian lines.
2. There should be constitutional struggle and participation in elections to the Central Legislature.
3. A strong leftist trend within the Congress, represented by Nehru, was critical of both constructive work and council entry in place of the suspended civil disobedience movement.

Question 2

What was the struggle truce struggle strategy?

Answer 2

• A large number of congressman led by Gandhi believed that a mass phase of movement (struggle phase) had to be followed by a phase of reprieve (truce phase) before the next stage of mass struggle could be taken up.
• The truce period, it was argued, would enable the masses to recoup their strength to fight and also give the goverment a chance to respond to the demand of the nationalists.
• The masses could not go on sacrificing indefinitely. If the goverment did not respond positively, the movement could be resumed again with the participating of the masses. This was the struggle truce struggle or S-T-S strategy.

Question 3

What was the Struggle Victory strategy?

Answer 3

• Criticizing the S-T-S strategy, Nehru argued that there should be a continuous confrontation and conflict with imperialism till it was overthrown.
• He advocated maintenance of a continuous direct action.
• Against an S-T-S strategy, he suggested a Struggle Victory (S-V) strategy.

Question 4

Gandhi’s emphasis on the________ as the second lung of the nation.

Answer 4

Spinning wheel.

Question 5

When did Gandhi resigned from the Congress and who was the President of congress at that time?

Answer 5

In October 1934, Gandhi announced his resignation from the Congress.
Bombay session, Rajendra Prasad was the President.

Question 6

What was the nationalists response to the Government of India Act, 1935?

Answer 6

The 1935 Act was condemned by nearly all sections and unanimously rejected by the Congress. The Hindu Mahasabha and the National Liberal Foundation, however, declared themselves in favour of the working of the 1935 Act in the central as well as at the provincial level.

Question 7

Did Gandhi attended any election meeting before 1937 elections?

Answer 7

No he did not attend a single election meeting.

Question 8

Congress performance in 1937 election?

Answer 8

It got a majority in all provinces, except in Bengal, Assam, Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP, and emerged as the largest party in Bengal, Assam and the NWFP.