The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-15
Indian Sell-Out Constitution

leaders condemned mass demon
strations. So any real opposition to
the Simon commission can now only
come from the workers and peasant
masses; and in case of a big move
ment the urban petty bourgeoisie
will join in.
Ignore Radical Demands.
The possibility of a class differ
entiation in the nationalist move
ment, the petty bourgeois rank and
file breaking away from bourgeois
leadership, owing to the treachery
of the latter, is still remote. The
republican party formed by some of
the left wing elements inside the
congress when the independence
resolution was adopted never func-
toned. Under the influence of the
Communists, petty bourgeois rad
ical leaders moved in the joint con-
ference of all the nationalist parties
that the projected constitution
should be framed on the basis of
the congress resolution. Some of
the left motions were even accepted
by the conference; but in actually
framing the constitution all radical
principles about a Declaration of
Rights" were brushed aside together
with the congress resolution. Only
the anxiety of the nationalist bour-
geoisie for ga peaceful solution of
the political problem" prevailed.
The grant of the draft constitu-
ton will be an improvement on pres
ent conditions; but obviously it con-
tains the maximum demands of the
nationalist bourgeoisie providing
sufficient margin to climb down in
course of the negotiations. 1t is
altogether out of the question that
imperialism will grant the maxi
mum demands of the Indian bour-
geoisie just for the asking. More
than parliamentary fight must
take place before even self-govern-
ment within the empire is conceded.
The mass demonstrations during the
first visit of the Simon commission
showed that the country was pre-
pared for such fight; but the ma
tionalist bourgeoisie, while vituper-
ating against the insolent challenge
of imperialism, were reluctant to
+oI-o -, tb;e ob,l1orora with oo,,rooo
Imperialism knows the weakness of
the Indian bourgeoisie, and will con-
cede very little. Ultimately the ma
tionalist bourgeoisie will accept re-
sponsible government in the pro-
vinces and some superficial reforms
in general.
Bourgeoisie Unmasked.
The fight for real national free
dom thus finally devolves upon the
workers and peasant masses under
independent class leadership. AL
though the petty bourgeoisie still
remains largely under the control
and influence of the treacherous re-
formist bourgeois leaders, the pro-
letarian masses have broken away
from them. The great strikes and
lock-outs of this year are very dis
tinct from previous mass movements
in that they have clearly a class
character. The development of in
dependent political action by the
working class is splitting the petty
bourgeois radical nationalists into
two ever diverging tendencies. One
advances towards revolutionary ALI
ance with the working class in the
Workers and Peasants Party; and
the other moves rapidly towards fas-
cism. The radical leader Bose, who
collaborated with additionally re-
formist bourgeois leaders in franz
ing the new constitution, represents
the fascist wing of the petty bour-
geoisie. This re-grouping of class
forces is a pre-condition for re-
volutionary anti-imperialist fight
for national freedom. The unmask-
ing of the bourgeois leaders and
their petty bourgeois allies by the
new constitution will hasten this
process.