The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-07-15


quarters of the Anti-Imperialist League
THE No-Tax Campaign in India is beginning
to give the political fight in the country
new color. 1t is leading the peasants in various
provinces to develop rapidly class conscious
ness Realizing this the Congress Undian
Nationalist Congress controlled by Gandhi)
has already begun to apply the brake to this
movement. Not only has the congress ceased
placing emphasis on the non-payment of taxes,
but at the last meeting of its working COM
mttee has actually passed a resolution to the
effect that non-payment of taxes is in future
not to be even advocated in areas where the
zamindari system Ia system of tax collecting
landlords established by Brittany of land tenure
prevails. This decision refers particularly to
Bengal, the United Provinces, Bihar, Orissa and
other provinces where the peasant movement
is particularly strong.
The Indian capitalist press now points out
that the slogan of "No Tax" adopted by the
Congress under pressure from below and to
win the support of the peasants has already
created situation that calls for stronger
measures and firmer policy by the Congress
against the No Tax Campaign if the threat to
the interests of landlords and the propertied
class in the country is to be averted. The
Congress is reminded that it can no longer
afford to play with the peasants and be sure
of its ability to defend the interests of the
landlords.
In the course of two full coumned edit
oria the ombay nationalist-liberal organ,
The Indian Daily MAIL in its issue of May II
draws the attention of the Congress to the
grave danger offered to the present economic
order, which it assumes and maintains that
Congress is interested in seeing unatered, by
the militant peasant movement proceeding
Unexpectedly quickly along class lines, and de-
mands that Congress interfere and use its in
fluence to have the movement stopped "before
it is too late"
The Indian Daily Mail, displaying correct
estimation of the Congress leadership, writes:
at is to be doubted whether the respectable
middle class and arstocratic leaders of the
Congress have fully realized what they have
done in sponsoring campaign which is, in
effect the organization of the 'have-nots'
against the 'haves,." After stating that already
much harm" has been done, this being only
another way of describing that the oppressed
peasants have not been slow at developing
class consciousness and are better equipped
to free themselves from bourgeois leadership,
and emphasizing that the nationalists may
be soon called to pay a heavy price for frat
ernzing with the poor peasants, The Indian
Daily Mail goes and draws parallel be-
tween what happened in Russia in 1917 and
what is happening in India today.
The paper clearly states that the nationalists
in India might after all not find "the vast
majority of the people" prepared to accept the
Government they are hoping to establish in
place Of the British. The extend and scope of
the Communist propaganda in India, states The
Indian Daily Mail is not to be under-esti-
mated even at this stage. In this connection it
writes: There is undoubtedly. if not an active
Bosheyik atmosphere in the country at least
some extremely active centers from which
Boshevik doctrine@ are promulgated. From
all over India we have been receiving discon-
certing complaints about the growth of these
influences. congressman affect to despse
these reports to deride their validity, but the
merest acquaintance with the work of the
Youth League (Naujawan Bharat Sabha) or
tho Workers and Peasants organizations in
Northern India should convince even the great
est doubter that there is real danger to the
future of India. The amable if somewhat fool