Evening star., 1942-08-05
Resolution Asks Powers
For Gondhi in Movement


BOMBAY, Aug. 5 tP,.-The ALL
India Congress Party Working Com
mlttee today drafted a resolution
recommending that Mohandas K.
GandEl be given full powers to lead
a civil disobedience movement if
Britain rejects a demand for Indian
independence.
Also presented to the committee
was proposed resolution which, If
accepted by both the working COM
mittee and the whole committee
meeting here Friday, would pledge
the party to armed resistance of any
Japanese aggression against India.
This draft resolution stated that
an independent government for In
dla will Fundamentally and unre-
servedly declare itself on the side of
the United Nations, agreeing to meet
the japanese or any other aggressor
With armed resistance
Designed to Meet Criticism.
The new draft was described as
designed to meet reasonable and
constructive" criticisms which fol-
lowed the British disclosure yester-
day OF the draft Of a resolution by
Gandhi. which stated the first move
of an independent government prob
ably would be to negotiate with
Japan.
CA British broadcast. heard in
New York by CHS, said Gandhi
or fn u
the committee for an hour and a
half this morning.
ct said there was no indica-
ton who put forward the new
resolution.
Thus, there was question
still unanswered whether this
was modification of the domi-
nant congress viewpoint or a
competitive resolution offered by
dissenters who might or might
not be inf1uential)
Gandhi today reafirmed his
espousal of negotiations between
India and Japan, once India gained
her freedom from British rule, but
/ declared Il never. even in my most
unguarded moment, expressed the
opinion that Japan and Germany
would win the war"
ON the contrary. I often have ex-
pressed the opinion that they cannot
win the war if only Britain will
once and for all shed her imperial
ISM said the wizened. ascetic leader
of millions of Indians and champion
OF immediate independence for his
country.
Vote on Resolution Friday.
A resolution calling for civil dis
obedience campaign against British
rule unless India is given freedom
Will be voted on at a meeting of the
Congress party Friday and its adop-
ton has been considered a foregone
conclusion.
The Congress Working Commit
tee already has acted on the reso-
luton, omitting from it references
calling for dealing with Japan as
included in the original draft put
forward by Gandhi.
The British said they seized the
original draft and other documents
IN raid on the partys headquar-
ters at Allahabad, prompting their
charge that the great majority of
the Working Committee members
were "appeasers" of Japan.
Gandhi told interviewers that
despite the omission from the reso-
luton of the reference to Japan, at
the behest Of more moderate Pandit
JaWaharlal Nehru, he still favored
negotiations with Toxic
Would Ask to Go to japan.
II independence came to India i'm
mediately, he said he would ask to
be sent to Japan to plead with her
to free China or else count on the
stubborn resistance" of millions of
Indians.
While most British observers ac-
cepted as timely the release of the
text of the seized Gandhi resolution,
the Bombay correspondent of the
London News Chronicle said in a
message to his paper it might prove
propaganda boomerang" that
likely would close gaps in the ranks
OF Congress leaders and supporters
There was no indication in Lon
don what action the British were
preparing to take to cope with the
mass disobedience movement in
India II the Congress gives the go
ahead" at Fridays meeting as ex-
pected. Observers there recalled
the statement in the House of Com
mons by L. S. Amery. secretary for
India, on July 80 that the govern
ment of India would take every
possible step to meet the, situation. "