Evening star., 1942-07-14
An-India Congress
Believed Aiming at
Quick Independence
Gondhi PIon Being
Shaped at Conference
Of Working Committee

"A Sepere censorship has all but
Choked IndiGs channels OF com
runiCGfion NTH The outside
uorld Tor the time being. Dis
patches nnd radio brondCnStS are
rtoidlv curtniled and delayed in
clearance for transmission.
"A, T. Steeles story beloT mdS
Tritten Sunday tor use early
Monday. but drriUed only today.
II retains its Ddlue for the light
ii sheds on the AH-TndiG Con-
oreSs deliberations Which threat
en- TO rally Indians in nation
Bide agitation TO 1Cri,io inmedi-
ote independence from Britdin.)
BY A. r. STEELE,
Foreign Correspondent OF The Star and
Chcago Daily News
WARDHA, India. July 13 DE
layedl A quick campaign calcu-
lated to force the British TO grant
India immediate political independ-
enCe instead Of waiting until the
end Of the war is believed to be
the najor sim of the All-India Con-
FreSs Working Committee which is
nearing the conclusion Of its meet
ings wt,1 Mohandas K. Gandhi
here. The impending Gandhi move
ment VIII be such as to bring either
quick success or quick failure, in
the opii7 Oh of observers here.
The committees deliberations al
ready have dragged on for some
days lon"ei than had been sntci-
pated At the beginning, but they
may be co10uded today. Congress
leaders seem serious in their resolve
to bring about political showdown
with Britain in the shorest possible
time.
On JcnGon. Reuters reported
today in a dispatch from Ward
ha that inc All-India Congress
Working Committee has pub
hshed resolution proposing
Withdrawal. of British rule from
India.
The resolution said the COM
mittee did not desire to embar-
rasS Britain or the Allied powers
in prosecution of the war or in
any way to encourage aggression
against India or pressure on
China by Japan or any other Axis
power.
The proposal for withdrawal
OF British power was never in
tended to mean the physical
withdrawal of all British from
India, the resolution added
Whatever mystery there may be
about the nature of Gandhi's move
ment, there is very little mystery
about what the Congress wants. The
Congress attitude has stiffened ap-
preciably since Sir Stafford Grips
futile visit to India. which left
large hangover of bitterness among
the Nationalist leaders. At that
time there was real prospect that
the Indians might be induced to
accept a promise of dominion status
effective at the conclusion of the
war But the Congress mood has
changed, 1t is demanding higher
price for cooperation in the war
effort.
N0uld rake over COntrOI.
Jawaharlal Nehru who, next to
Gandhi, is the most influential par
ticipant in the Wardha delibera-
tions. outlined the wishes of himself
and his collaborators in an inter
view Here is their plan in outline:
The British should Immediately
acknowledge Indian independence.
This means that as quickly as prac-
tical they should turn over control
of Indian affairs to Indians. who in
turn would organize provisional
government to assume the same
privileges and rights at present en-
ioved by the government of India.
The provisional government would
include representatives. from all i'm
portant political parties in India and
from all Indian states. 1t would be
understood that no steps would be
taken which would in any way i'm
pede the war effort. If necessary the
first changes would be confined to
the center, and the lower admins
tratiVe structure could continue
along present lines until practical to
alter it.
According to this program. al
though the Indians would assume
full political power and would nat
urally expect an important voice in
matters of defense. active military
operations would continue as now
under the direction of the Allied
command for the duration of the
Jo &c n1o
under those circumstances India
would throw her entire weight into
the prosecution of the war. Sooner
or later, it is assumed the provi-
Sional government would draw up a
constitution and set up permanent
form OF government, possibly includ-
tne constituent assembly which
the Congress for some time has ad-
Vocated as the best adapted TO
1ndia's peculiar racial, religious and
political structure.
Disappointed at Cripps' Failure.
Asked what Indian or what Indian
political organization could take
the lead in forming provisional
government satisfa ctory to all.
Nehru replied that it did not mat
ter much. Taking exception to the
view OF skeptics that dissension,
partition and chaos might result
from any such move at the present
time. Nehru asserted that once
British support is withdrawn.
minority PARTIES will be much more
likely to come to terms with their
fellow Indians. Nehru admitted
there were some risks attached. He
reiterated his deep disappointment
81 the failure of the Cripps negotia-
tons.
We went too far with Cripps to
carry public opinion with us"
Nehru said. After the collapse of
the negotiations it became impossi-
bic to resume them on the same
basis. Our position today differs
entirely"
tCnpNrlEnr, 1874. by Cnilsao DallS News !