Evening star., 1942-01-02
Gundhi and India

Inc resignation OF MOnandaS e.
Gandhi from the leadership of the
All-India Congress party brings into
sharp relief the change in sentiment
which the course of the war has
wrought in that vast land. The
Congress party represents India's
movement for independence of Brit
ish rule. Even its relatively mod
crate wing demands complete self
government with full dominion"
status within the British Empire,
like Canada or Australia, while the
extremists want nothing short of
complete separation as a sovereign
state.
The Congress party. however, by no
means represents India as whole.
1t voices at most the more articulate
elements among the Hindu majority.
The large Mohammedan minority,
numbering one-fourth of the entire
population, strongly opposes inde-
pendence at the price of Hindu po-
litical dominance, and would un-
doubtedly fight to prevent it. Indeed,
a considerable section of the Hindu
"untouchables" under the caste
system feels much the same way,
while smaller minorities such as
Sikhs, BuddhistS and native Chris
tians of whom there are 5000, 900, de-
mand political guarantees in any
independence scheme. Lastly, nearly
ne-fourth Of India is not under di-
rect British rule but is governed by
native princes who have treaty
rights and do not wish to lose their
individual status. The British atti-
tude is that, for such divided India,
immediate independence would spell
profound disorders probably degen-
Grating into civil war and perhaps
ending in complex anarchy.
Britain has already granted India
a considerable measure of self-gov-
ernment under British control. The
Congress party has boycotted these
political institutions and has resisted
British authority in what is known
as the civil disobedience movement.
In conformity with his thorough
going pacifsm, Gandhi has kept the
movement violent in character.
Thousands of Congress adherents
have refused to obey laws and regu-
lations, courting jail sentences for
disobedience. When the war broke
out, non-co-operation was applied to
any form of aid to Britain, and
wholesale arrests were made, includ-
ing many Of the most prominent
Congress leaders.
However, none of them had any
use for Hitler or the Nazi philosophy,
and the danger Of an Axis victory
with attendant world domination
extending over Asia and threatening
India itself with a rule far more ex-
treme than that of Britain has
caused revulsion of feeling. It has
been increasingly felt that India
should range itself against the Axis
threat. The new Japanese peril
seemingly has tipped the scales in
decisive fashion. Faced by a majority
Of the party's Executive Committee
favoring cooperation in the war
effort, Gandhi has relinquished lead
ership, sticking firmly to his princi-
pies of absolute non-resistance under
any circumstances. The British au-
thorities made the change in attitude
easier by liberating most Of the
prominent Congress prisoners some
weeks ago.
How unrepreSentative the Congress
party has been in its previous oppo-
sition to the war effort may be
judged by the fact that India as q
whole has rallied enthusiastically
from the start. Nearly a million In
dians, of all races and creeds, are
today under arms, largely supplied
and munitioned with the products
Of Indian factories and fields. The
native princes have given most gen.
erously of their wealth, while the
Mohammedans have been loyal to a
marked degree. All this, in itself,
cannot fail to advance the evolution
Of India toward the management Of
its own affairs, The British them
selves realize that they could not
rule India single day against the
united will of its inhabitants. When
the Indians themselves have meas
urably agreed upon what they want.
they will get it. And union in a
common cause should do much to
pave the way.