Congress Crisis: Gandhi vs Bose

Introduction

After the civil disobedience movement, the Congress faced internal disarray due to increasing corruption, indiscipline, bogus membership, rivalries, and squabbles among leaders. While Gandhi insisted on organizing the Congress first, Bose wanted to harness the revolutionary potential of the masses through a movement. 

Subhash Bose’s Views

• Energising Youth and Labor: Subhas Chandra Bose, as the President of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee, focused on organizing youth and promoting the trade union movement.
• Championing Full Independence: He opposed the Motilal Nehru Report, advocating instead for full independence. He announced the formation of the Independence League.
• Disagreement with Gandhi: He supported the Poorna Swaraj Resolution and the Salt Satyagraha Movement but disagreed with Gandhi’s decision to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement and accept the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

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Haripura Congress Session [Gujarat] (February 1938)

• Election as a President: In February 1938, at the Congress meeting in Haripura, Gujarat, Subhas Chandra Bose was unanimously elected President.
• Pioneering Economic Development: He advocated for economic development through planning and played a key role in establishing the National Planning Committee.
• Congress Resolution: The session adopted a resolution that the Congress would give moral support to those who were agitating against the governance in the princely states.
• Subhas Chandra Bose’s Re-election: In January 1939, Subhas Chandra Bose decided to run for the Congress president’s post again. 
  • Gandhi supported Pattabhi Sitaramayya as the candidate, who aligned with his vision. Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani also supported him.
  • Bose won the election with 1580 votes against 1377. 
  • Congress Socialist Party and Communists strongly supported Bose. 
  • Gandhi congratulated Bose but declared Pattabhi’s defeat as his own defeat.

Tripuri Congress Session [Madhya Pradesh] (March 1939)

• Strained Relationship with the Congress: Rift developed between Bose and Congress working committee. 
  • Though ill, Bose attended the session and predicted an imminent imperialist war in Europe.
• Call for Ultimatum to Britain: Bose advocated issuing an ultimatum to Britain for granting Swaraj within six months. He proposed a mass civil disobedience movement if the ultimatum was rejected.
• Govind Ballabh Pant’s Resolution: Govind Ballabh Pant proposed a resolution reaffirming faith in Gandhian policies and urging Bose to form the working committee as per Gandhi’s wishes.
  • Bose’s Resignation: Bose sought Gandhi’s confidence but failed and resigned from the President’s post in April 1939. 
  • Rajendra Prasad became the new president after Bose’s resignation, resolving the immediate crisis in the Congress.

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• Formation of Forward Bloc
• • In May 1939, Bose and followers formed the Forward Bloc within the Congress as a new party in Makur, Unnao. 
  • Disciplinary Action on Bose: Bose’s call for an all-India protest led to disciplinary action by the Congress Working Committee in August 1939, as it was against the AICC directive. 
    • Bose was removed from the presidency of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee and debarred from holding any elective office in the Congress for three years.

Conclusion

• Bose’s election as President highlighted growing ideological differences at Haripura, while at Tripuri, his call for an all-India protest further strained relations with the Congress leadership. 
• Bose’s insistence on assertive action clashed with Gandhi’s preference for nonviolent resistance, leading to Bose’s resignation and deepening the rift within the nationalist movement.