No Question Of Congress Withering Away After Freedom, Argument Erroneous: Bose At Party's 1938 Haripura SSession

The Congress has had a historical connection with Gujarat as its stalwarts, Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel, hailed from there and the party has held five of its sessions in the state, with each of those contributing in shaping the country's history.

The upcoming All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad on April 8-9 will be the party's sixth in the state and the second post independence.

It will also be the Congress's third session in Ahmedabad since its formation in 1885.

A couple of days before the session, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh put out on X the official records of the past sessions held in Gujarat.

The records throw light on the historic presidential addresses at the sessions, from Surendranath Banerjee in 1902 talking about autocratic power being devoid of the elements of permanence to Subhas Chandra Bose in 1938 dismissing as "entirely erroneous" the argument that the Congress should wither away after independence.

The Congress first met in Gujarat at Ahmedabad during December 23-26, 1902 under Banerjee's presidentship.

In his long presidential address that touched upon a number of issues, Banerjee had said, "All history proclaims the truth that autocratic power is devoid of the elements of permanence and that authority to be permanent must be planted deep in the affections of the people and derive its sustaining breath from the vitalising springs of popular enthusiasm." "Despotic rule represents a stage of transition, the period of which should not be unnecessarily prolonged. But transition must give place to permanence. All signs point to the conclusion that the period of reconstruction has now arrived," he had said.

A total of 471 delegates had attended the session.

The second time the Congress met in Gujarat was at Surat during December 26-27, 1907 under the presidentship of Rash Behary Ghose. This session was historic as it witnessed the first split in the party and was marked by internal tensions among the moderate and extremist factions.

Around 1,600 delegates had attended the Surat session.

At the 23rd session of the Congress at Surat, the moderate and extremist factions came to blows, resulting in the first split in the party.

"The All India Congress Committee, elected under the tentative Constitution passed at Calcutta, decided that the Twenty-third National Congress should be held at Surat, and some historic French gardens on the banks of the Tapti, forming French territory, were taken, and a charming city of tents was made with a large pavilion. The whole country was in a state of turmoil and excitement, and the signs of cleavage of the national party into Right and Left wings had grown marked," the official records of the session said.

Ghose was duly elected as the Congress president under the tentative Constitution of 1906 and the first sign of discord was the suggestion that Lala Lajpat Rai, just released after his deportation, should be elected as the party chief as a mark of protest against his unfair treatment by the government.

That staunch patriot, however, refused to be made into a battle flag and declined to be elected president in such an irregular fashion, the records say.

The third time the Congress met in Gujarat was again at Ahmedabad during December 27-28, 1921 under the presidentship of Hakim Ajmal Khan.

A total of 4,728 delegates attended the session. While Khan was the president, Motilal Nehru, C Rajagopalachari and M A Ansari were the general secretaries.

"Our country is experiencing terrible convulsions but it requires no prophet to foretell that these are the birth-pangs of young India that will revive the glorious traditions of our ancient country and take its proud place by the nations of the world," Khan said in his presidential address.

The Congress met in Gujarat for a fourth time at Haripura during February 19-21, 1938 under the presidentship of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. This was a historic session for many reasons, including Bose assuming the presidency of the party for the first time.

It was in his presidential address that Bose had talked about the idea of having a commission for planning and famously spoken about the role of the Congress post independence.

"I know that there are friends who think that after freedom is won, the Congress party, having achieved its objective, should wither away. Such a conception is entirely erroneous. The party that wins freedom for India should also be the party that will put into effect the entire programme of post-war reconstruction," Bose had said in his presidential address.

"Only those who have won power can handle it properly. If other people are pitchforked into seats of power, which they were not responsible for capturing, they will lack that strength, confidence and idealism which is indispensable for revolutionary reconstruction," he had said.

It is this which accounts for the difference in the record of the Congress and non-Congress ministries in the very narrow sphere of provincial autonomy, he had said.

"No, there can be no question of the Congress party withering away after political freedom has been won. On the contrary, the party will have to take over power, assume responsibility for administration and put through its programme of reconstruction. Only then will it fulfil its role," Bose had asserted.

In his presidential address, Bose had also talked about having a planning commission.

"I have no doubt in my mind that our chief national problems relating to the eradication of poverty, illiteracy and disease, and to scientific production and distribution can be effectively tackled only along socialistic lines," he had said.

"The very first thing which our future national government will have to do would be to set up a commission for drawing up a comprehensive plan of reconstruction," he had said.

The Congress met in Gujarat for the fifth time at Bhavnagar during January 6-7, 1961 under the presidentship of Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, who also served as the country's president later.

The grand old party on Friday announced that its upcoming session in Ahmedabad will be themed "Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan and Sangharsh", with more that 1,700 elected and co-opted AICC members attending the main conclave on April 9.

On April 8, the extended Congress Working Committee will meet at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's party presidency and the 150th birth anniversary of Patel, both iconic figures born in Gujarat.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

india