no edit summary
No edit summary |
->Billjones94 No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} | {{More citations needed|date=December 2009}} | ||
{{Infobox Indian Political Party | {{Infobox Indian Political Party | ||
| party_name = Swaraj Party (স্বরাজ দল) | | party_name = Swaraj Party (স্বরাজ দল) | ||
| party_logo = | | party_logo = | ||
| colorcode = #010987 | | colorcode = #010987 | ||
| founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru | | founder = [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Motilal Nehru]] | ||
| leader = [[Chittaranjan Das]] | | leader = [[Chittaranjan Das]] | ||
| secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]] | | secretary = [[Motilal Nehru]] | ||
| loksabha_leader = | | loksabha_leader = | ||
| rajyasabha_leader = | | rajyasabha_leader = | ||
| foundation = 1 January 1923 | | foundation = {{start date and age|1 January 1923}} | ||
| dissolution = 1935 | | dissolution = {{end date and age|1935}} | ||
| merged = [[Indian National Congress]] | | merged = [[Indian National Congress]] | ||
| split = [[Indian National Congress]] | | split = [[Indian National Congress]] | ||
| Line 28: | Line 27: | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Swaraj Party''' | The '''Swaraj Party''', established as the ''Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party'', was a political party formed in India on 1 January 1923 after the [[Gaya, India|Gaya]] annual conference in December 1922 of the National Congress, that sought greater self-government and [[political freedom]] for the Indian people from the [[British Raj]]. | ||
It was inspired by the concept of [[Swaraj]]. In [[Hindi]] and many other [[languages of India]], ''swaraj'' means "independence" or "self-rule | It was inspired by the concept of [[Swaraj]]. In [[Hindi]] and many other [[languages of India]], ''swaraj'' means "independence" or "self-rule." The two most important leaders were [[Chittaranjan Das]], its president, and [[Motilal Nehru]], its secretary. | ||
Das and Nehru thought of contesting elections to enter the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many candidates of the Swaraj Party | Das and Nehru thought of contesting elections to enter the legislative council with a view to obstructing a foreign government. Many candidates of the Swaraj Party were elected to the central legislative assembly and provincial legislative council in the 1923 elections. In these legislatures, they strongly opposed the unjust government policies.<ref>{{cite book |last=Chandra |first=Bipan |title=India's Struggle for Independence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0q7xH06NrFkC&pg=PT286 |date=2000 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |pages=249–251 |isbn=978-81-8475-183-3}}</ref> | ||
As a result of the Bengal Partition, the Swaraj Party won the most seats during elections to the [[Bengal Legislative Council]] in 1923. The party disintegrated after the death of C. R. Das.<ref>{{cite book |last=Misra |first=Chitta Ranjan |year=2012 |chapter=Bengal Pact, 1923 |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bengal_Pact,_1923 |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> | As a result of the Bengal Partition, the Swaraj Party won the most seats during elections to the [[Bengal Legislative Council]] in 1923. The party disintegrated after the death of C. R. Das.<ref>{{cite book |last=Misra |first=Chitta Ranjan |year=2012 |chapter=Bengal Pact, 1923 |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bengal_Pact,_1923 |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> | ||
==Chauri Chaura== | ==Chauri Chaura== | ||
The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma]]'s suspension of all civil resistance on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by | The Swaraj Party was formed on 1 January 1923 by Indian politicians and members of the [[Indian National Congress]] who had opposed [[Mahatma]]'s suspension of all [[civil resistance]] on 12 February 1922 in response to the [[Chauri Chaura incident|Chauri Chaura tragedy]], where policemen were killed by a mob of protestors. Gandhi felt responsible for the killings, reproached himself for not emphasizing non-violence more firmly, and feared that the entire [[Non-Cooperation Movement]] could degenerate into an orgy of violence between the British-controlled army and police and mobs of freedom-fighters, alienating and hurting millions of common Indians. He went on a fast-unto-death to convince all Indians to stop civil resistance. The Congress and other nationalist groups disavowed all activities of disobedience. | ||
However, many Indians felt that the Non-Cooperation Movement should not have been suspended over an isolated incident of violence, and that its astonishing success was actually close to breaking the back of British rule in India. These people became disillusioned with Gandhi's political judgments and instincts. | |||
==Council entry== | ==Council entry== | ||
Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of | Gandhi and most of the Congress party rejected the provincial and central legislative councils created by the British to offer some participation for Indians. They argued that the councils were rigged with un-elected allies of the British, and too un-democratic and simply "rubber stamps" of the [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy]]. | ||
In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress. The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement. | In December 1922, [[Chittaranjan Das]], [[Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar]] and [[Motilal Nehru]] formed the Congress-Khilafat Swarajaya Party with Das as the president and Nehru as one of the secretaries. Other prominent leaders included [[Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy]] and [[Subhas Chandra Bose]] of [[Bengal]], [[Vithalbhai Patel]] and other Congress leaders who were becoming dissatisfied with the Congress. The other group was the 'No-Changers', who had accepted Gandhi's decision to withdraw the movement. | ||
| Line 56: | Line 53: | ||
However, the legislatures had very limited powers, and apart from some heated parliamentary debates, and procedural stand-offs with the British authorities, the core mission of obstructing British rule failed. | However, the legislatures had very limited powers, and apart from some heated parliamentary debates, and procedural stand-offs with the British authorities, the core mission of obstructing British rule failed. | ||
With the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925, and with Motilal Nehru's return to the Congress the following year, the Swaraj | With the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925, and with Motilal Nehru's return to the Congress the following year, the Swaraj Party was greatly weakened. | ||
==Pro-Changers and No-Changers, and the Simon Commission== | ==Pro-Changers and No-Changers, and the Simon Commission== | ||
| Line 75: | Line 72: | ||
! width="200px" align="left"|Presidents of the Madras Province Swarajya Party | ! width="200px" align="left"|Presidents of the Madras Province Swarajya Party | ||
! Term start | ! Term start | ||
! Term | ! Term end | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]] | | [[S. Srinivasa Iyengar]] | ||