HOME RULE FOR INDIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1921, Page 11

HOME RULE FOR INDIA.

NATIONALIST PROGRAMME. DEPRECATION OF .VIOLENCE. HINDU-MOSLEM ENTENTE. Bombay, Dec. 29. The Indian National Congress sitting at Nagpur, unanimously passed the following resolution, moved by Mr. C. R. Das: —“Whereas, in the opinion of this congress, the existing Government of India has forfeited the confidence of the country, and whereas the people of India are now determined to establish ‘Sowaraj’ (Home Rule), this congress, while reaffirming the resolution of nonviolent non co-operation passed at the special session of the congress at Calcutta, declares that the entire or any part or parts of the non-violent non cooperation scheme —with the renunciation of voluntary association with the present Government at the one end, and refusal to pay taxes at the other—should be put into force at a time to be determined by either the Indian National! Congress or the All-India Congress Committee.” The details of the steps to be taken pending the putting into force of the non-violent non co-operation schemes are:— Parents to be called on to withdraw all children under 16 years of age from State-'aided or State-owned schools, and to provide for their training in national schools. ■Students of 16 years of age to be called on to withdraw from State-aided or State-owned institutions. Lawyers to be called on to make a greater effort to suspend practice, and to devote their attention to national service. Merchants and traders in order to make India economically independent, to be called on to carry out a gradual boycott of foreign trade relations, and to encourage hand-spinning and handweaving. “This congress,” continued the resolution, “congratulates the nation upon the progress so far made in the working programme of non-co-operation, especially as regards the boycott of the Legislative Councils, and trusts that those who allowed themselves to be elected will resign their seats. If not, the electors will be called on to refrain studiously from taking any political service from such councillors. Further, the eongresp hopes that police and soldiers will refuse to subordinate their creed and country, to the fulfilment of their orders, and appeals to Government employees, pending the call of the nation for their re-Rigua-tion, to help the national cause by imparting greater kindness and stricter honesty in their dealings with their people.” “This congress desires especially td> emphasise that non-violence is an integ-: ral part of the non-co-operation resolution, of opinion that a spirit of violence fs not only contrary to the growth of the true spirit of democracy, but it actually retards the enforcement of the other stages of non-co-operation. “Finally, in order that wrongs may be redressed and Sowaraj established in one year, the congress urges that all bodies—whether affiliated to the congress or otherwise—devote exclusive attention to the promotion of non-violent non-co-operation with the Government. The congress desires public associations to advance Hindu and Moslem unity; and the Hindu delegates to this congress call on the leading Hindus to settle all disputes between Brahmins and non-Brah-mins. wherever existing, and make a special effort to rid Hinduism of reproach. Further, the congress respectfully urges that religious heads help in the growing desire to reform Hinduism in the matter of the treatment of the suppressed classes.”

Mr. Das moved a further resolution:— “That committees be organised in each village or group of villages, with a provincial central organisation in the principal cities of each province, for the purpose of accelerating the progress of non-co-operation; that a. band of national workers be organised for a service to be called the Indian National Service; and that effective steps be taken to raise a national fund, to be called th? All-Tn-dia Tilak Memorial Sowaraj Fund, in order to finance the foregoing National Service, and the non-co-operation movement in general.” A resolution by Mr. Ghandi Ali, that the congress constitution should read: “That the object is the attainment of ‘Sowaraj’ by the people of India by all peaceful and legitimate means.” was passed with acclamation. There were only two dissentient voices.