My dear Mahatmaji,
I received your letter of the 24th instant from the train along with the enclosures.
Firstly, my brother Sarat wrote to you on his own. You will see from his letter that he got your telegram on his return to Calcutta from here and then he wrote to you. If he had not got your telegram, I doubt if he would have written.
There are, of course, certain things in his letter which echo my feelings. But that is a different matter. The main problem appears to me as to whether both parties can forget the past and work together. That depends entirely on you. If you can command the confidence of both parties by taking up a truly non-partisan attitude, then you can save the Congress and restore national unity.
I am, temperamentally, not a vindictive person and I do not nurse grievances. In a way, I have the mentality of a boxer — that is, to shake hands smilingly when the boxing bout is over and take the result in a sporting spirit.
Secondly, in spite of all the representations that I have been receiving, I take the Pant resolution as it has been passed by the Congress. We must give effect to it. I myself allowed the resolution to be moved and discussed, despite the ultra vires clause in it. How can I go back on it?
Thirdly, there are two alternatives before you (1) either accommodate our views with regard to the composition of the new Working Committee or (2) to insist on your views in their entirety. In the case of the latter, we may come to the parting of the ways.
Fourthly I am prepared to do all that is humanly possible for me to expedite the formation of the new Working Committee and the summoning of the Working Committee and AICC. But I am so sorry that it is not possible for me to come to Delhi now. (Dr Sunil has wired to you this morning on this point. I got your telegram only yesterday).
Fifthly, I was surprised to learn from your letter that the AICC office had not sent you a copy of Pant’s resolution. (This has since been done). I was still
more surprised that the resolution had not been brought to your notice till you came to Allahabad. At Tripuri, the air was thick with the rumour that the resolution had your fullest support. A statement to that effect also appeared in the daily Press while we were at Tripuri.
Sixthly, I have not the slightest desire to stick to office. But I do not see reason for resigning because I am ill. No president resigned when he was in prison, for instance. I may tell you that great pressure is being brought to bear on me to resign. I am resisting, because my resignation will mean a new phase in Congress politics which I want to avoid till the last.
I have been attending to urgent AICC work during the last few days. I shall write to you again tomorrow or the day after.
I am progressing. I hope your blood pressure will soon go down again. With Pranams,
Yours affectionately,
Subhas.
This letter is not exactly a reply to yours. I have just jotted down the points which were in my mind. I wanted to convey them to you.