Friends,
You are aware of the resolution that was passed at the Tripuri Congress relating to the formation of the new Working Committee. That resolution was as follows:
‘In view of various misunderstandings that have arisen in the Congress and the country on account of the controversies in connection with the Presidential election and after, it is desirable that the All India Congress Committee should clarify the position and declare its general policy.
The Committee declares its firm adherence to the fundamental policies of the Congress which have governed its programme in the past years under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi and is definitely of opinion that there should be no break in these policies and that they should continue to govern the Congress programme in future. The Committee expresses its confidence in the work of the Working Committee which functioned during the last year and regrets that any aspersions should have been cast against any of its members.
In view of the critical situation that may develop during the coming year and in view of the fact that Mahatma Gandhi alone can lead the Congress and the country to victory during such crisis, the committee regards it as imperative that the Congress executive should command his implicit confidence and requests the President to nominate the Working Committee in accordance with the wishes of Gandhiji’.
I regret very much that since the Tripuri Congress I have not been able to announce the personnel of the new Working Committee. But this has been due to circumstances beyond my control. Owing to my illness, I could not proceed to meet Mahatma Gandhi. In lieu thereof, I started correspondence with him. This enabled us to clarify our ideas and viewpoints, but did not bring us to a settlement. When I realised that correspondence had proved ineffective, I wanted to make a frantic effort to meet Mahatmaji at Delhi, but that effort also failed.
After Mahatmaji’s arrival in Calcutta we have had prolonged conversations, but unfortunately they did not lead to any solution. Mahatmaji’s advice to me is that I should myself form a Working Committee leaving out the members who resigned from the previous Working Committee. This advice I cannot give effect to for several reasons. To mention two of the principal reasons I might say that such a step would be contrary to the directions given in Pantji’s resolution, which provides inter alia that the Working Committee should be formed in accordance with the wishes of Gandhiji and should command his implicit confidence. If I formed such a Committee as advised above, I would not be able to report to you that the Committee commanded his implicit confidence. Moreover, my own conviction is that in view of the critical times that are ahead of us in India and abroad, we should have a composite Cabinet commanding the confidence of the largest number of Congressmen possible and reflecting the composition of the general body of Congressmen.
Since I could not implement Mahatmaji’s advice, I could only repeat my request that he should kindly shoulder the responsibility vested in him by the Tripuri Congress and nominate the Working Committee. And I told him that whatever Committee he appointed would be binding on me, since it was my determination to implement Pantji’s resolution.
Unfortunately for us Mahatmaji has felt unable to nominate the Working Committee.
As a last step, I tried my best to arrive at an informal solution of the above problem. Mahatmaji told me that the prominent members of the previous Working Committee and myself could put our heads together and see if we could arrive at an agreement. I agreed and we made the attempt. If we had succeeded in coming to a settlement, we would then have come up before the AICC for formal ratification of our informal agreement. Unfortunately, though we spent several hours in discussing the matter, we could not arrive at a settlement. I have therefore to report to you with deep regret that I have been unable to announce the personnel of the new Working Committee.
I have been pondering deeply as to what I could do to help the AICC in solving the problem that is now placed before it. I feel that my presence as President at this juncture may possibly be a sort of obstacle or handicap in its path – for instance, the AICC may feel inclined to appoint a Working Committee in which I shall be a misfit. I feel, further, that it may possibly be easier for the AICC to settle the matter if it can have a new President. After mature deliberation, therefore, and in an entirely helpful spirit I am placing my resignation in your hands.
The time at my disposal has been very short and hence I could prepare only a brief statement. Nevertheless, this brief statement will, I hope, succeed in clarifying the situation as it now stands. Friends, I shall now request you to elect a Chairman to conduct the proceedings of this house.