The Resolution was put and carried, and the Con-
gress adjourned.

On the third day. Resolution IX, on the Protec-
tion of Indian Industries, was moved by the Hon.
Mr. K. R. Y. Krishna Rao. He urged that the State
ought to help Home Industries, but that nothing could
be done unless the Governments were allowed to
regulate their own tariffs. Prof. V. G. Kale seconded,
and urged that poverty could only be removed by
industrial advancement, and that needed the direct
assistance of the State. Mr. J. C. Chakravarti



582 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM

supported, and said the War had shown our utter help-
lessness in the industrial world. Mr. G. K. Devadar
ui'ged industrial autonomy, so as not to be so
dependent on other countries. Mr. S. K. Nair further
supported, and the Resolution was carried.

Mr. Surendranath Bannerji moved Resolution X,
claiming Self-Grovernment for India, in a long and
eloquent speech. India took her stand on the Proclama-
tion of 1858, and called on the (lovernment to give
effect to the Despatch of 25th August, 1911, until
" India would consist of a number of administrations,
autonomous in all provincial affairs, with the Govern-
ment of India above them, and possessing powers to
interfere in case of mis-Government ". Mr. Bannerji
quoted a letter from the Chairman of an English
organisation for the introduction of a federal system
of Government, in which he asked " India to organise
her strength for this movement, and educate her
public both in India, and all parts of the world ".
The speaker urged his audience to " formulate your
scheme, press it u])()n the attention of the British
public, and I am confident that your appeal will not
fall upon needless ears ".

Mr. Sadhu Ganapathi formally seconded, Mrs. Annie
Besant supported, urging the younger, " who will be
part of the Self-Governing Nation," to practise the
science and art of Government in the Local Bodies,
however crippled they might be by officials, 'i'he
drudgery of learning local administration prepared
a man for wider power. Prcjvincial autonomy was
a step to complete Sclf-Ciovernmant. She then



THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS 583

vindicated India's worthiness of freedom, and asked
Congress to formulate a definite scheme of Self-
Government, to present to England after the War.

Mr. Suweshchandra Bose supported, and urged
that India could be a pillar of strength to England,
and after the War she shovild press her claim to
tSelf-Government.

Resolution XI, on India Council Reform, was
moved by Mr. A. S. Krishna Rao, seconded by
Mr. K. M. Choudhuri, supported by Mr. P. C. Mitra,
and cairied.

Mr. G. A. Natesan moved Resolution XII rejoicing
over the partial settlement of the South AfricarK
troubles, but he pointed out that the question was not
really solved. Mr. S. Prasad Basu seconded, Messrs.
Lakshminarasimha and Ramalcantam Malaviya sup-
ported, and the Resolution was carried.

Resolution XIII, asking for the total Prohibition of
Indentured Labour, was moved by Mr. F. G. Natesan,
in an impassioned speech, seconded by Mr. Totaram
Senadhya from the Fiji Islands and carried.

The President then put from the Chair Resolution

XIV, Separation of Judicial and Executive Functions ;

XV, Swadeshi; XVI, Press Act; XVII, Permanent
Settlement; XVIII, Separate Electorates; XIX,
sending a message of greeting to Indian troops;
XX, asking for an extension of Lord Hardinge's
term of Ofhce ; XXI, Reference to a Committee of
two amendments to Article XX of the Consti-
tution; XXII, Thanks to Sir William Wedderburn
and the British Committea; XXIII, re-election of



584 HOW INDIA WRODGRT FOR IREEDOM

Nawab Sahab Syed Muhammad and Mr, N. Subba
E-ao as General Secretaries.

Resolution XXIV thanked the Deputation which
went to London for its good work. The Deputation
consisted of Messrs. Bhupendranath Basu, M. A.
Jinnah, N. M. Samarth, S. Sinha, Mazaral Haq, the
Hon. Mr. B. N. Sarma and Lala Lajpat Eai. The
Hon. Mr, K. Chidambaranadha Mudaliar seconded
the Resolution, and it was carried.

Resolution XXV approved the All-India Committee
for the ensuing year. Resolution XXVI accepted the
invitation to Bombay for the next Congress, offered
by Sir Vitaldas Damodar Thi-ickersay,

Mr. S. Srinivasa Iyengar then moved a vote of
thanks to the President, and it was carried with great
enthusiasm. The President made an earnest and
•g-raceful speech in answer, and the Twenty-ninth
J^ational Congress dissolved.

RESOLUTIONS
Grief of the Congress

1. Resolved — ^This Congress desires to express its heart-felt
and respectful sympathy with H, E, Lord Hardinge in the
bereavements he has sustained by the death of his wife and of his
eldest son. All India mourns with His Excellency in his great
sorrow.

IT. Resolved — That this Congress desires to place on rec^ord
its sense of the profound sen-row and irreparable loss the country
has sustained by the untimely death of Babu Ganga Prasad
Varmawho was a devoted worker in the cause of the Congress from
its earliest days, and whose memory will be cherished with
grateful affection by liis friends and colh!agues and by his
coiuitrymon at large for his many distinguished services.

III. Resolved — That this Congress desires to express its dec]!
sorrow for the death of Mr. Ambei'al Sakerlal Desai, and of Babu



THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS 585

Bishnu Pada Chatterji of Bengal, who were devoted and distin-
guished workers in the Congress cause, and who rendered it
vahiable service.

Loyalty to the Throne

IV. Resolved— (o) That this Congress desires to convey to
His Majesty the King-Emperor and the people of England its
profound devotion to the Throne, its unswerving allegiance to the
British connection, and its iirm resolve to stand by the Empire, at
all hazards and at all costs.

(b) That this Congress places on record the deep sense of
gratitude and the enthusiasm which the Royal Message, addressed
to the Princes and Peoples of India at the beginning of the War, has
evoked throughout the length and breadth of the country, and which
strikingly illustrates His Majesty's solicitude and sympathy for
them, and strengthens the bond which unites the Princes and
Peoples of India to His Royal House and the person of His Gracious
Majesty.

Military

Thf Indian Expeditionary Force

V. Resolved — That this Congress notes with gratitude and
satisfaction the despatch of the Indian Expeditionary Force
to the theatre of war, and begs to offer to H. E. the Viceroy
its most heart-felt thanks for affording to the people of India an
opportunity of showing that, as equal subjects of His Majesty, they
are jjrepared to tight shoulder to shoulder with the people of other
parts of the Empire in defence of right and justice, and the cause
of the Empire.

Military Training and Volunteers

VI. Resolved — That this Congress urges on the Government
the necessity, wisdom, and justice, of throwing open the higher offices
in the Army to Indians, and of establishing in the country Military
Schools and Colleges where they may be trained for a military career
as officers in the Indian Army. In recognition of the equal rights
of citizenship of the people of India with the rest of the Empire,
and in view of their proved loyalty so unmistakably and spon-
taneously manifested, and the strongly expressed desire of all
classes and grades, to bear arms in the service of the Crown and of
the Empire, this Congress urges upon the Government the necessity
of re -organising the present system of volunteering, so as to ena-
ble the people of this country, without distinction of race or class,
to enlist themselves as citizen-soldiers of the Empire.



•586 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM



Arms Act

VII. Resolved — That in view of the liardshijj entailed by the
Arms Act (XT of 1878) as at present administered, and the unmerit-
ed slur which it casts upon the people of this country, this Congress
is of opinion that the said Act and the rules made thereunder should
be so modified that all restrictions as to the possession and bearing of
arms shall apply equally to all persons residing in or visiting India ;
that all licences issued under the rules shall be granted once for
all, shall operate within the provincial jurisdiction within which
they are issued, shall be revocable only on proof of misuse, and
shall not require yearly or half-yearly renewals.

Indian Troops

XIX. Resolved — That this Congress rejoices to place on ■
record its deep sense of gratification and pride at the heroic conduct
of the Indian Troops whose deeds of valour and conspicuous
humanity and chivalry in the Great War, are winning the respect
of civilised mankind for the mother country and resolves to send a
message of hearty and affectionate gx'eetings to them and their
comrades in arms, with fervent prayers for their well-being and
success.

The President be requested to cable the above Resolution to
the Indian Troops, through the proper channels.

Reciprocity

VIII. Resolved — That this Congress begs to convey to H. B.
the Viceroy the profound gratitude of the people of India for the
sympathetic manner in which he has handled the questions con-
nected with the emigration of Indians abroad, and while welcoming
H. E.'s suggestion of Reciprocity as the underlying basis of negotia-
tions with the Colonies, this Congress desires to record its conviction
that any policy of Recipi-ocity to be effective and acceptable to the
people of India, must proceed on the basis that the Government of
India should possess and exercise the same power of dealing with
the Colonies as they possess and exercise with regard to India.

Industries

IX. Resolved — That in view of the present exceptional cir-
cumstances and in order to promote the material prosperity of the
country, this Congress urges that immediate measures be taken by
Government to organise and develop Indian Industries.

Self-Government

X. Resolved — That in view of the profound and avowed
loyalty that the people of India have manifested in the present



THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS 587

erisis this Congress appeals to the Government to deepen and
perpetuate it, and make it an enduring and valuable asset of the
Empire, by removing all invidious distinctions here, and abroad,
between His Majesty's Indian, and other subjects, by redeeming
the pledges of Provincial autonomy contained in the Despatch of
the 25th, August 1911, and by taking such measures as may be
necessary for the recognition of India as a component part of a
federated Empire, in the full and the free eujoyment of the rights
belonging to that status.

India Council Reform

XI. Resolved — That this Congress records its opinion that the
Council of the Secretary of State for India should be abolished
and pending its abolition makes the following suggestions for the
amendment of its constitution.

(«) That the salary of the Secretary of State for India should
be placed on the English estimates.

(6) That, with a view to the efficiency and independence of
the Council, it is expedient that it should be partly nominated and
partly elected.

(c) That the total number of members of the Council should
be not more than nine.

(d) That the elected portion of the Council should consist
of not less than one-third of the total number of niembers, who
should be non-official Indians, chosen by a constituency consisting
of the elected members of the Imperial and Provincial Legislative
Councils.

(e) That the election of Indians to the Council should be
direct, and not of a panel of elected members as proposed in Lord
Crewe's Bill.

(/) That not less than one-half of the nominated members of
the Council should consist of public men unconnected with the
Indian Administration.

{g) That the remaining portion of the nominated membei's of
the Council should consist of officials who have served in India for
not less that ten years and have not been away from India for moi-e
than two years.

{h) That no distinction whatever with regard to salary or
allowance should be made between the Indian members and their
colleagues in the Council.

(j) That the character of the Council should be purely advisory
as heretofore and that no change in the methods and procedure
should be made which may convert or tend to convert it in any
manner whatsoever into an administrative body.



055 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM

This Cciio;ress regrets the summary rejection of the Council of
India Bill of 1914.

South Africa

XII. Resolved — (a) That this Congress begs to offer to H. E.
the Viceroy, its respectful thanks for the noble and courageous
stand made by him in the cause of our people in S.Africa; and,
while expressing its grateful appreciation of the efforts of the
Government of India, in obtaining relief in respect of some of
the most pressing grievances of our Indian fellow subjects and of
the firm advocacy in the cause of India of Sir Benjamin Robertson,
this Congress begs to place on record that no settlement can be
wholly satisfactory or be deemed final, which does not secure
equality of treatment between His Majesty's Indian and other
subjects in S. Africa, and respectfully urges on the Government of
India that steps may be taken as early as circumstances will
permit to bring about such equality of treatment.

(6) That this Congress places on record its warm appreciation
of, and admiration for, the heroic endeavours of Mr. Gandhi and his
followers, and their unparalleled sacrifice in their struggle for the
maintenance of the self-respect of India and the redress of Indian
grievances.

(c) That this Congress further expresses its gratitude to
Messrs. Pollak and Kallenbach for their voluntary sacrifice and
suffering in the cause of India, and to the Rev. Mr. Andrews for his
help under circumstances of great difficulty.

(d) And, lastly, that this Congress records its appreciation of
the invaluable services of the Hon. Mr. Gokhale throughout the
struggle in bringing about the present settlement.

Indentured Labour

XIII. Resolved — That owing to the scarcity of labour in
India and the grave consequences resulting from the system of
Indentured Labour which reduces the labourers, during the period of
their indenture, practically- to the position of slaves, this Congress
strongly urges the total yirohibition of recrviitment of labour under
indenture, either for work in India or elsewhere.

Legal

XIV. Resolved — That this Congress, concurring with previous
Congresses, urges the early separation of Judicial and Executive
Functions in the best interests of tlie Empire and pra_ys that any
scheme of Separation that may be undertaken, to b(^ really effective,
must plac(i all the .ludiciary solely under the c(mtrol of the highest
Court in the Pro\-ince.



THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS 589

S-wadeshi

XV. Resolved — That tliis Congress accords its most cordial
support to the Swadeshi Movement and calls upon the people of
India to labour for its success by ranking earnest and sustained
efforts to promote the growth of indigenous industries, by giviuo-
preference, wherever practicable, to Indian products over imported
commodities, even at a sacrifice.

Coercion

XVI. Resolved — That this Congress reiterates its protest
against the continuation of the Indian Press Act on the Statute
Book and urges that the same be repealed, specially in view of the
decision of the Calcutta High Court which declares that the
safeguards provided by the Act are illusoiy and incapable of beino"
enforced.

Permanent Settlement

XVII. Resolved — That this Congress is strongly of opinion
that a reasonable and definite limitation to the demand of the
State on land and the introduction of a Permanent Settlement
directly between the Government and land-holders in ryotwari
areas, or a settlement for a period of not less than 60 j'ears in
those Provinces where shorter periodical settlements on revision
prevail, will substantially help in ameliorating the present imsatis-
factory condition of the agricultural population.

Representation

Separate Electorates

XVIII. Resolved — That this Congess while deprecating the
creation of Separate Electorates in the Imperial and Provincial
Legislative Councils urges on the Government that the said system
should not in any case be extended to the local bodies, as it will
prove injurious to the development of national iinity and the
fostering of the national ideal.

Extension of Lord Hardinge's Term of Office

XX. Resolved — That this Congress begs to place on record
its high appreciation of the services rendered to India by H. E.
the Viceroy and expresses the hope that his tenure of tlie office may
be extended for such time as, after the cessation of the War, may
be necessary for a proper settlement of the great and far-reaching
issues affecting the future position of India as a component
and equal part of the Empire.



590 HOW INDIA WROUGHT FOR FREEDOM

Congress Constitution

XXI. Resolved — That the following two amendments sug-
gested for the consideration of the Subjects Committee of this
Congress, be referred by the General Secretaries of the Congress to
a Committee consisting of three members, to be nominated by each
Provincial Congress Committee ; with the General Secretaries as ex-
ofHcio members, the said Committee to meet at such time and place
as may be fixed by them, in consultation with the Secretaries of the
Provincial Congress Committees, and to report to the All-India
Congress Committee in regard to the said amendments for such
action, if any, as the All-India Congress Committee may deem fit
to suggest to the next Congress.

The said two amendments are :

At the end of Article XX of the Constitution of the Indian Na-
tional Congi-ess Organisation now in foire, add the following
words :

" If such a meeting be not called, it shall be called, for the
election of delegates, within one month of the Congress, in anj"^
town or district on the requisition cf not less than 20 householders
over 21 years of age to the Provincial or District Congress-
Committee, in which the town of the requisition is situate ''

2. In Article XX of the Constitution of the Indian National
Congress Organisation now in force make the following alterations :

(I) at the end of clause (4) delete the word " and " ;

(II) at the end of clause (.5) for the sto]i, substitute a comma :

(III) and add the words :

"And public meetings convened under the auspices of any
association which has, as one of its objects, the attainment of Self-
Governnient by India on Colonial lines within the British p]mpire
by constitutional means""

Thanks of Congress

XXII. Resolved — That this Congress records its sense of high
appreciation of the services of Sir William Wedderburn and other
members of the British Committee, and resolves that the organisa-
tion of the British Committee and India should be maintained.

XXIV. Resolved — That this Congress acknowledges with deep
gratitude the services rendered at great ])ersonal sacrifice by the
Deputation which went to England last summer on behalf of the
Congress to place before the Secretary of State for India the views
of the Congress on the India Council Bill of 1P14 and other
important questions.

[See IV {}'), V, XII, XiX and XX.]



THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS . 591

Formal

XXIII. Resolved — That the Hon. Nawab Syed Muhammad
Bahadur and Mr. N. Subba Rao Pantulu be appointed General
Secretaries for the next year.

XXV. Resolved — That the following gentlemen form the All-
India Congress Committee for 1915 (list omitted).

XXVI. Resolved — That the next Congress meet in Bombay.



APPENDIX
THK TWKNTY-SEVENTH a)NGRES8



CHAPTER XXVIl^



The acceptance of Bankipur as the seat of the Twenty-
seventh Congress had been made on the invitation of
Mr. Hasan Imam, but his raising to the Bench de-
prived India of his political services, while opening
to him a valuable line of activity. The Chairman-
ship of the Reception Committee was assigned to
Mr. Mazarhal Haque, known all over India for his
courageous advocacy of Indian claims in the Supreme
Legislative Council. The pavilion was much admired,
and had 28 gates, each named after a famous person
or place in the history of Magadha, and there the
Congress met on December 26th, 1912. The pavilion
seated 5,000 persons of whom 207 were delegates :

Madras 19

Bombay
Berar ...

C. P

Pan jab

U. P

Bengal
Behar ...



^ We had relied on a statement of an old Congressman, to the
effect that the Report of the Twenty -seventh Congress had not been
published. Mr. Ashosh Kumar Bannerji kindly sets us right,
and sends a copy of the Report. As the book is " locked up " we
print the summary as an Appendix.
45







10






13






1






4






67






;i5






58






207



596 APPENDIX

The President's procession having entered, and the
members being seated on the dais, the Hon,
Mr. Haque delivered the Welcome Address. He made
a feeling allusion to the outrage at Delhi, and to the
passing away of two great Congressmen, Allan
Octavian Hume, and Krishnaswami Iyer. Then came
a swift sketch of Behar history, and a reference to
the happy absence of any Hindu-Muhammadan ques-
tion in Behar. After a survey of the unfortunate
position taken up by English statesmen towards
Turkey, and the wise sympathy shown by the
Viceroy and the Presidency Governors, and Sir
Charles Bayley and Sir James Meston, he voiced the
gratitude of the Muhammadans to Mr. Surendranath
Bannerji for the sympathy shown in The Bengalee.
He concluded by calling on Mr. Surendranath
Bannerji to move the formal election of the Hon.
Rao Bahadur Pt. N. Mudholkar.

The veteran Bengali patriot was followed by the
Hon. Mr. G. K. Gokhale, the Hon. Pandit Madan
Mohan Malaviya, the Hon. Mr. N. Subba Rao, Lala
Harkishan Lai, Mr. Ambikacharan Mozumdar, and the
Hon. Maharaja-Kumar of Tikari, and the proposal
was unanimously carried.

The President, after a few words of gratitude, spoke
of the Delhi outrage with sympathy for the victim
and detestation of the crime. He then passed on to
the ideal of the Congress, a united and Self-Govern ing
India, an India in which jarring creeds should be
harmonised, all faiths should be unified, and in which
life should be spiritualised. Then he laid India's love



THE TWENTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS 597

and gratitude on the tomb of Mr. Hume, and offered
her sympathy to Turkey. Turning to National
politics, he laid stress on the entrance of Indians into
the Executive Councils, and hailed the Viceregal
Despatch of August 25th, 1911, which promised lai-ger
measures of Self-Government to the Provinces, " until
at last India would consist of a number of administra-
tions autonomous in all provincial affairs, with the
Government of India above them all, and possessing
power to interfere in case of misgovernment, ordinari-
ly restricting their function to matters of Imperial
concern ". He then pointed out the changes neces-
sary in the Council Regulations, and protested against
the system of separate electorates, while approving
the representation of minorities. He next raised
the questioii of the representation of India in the
House of Commons. Pondicherry sent a represen-
tative to the French Chamber, and Goa to the
Portuguese, but the infinitely larger interests of
British India were ignored. This section of the
subject was completed by the urging of decentralisa-
tion, and of the creation of divisional and district
Advisory Boards.

After a glance at the miserable condition of Indian
immigrants into the Colonies, the President turned to
the position of Indians here, and accurately pointed
out that the scant consideration shown to them abroad
was the reflection of their political status at home.
He ran over the familiar grievances in the Civil
Service, Simultaneous Examinations, Education, Public
Works, etc., commissions in the army — all questions



598 APPENDIX

occupying the minds of the people. The Congress
itself should be improved by the discussion in detail
of three or four subjects only, by men who had studied
them. The Congress must put forth more sustained
energy, and we must remember that social advance
and moral and spiritual regeneration must accompany
political growth. Only thus can our Motherland
become free and great.

A change in the ordinary sequence of Congress
work was made by the introduction at this point of a
Resolution — moved by the Hon. Mr. Surendranath
Bannerji, seconded by Mr. D. E. Wacha, and
supported by Lala Lajpat Rai, the Hon. Pandit
Madan Mohan Malaviya, the Hon. Mr. N. Subba Rao,