The Congress was in disarray following the civil disobedience movement. According to Gandhi, there was increasing corruption and indiscipline in the organization. He was also dissatisfied with the rivalries and petty squabbles among Congress leaders. There were allegations of bogus membership and unethical tactics used to gain access to and control over Congress committees. Gandhi was adamant that the Congress first clean up its act before resuming the movement; additionally, he felt the masses were not in the mood for a fight. Others felt that the struggle should continue. In this article, we will discuss the Congress Crisis on Method of Struggle which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Leadership Crisis in INC

• Subhas Chandra Bose was unanimously elected President of the Congress in 1938. In 1939, he decided to run for office again, this time as a representative of militant politics and radical groups.
• Bose declared his candidacy on 21 January 1939, claiming to represent the "new ideas, ideologies, problems, and programmes" that had emerged with the "progressive sharpening of the anti-imperialist struggle in India."
• He believes that presidential elections should be fought on the basis of "specific problems and programmes."
• Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, J.B. Kripalani, and four other members of the Congress Working Committee issued a counter-statement on January 24, claiming that discussions of ideologies, programmes, and policies were irrelevant in the election of a Congress president because they were developed by various Congress bodies such as the AICC and the Working Committee, and that the Cong's position was irrelevant.
• Pattabhi Sitaramayya was nominated for the election with Gandhiji's blessing. Subhas Bose was elected by a margin of 1580 votes over 1377 on January 29th.
• Gandhiji declared that Sitaramayya's defeat was "more mine than his." But Bose's election accomplished nothing more than bring the brewing crisis to a head at the Tripuri session of the Congress.

Haripura Congress Session

Haripura Congress Session (Feb 1938)

• In February 1938, Subhash Chandra Bose was unanimously elected president of the Congress meeting in Haripura, Gujarat.
• As he stated in his presidential address, he was adamant that the Congress ministries in the provinces had enormous revolutionary potential.
• Subhash Chandra Bose also discussed the country's economic development through planning and was instrumental in later establishing a National Planning Committee.
• The session passed a resolution declaring that the Congress would provide moral support to those protesting the governance of the princely states.
• The international situation deteriorated in the months that followed, with clear indications that Europe was on the verge of war.

Tripuri Congress Session (1939)

• The Congress session was held in Tripuri, Central Provinces (near Jabalpur in present Madhya Pradesh), in March 1939. The Congress was clearly in disarray.
• The working committee, the Congress' ruling body, is not elected but nominated by the president; thus, the election of the president is a constitutional opportunity for the membership to express the nature of the Congress' leadership.
• With Bose's victory, there was a clear polarisation in terms of ideology and method of future struggle. Thus, Bose's election in the face of official opposition caused a sharp internal crisis.
• Subhash Bose had accused the working committee leaders of being willing to reach a federation compromise with the government. Those leaders resigned from the working committee because they felt they couldn't work with a president who had publicly questioned their nationalistic principles.
• Bose was ill at the time of the Tripuri session, but he went anyway, and in his presidential speech, he predicted an imperialist war in Europe.
• He advocated giving Britain a six-month deadline to grant the national demand for independence; if the deadline was not met, he said, a mass civil disobedience movement should be launched.
• Gandhi, on the other hand, was adamant that such ultimatums were inappropriate because neither the Congress nor the masses were prepared to fight. He was also aware of communal discord, class strife, and a lack of a unified vision, all of which would undermine any movement.
• Govind Ballabh Pant proposed a resolution reaffirming faith in Gandhian policies and asking Bose to nominate the working committee "in accordance with Gandhiji's wishes," and it was passed without opposition from the socialists or communists.
• Bose continued his efforts to gain Gandhi's trust, but he was unsuccessful. Bose declined to form a new working committee. Bose desired an immediate struggle led by Gandhi, whereas Gandhi was adamant that the time was not right for a struggle.
• The issue was that Gandhi and Bose were ideologically on opposing sides. Gandhi was unwilling to lead a Congress struggle along Bose's radical lines, just as Bose was unwilling to compromise on his ideas.
• Gandhi believed that he would either lead the Congress on the basis of his own strategy and political style, or he would relinquish the position of leader.
• Bose had underestimated the level of support he received during his election campaign. The majority of socialists and communists were opposed to a split in the Congress. They realised that a split would reduce the Left (which was already fractured) to a splinter group.
• They preferred a united Congress led by Gandhi because the national struggle was critical, and the Congress was the main organ of that struggle at the time.
• Under the circumstances, Bose saw no other choice but to resign. In April 1939, he resigned as President of the United States. As a result, Rajendra Prasad was elected President of the Congress. For the time being, the crisis in Congress had been resolved.

Resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose

• Nehru attempted to mediate between the two parties, persuading Bose not to resign while also urging Gandhiji and the older leaders to be more accommodating.
• Bose, on the other hand, refused to resign. On the one hand, he insisted that the Working Committee reflect the new radical trends and groups that had elected him; on the other hand, he refused to nominate his own Working Committee.
• He preferred to resign as soon as possible. As a result, Rajendra Prasad was elected in his place. The United States Congress had weathered yet another storm.
• At Tripuri and later, Bose was unable to gain the support of Congress Socialists and Communists, who were unwilling to divide the national movement and believed that its unity must be preserved at all costs.
• Following Tripuri, the CPI declared that the interests of the anti-imperialist struggle demanded a united leadership under Gandhiji's guidance, rather than the exclusive leadership of one wing.
• In May, Subhas Bose and his supporters established the Forward Bloc, a new political party within the Congress.
• On July 9, he called for an all-India protest against an AICC resolution, prompting the Working Committee to remove him from his position as president of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee and barring him from holding any Congress office for three years.

Ideological Differences : Gandhi and Bose

• Despite their vastly different ideologies, Gandhi and Subhash Bose had a deep respect for one another. Each respected the other's contribution to the national liberation struggle.
• Gandhi dubbed Bose the "Prince of Patriots" in 1942. When Bose's death was announced, Gandhi stated that Netaji's "patriotism is second to none... His bravery shines through all his actions." He aimed high and fell short. But who hasn't failed before?
• Bose recognised Gandhi's significance as a symbol of Indian nationalism and referred to him as "The Father of Our Nation" in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, despite his own conviction that force was the only way to win freedom from the British.
• When forced to resign in Tripuri, Bose stated that he would "yield to none in my respect for his (Gandhi's) personality," adding that "it will be a tragic thing for me if I succeed in winning the confidence of other people but fail to win the confidence of India's greatest man."
• Later, Bose stated that Gandhi's "service to India and the cause of India's freedom is so unique and unparalleled that his name will be written in gold letters in our National History—for all time."
• In fact, both men saw socialism as the way forward in India, albeit in slightly different ways. Gandhi opposed the Western form of socialism associated with industrialisation, but supported the type of socialism advocated by Jayaprakash Narayan.
• Gandhi and Bose were both religious men who despised communism. Both opposed untouchability and advocated for women's emancipation.
• They differed greatly in their approaches and methods, as well as in their political and economic ideologies.

Conclusion

Both Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose were leaders in the Indian independence movement. Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose took different approaches and had different perspectives on political reality. Subhash Chandra Bose used violent means to liberate India, leading the Indian National Army. Gandhi, on the other hand, was a staunch supporter of nonviolence and organised peaceful mass protests.

FAQs

Question: What was the Congress Crisis on the method of struggle?

Question: Who were the main figures involved in the crisis?

Question: What was the significance of the Tripuri Session of 1939?

Question: What was Subhas Chandra Bose’s response after resigning from the Congress presidency?

Question: How did the crisis impact the Indian freedom struggle?

MCQs 

1. The Congress Crisis on the method of struggle primarily involved a conflict between:

A) Gandhian non-violence and Bose’s militant approach

B) Economic policies

C) Relations with the British government

D) Rural development schemes

2. What was a key event during the Congress Crisis in 1939?

A) Establishment of INC’s economic policies

B) Formation of the Forward Bloc

C) Tripuri Session

D) Partition of Bengal

3. Subhas Chandra Bose formed which faction after leaving the Congress presidency?

A) Indian National League

B) Forward Bloc

C) Swaraj Party

D) Azad Hind Fauj

4. The Tripuri Session highlighted a division between:

A) Conservative and liberal factions

B) Rural and urban leaders

C) Non-violent and militant approaches

D) Regional interests

5. The resignation of Subhas Chandra Bose from the Congress presidency was due to:

A) Health reasons

B) Differences with Gandhian ideology

C) Lack of support from British officials

D) Desire to pursue business interests

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the impact of the Congress Crisis on the method of struggle on the Indian National Movement.

Answer: The Congress Crisis highlighted ideological divisions within the Indian National Congress, influencing the movement's direction. Gandhi’s emphasis on non-violent resistance conflicted with Bose’s militant approach. This divergence reflected broader strategic debates within the freedom struggle. Bose’s departure and formation of the Forward Bloc revealed the need for a united strategy against colonial rule. The crisis also underscored the challenges of balancing multiple viewpoints within the leadership, ultimately shaping the movement’s evolution.

Q2: Analyze the reasons behind Subhas Chandra Bose’s resignation from the Congress presidency in 1939.

Answer: Bose’s resignation stemmed from his conflict with Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent approach and differences on strategy. While Bose advocated immediate and direct confrontation with the British, Gandhi believed in gradual, non-violent resistance. This division came to a head during the Tripuri Session, where Bose’s re-election as Congress President was opposed by the Gandhian faction, leading to his eventual resignation and formation of the Forward Bloc.

Q3: Evaluate the significance of the Tripuri Session in the history of India’s freedom struggle.

Answer: The Tripuri Session of 1939 was pivotal in exposing deep divisions within the Congress over the method of struggle against colonial rule. Subhas Chandra Bose’s re-election against Gandhi’s wishes intensified ideological conflicts, marking a turning point that led to Bose’s exit. The session highlighted the challenges of maintaining unity within the Congress and underscored the diversity of strategies and ideologies within the freedom movement.

Previous Year Questions on Congress Crisis

1. UPSC CSE 2017

Question: Examine the ideological rift between Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose and its impact on the Indian National Congress.

Answer: The ideological rift between Gandhi and Bose revolved around the method of struggle against British rule. Gandhi championed non-violent resistance, while Bose advocated a militant, confrontational approach. This division led to Bose’s resignation from the Congress presidency and the formation of the Forward Bloc. The rift weakened the Congress’s unity but also demonstrated the movement’s diverse ideological base, ultimately enriching the freedom struggle’s strategies and scope.

2. UPSC CSE 2020

Question: Discuss the consequences of the Tripuri Session of 1939 for the Indian independence movement.

Answer: The Tripuri Session deepened ideological divisions within the Indian National Congress, as Bose’s re-election as President against Gandhi’s opposition exposed internal dissent. His subsequent resignation and the formation of the Forward Bloc demonstrated divergent strategies within the freedom struggle. While the crisis revealed weaknesses in Congress unity, it also highlighted the necessity of addressing different viewpoints and reinforced the movement’s resilience through adaptive strategies.