A welcome change

We desire to accord a sincere and wholehearted welcome to the revised rules of the Swarjya party. “Revised rules”, indeed, is scarcely the name for the change which is now announced. It is a radical, at any rate a very far-reaching, change in the entire policy and programme of the party. From “uniform, consistent and continuous obstruction”, the aim of the party is now transformed into resorting, pending adequate response on the part of the Government, to the national demand as embodied in the famous resolution of the Legislative Assembly of February 18, 1924, to “a policy of obstruction in such form and manner as it may determine from time to time with or without the consent and co-operation of other parties and members of the Assembly, as circumstances may require.” In pursuance of this policy, the party we are told, “shall take necessary action so as to secure as far as possible: (a) the rejection of budgets and financial Bills; (b) the rejection of all new proposals or legislative measures calculated to increase, strengthen or consolidate the power of the bureaucracy; (c) the introduction and passing of Bills and measures for the removal from the Statute Book of all repressive or other laws curtailing the civic and political rights of the people of India.” Not only so, it shall be the duty of the party “to promise the healthy growth of national life by introducing Bills and measures, calculated (a) to help the constructive programme of the Indian National Congress; (b) to advance national economy and the commercial interests of the country and to prevent the drain of the public wealth from India by checking all activities leading to exploitation.”