A new formula

EVERYONE who takes an intelligent interest in current events, in the signs of the times, and in the trend of political thought must see that not only the Swaraj party but all who are politically-minded in the country, of every school of thought, will have to make up their minds as to what their future programme and policy are to be. It is easy enough to say, as Pandit Motilal Nehru recently did, that the future programme or policy of his party cannot and ought not be summed up in a particular phrase, whether that phrase be cooperation or non-cooperation, responsible cooperation or obstruction. A political party is a living body, and the secret of successful life is continuous adaptation to the ever-changing environment. But language like this is of no help for the particular and not unimportant purpose of distinguishing one party from another. If Nehru chooses to express his political thought and conviction in exactly the same language as Rt Hon Srinivas Sastri and the next moment asks the country to give its confidence exclusively to him and his party, the country is naturally bewildered, and does not know how to proceed. This bewilderment would not be a bad thing if the country did, as a matter of fact, give its confidence both to Nehru and Sastri and if the two leaders themselves could confidently be expected to follow the same line of policy both in the legislature and in the country, instead of working at cross purposes as they have so often done in the past. In the absence of such assurance, it does become necessary for each party and its leaders to define their policy and programme in sufficiently clear terms for the average man.