CR Das and the Congress

Purshotam Das Tandon, one of the leading patriots of the United Provinces, is of the opinion that CR Das’ offer to cooperate with the Government in the Council is a false issue which is inconsistent with the Congress ideal and activities. In the course of his address delivered at Lahore the other day, he explained why he considered that the bold step taken by the Swarajist leader was not justified by the circumstances of the country. It is not difficult to understand the particular aspect of the question on which Tandon lays much emphasis. The phrase, “cooperation with the Government”, used by Das is enough to annoy and prejudice certain people — ardent patriots themselves — who have been fairly used to associate non-cooperation with anything concerning Swaraj. The Congress is committed to non-cooperation and hundreds and thousands of men, high and low, have made heavy sacrifices in its pursuit. Even the Swarajists who entered the Councils did so to non-cooperate with the Government and make it impossible for it to carry on administration. How, then, can they now offer to cooperate with the Government without withdrawing themselves from the Congress? It is perhaps natural that such thoughts should suggest themselves when one looks at one particular aspect of this question. But there are other aspects also to be considered. The Congress and the country did not adopt non-cooperation as the sole means of attaining Swaraj but adopted a constructive programme of a definite nature. Unfortunately, the country has not been able to carry out this programme satisfactorily.