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Indian Freedom Struggle (1707–1947 A.D.)

Notes annual sessions, a proposal by which he hoped to transform the Congress from a deliberative
body into one capable of leading a sustained movement — was unfortunately quashed by Moderate
opposition. Four years later, in 1920, when Mahatma Gandhi prepared a reformed constitution for
the Congress, this was one of the major changes considered necessary if the Congress was to lead
a sustained movement.
After the end of the Congress session, a joint meeting of the two Home Rule Leagues was held in
the same pandal, and was attended by over 1,000 delegates. The Congress League Pact was hailed
and the gathering was addressed by both Annie Besant and Tilak. On their return journeys, both
the leaders made triumphant tours through various parts of North, Central and Eastern India.
Suppression of Government
The increasing popularity of the Home Rule Movement soon attracted the Government’s wrath.
The Government of Madras was the most harsh and first came out with an order banning students
from attending political meetings. This order was universally condemned and Tilak commented.
‘The Government is fully aware that the wave of patriotism strikes the students most, and if at all
a nation is to prosper, it is through an energetic new generation.
The turning point in the movement came with the decision of the Government of Madras in June
1917 to place Mrs. Besant and her associates, B.P. Wadia and George Arundale, under arrest. Their
internment became the occasion for nation-wide protest. In a dramatic gesture, Sir S. Subramania
Aiyar renounced his knighthood. Those who had stayed away, including many Moderate leaders
like Madan Mohan Malaviya, Surendranath Banerjea and M.A. Jinnah now enlisted as members
of the Home Rule Leagues to record their solidarity with the internees and their condemnation of
the Government’s action. At a meeting of the AICC on 28 July, 1917, Tilak advocated the use of the
weapon of passive resistance or civil disobedience if the Government refused to release the internees.
The proposal for adopting passive resistance was sent for comment to all the Provincial Congress
Committees, and while Berar and Madras were willing to adopt it immediately, most of the others
were in favour of waiting for more time before taking a decision. At Gandhiji’s instance, Shankerlal
Banker and Jamnadas Dwarkadas collected signatures of one thousand men willing to defy the
internment orders and march to Besant’s place of detention. They also began to collect signatures
of a million peasants and workers on a petition for Home Rule. They made regular visits to
Gujarat towns and villages and helped found branches of the League. In short, repression only
served to harden the attitude of the agitators and strengthen their resolve to resist the Government.
Montagu, writing in his Diary, commented: ‘. . . Shiva ... cut his wife into fifty-two pieces only to
discover that he had fifty-two wives. This is really what happens to the Government of India
when it interns Mrs. Besant.
The Government in Britain decided to effect a change in policy and adopt a conciliatory posture.
The new Secretary of State, Montagu, made a historic declaration in the House of Commons, on 20
August, 1917 in which he stated: ‘The policy of His Majesty’s Government... is that of the increasing
association of Indians in every branch of the administration, and the gradual development of self-
governing institutions, with a view to the progressive realization of responsible government in
India as an integral part of the British Empire. This statement was in marked contrast to that of
Lord Morley who, while introducing the Constitutional Reforms in 1909, had stated categorically
that these reforms were in no way intended to lead to self-government. The importance of Montagu’s
Declaration was that after this the demand for Home Rule or self-government could no longer be
treated as seditious.
This did not, however, mean that the British Government was about to grant self-government. The
accompanying clause in the statement which clarified that the nature and the timing of the advance
towards responsible government would be decided by the Government alone gave it enough
leeway to prevent any real transfer of power to Indian hands for a long enough time.
In keeping with the conciliatory stance of the Montagu Declaration, Annie Besant was released in
September 1917. Annie Besant was at the height of her popularity and, at Tilak’s suggestion, was
elected President at the annual session of the Congress in December 1917.

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