Swaraj Party

Introduction

Swaraj Party was established by Motilal Nehru and C. R. Das. A revolution was needed in the political history of India as the people of India were so much oppressed due to the violence of the British Government. The Swaraj Party formed after many vital events happened in India like the non-corporation movement was revoked and the act 1919 and the act 1923 of Government of India of elections. This party was established due to search for the self-Government of India and to free the people of India politically from the British Government.

Image 1: Portrait of C.R. Das

What was the Swaraj Party?

Congress-Khilafat Swaraj Party or Swaraj Party was established to free the Indian people from the violence of the British Government and wanted to form a new Government of India. The name Swaraj Party means Swaraj or self-rule.

Due to the Chauri Chaura event, Mahatma Gandhi has put an end to the non-cooperation movement in 1922. Several congress leaders were against such a move and decision taken by Gandhi. There were headlines stating to boycott the legislature.

Some wanted to stand for the elections. Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, C. Rajagopalachari are under the no-changer list. C R Das, Motilal Nehru, Srinivasa Iyengar, and some big leaders wants to clean the system by staying within. C R Das has put forth a resolution at the Gaya’s event in 1922, which eventually got turned down, leaving him with no option to enter the parliament. That’s when CR Das, Motilal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and other formed Swaraj Party.

The president or chairman of this party was C R Das and Motilal Nehru was the secretary. There was an aim to form this party to contest the elections due to admission into the legislative council to oppose the British Government. The formation of this party brought a revolutionary effect into the history of political India.

Swaraj Party: Historical Background

The reasons why this party was formed were when Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the non-cooperation movement in the year 1922, after the incident of Chauri Chaura. After the withdrawal, there started a conflict between the leaders of the Congress Party.

Some of the leaders wanted to remain in the non-cooperation movement and the other leaders wanted to finish the boycott of legislation and wanted to contest the elections against the Government of British. The leaders who wanted to remain in the non-cooperation movement are Sardar Vallbhabi Patel, Rajendra Prasad and many more.

The other leaders who wanted to contest the elections are C R Das, Motilal Nehru, and many more. The Annual conference of Gaya was held in the year 1922, when C R Das put forward a proposal to thrust into the legislature was defeated and at this very moment the other leaders separated from the Congress Party and formed Swaraj Party.

Swaraj Party: Aims

The aims of the Swaraj Party were -s

The Swaraj Party wanted to attain dominion status.

• They wanted to obtain the rule to form a constitution.

• The party wanted to establish regulation on the bureaucracy.

• They wanted to obtain total provincial autonomy.

• One of the main things they wanted that Swarajya that means self-rule.

• They also wanted to give the people of India the right to regulate Government machinery.

• The Swaraj Party wanted to organise the labour of industry and agriculture.

• They wanted to control the municipal bodies.

• They needed an engagement in the constructive programs that were held by Congress.

Swaraj Party: Significance

There were so many significances in the formation of the Swaraj Party. They are −

• Both types of leaders and Gandhi realised that India needed to form a self- sGovernment to oppose the Government of the British.

• After the realisation, the Congress Party was divided and formed a new party named Swaraj Party.

• In the election that was held in the year 1923, the Swaraj Party got 42 seats among the 104 seats.

• The main programme of this party was to break the government and wanted to form to obstruct every method.

• They started to boycott the British Government’s functions.

Swaraj Party: Achievements

Image 2: Achievements of Swaraj Party

The formation of this party gave various achievements. In 1925, Vithalbhai Patel was elected the speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly. The members of the party were outvoted several times in matters like budgetary grants.

The Swaraj Party defeated the bill of public safety in 1928. The weaknesses of the reforms of Montagu-Chelmsford were exposed by the party. The members of this party started to give fiery speeches on Swaraj in the assembly.

Swaraj Party: Criticisms

The members of this party failed to coordinate the struggle that happened in the Assembly with the vast struggle for freedom of the outside. The functions of this party fully depended on the various newspapers that failed to spread vastly in the outside world. Some members did not resist cheering up the power.

The obstructionism of their policy had so many limitations. The most effective matter was the death of the chairman, C R Das in 1925. The members were divided into two parts - responsivists and the non-responsivists.

The former members wanted cooperation with the British Government and the members of the second group wanted to withdraw from legislatures. The division of the party felt a huge effect on the elections of 1926 and the performance of the party was not so good.

The party did not give attention to the peasant, and for this cause, the members from Bengal released the party. After the failure, the party again attached to the Congress Party.

Conclusion

The Swaraj Party brought a revolution to the political history of India. Many changes happened due to the formation of this party. The Swaraj Party was a part of the Congress Party. Some members wanted to form a self-rule government to oppose the Government of British. Finally, the party was established in the year of 1923, but for the limitations and the differentiation of the opinion of the members of this party, the party was again attached to the Congress party.

FAQs

Q1.What are the names of the prominent leaders of the Swaraj Party?

Ans.The leaders who stayed in the Swaraj Party were N. C. Kelkar, Subhash Chandra Bose, and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy.

Q2.Why did the Swaraj Party lose the support of the members of Bengal?

Ans.The members of the Bengal started to leave the party. The cause was the party did not give attention to the improvement of the peasants of Bengal.

Q3.What is the meaning of the term Swaraj?

Ans.The Swaraj Party was established 1923; the meaning of the word Swaraj is independence or self-rule.