Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T13:20:00.523Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Congress at the 1937 Elections in Madras

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Christopher Baker
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge

Extract

In February 1937, the Congress party in the Madras Presidency won 159 of 215 seats in the provincial Legislative Assembly at the first elections under provincial autonomy. It was the most convincing victory for the Congress in any province of British India, and neither the Madras Government nor the Congress leaders had expected it. In the two and a half years Congress rule that followed, their ministers made adept use of their powers. They cut land revenue and dismantled the procedure for revising the land revenue demand, thus appealing to the pocket of every landholder. They re-instated all the village officers who had been dismissed for aiding the Congress during Civil Disobedience, thus instructing the leaders of rural society where the source of power and influence now lay. They passed two measures to alleviate the burden of agricultural debt, and threatened to legislate in favour of the tenants inside the major landed estates. Meanwhile, for the first time, the Cogress established a network of committees throughout the province, and by 1939 this new machine had placed virtually every local government board under a Congress régime. The number of Congerss members in the Tamil and Andhra areas rose from 115,971 on the eve of the 1937 elections to 594,397 in 1938.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 In elections to the Madras Legislative Council, the upper chamber, on a narrower franchise, Congress won 26 out of the total of 46 seats. This article concentrates on the more important Legislative Assembly.

2 Erskine, to Willingdon, , 6 January and 3 February 1937, Erskine papers [hereafter E.P.], Vol. 8, India Office Library [hereafter I.O.L.].Google Scholar

3 All India Congress Committee papers [hereafter A.I.C.C.] files P25 of 1937 and P19(ii) of 1937–8, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library [hereafter N.M.M.L.] Hindu, 17 October 1936.Google Scholar

4 Average polled by victorious candidate in 1926, 11, 590; in 1937, 23,525; calculated from ‘Returns showing the results of elections in India in 1925 and 1926’, G.B. Parliamentary Papers 1927, Cmd. 2923, and ‘Returns showing the results of elections in India 1937’Google Scholar, G. B. Parliamentary Papers 1937–8, Cmd. 5589.Google Scholar

5 See Arnold, D., ‘The Gounders and the Congress: Political Recruitment in South India 1920–37’, South Asia, No.4 (10 1974), pp. 120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

6 See Washbrook, D. A., The Emergence of Provincial Politics: The Madras Presidency 1870–1920 (Cambridge, 1976).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

7 Hindu, 18 February 1935.

8 For more detailed consideration of this theme seeBaker, C. J., The Politics of South India 1920–1937 (Cambridge, 1976), pp. 224–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

9 Baker, C. J., ‘Debt and the Depression in Madras 1929–36’, in Dewey, C. J. and Hopkins, A. G. (eds), The Impact of Imperialism (Athlone, forthcoming).Google Scholar

10 Patro, A. P., ‘The Justice Movement in India’, Asiatic Review, XXVIII (1932), 3940.Google Scholar

11 For this transformation on an all-India scale see Tomlinson, B. R., The Indian National Congress and the Raj, 1929–42: The Penultimale Phase (Macmillan, 1976), Ch. 2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

12 Rajagopalachari, to Gandhi, , 4 April 1934, intercepted and held in Home Political [hereafter H.P.] 4/4 1934, National Archives of India [hereafter N.A.I.];Google ScholarRajagopalachari, C., ‘The Congress Campaign’, Indian Review (08 1934), pp. 511–12;Google ScholarHindu, 7 January 1935, 12 July 1936.Google Scholar

13 For fuller treatment of the 1934 election see Baker, , Politics of South India, pp. 259–65.Google Scholar

14 Hindu, 17 November 1934.Google Scholar

15 Hindu, 27 February 1936.Google Scholar

16 See Baker, C.J. and Washbrook, D.A., South India: Political Institutions and Political Change 1880–1940 (Delhi, 1975), pp. 39–40, 45–8, 213–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

17 Hindu, 5 June 1931.Google Scholar

18 Government Order [hereafter G.O.] 3337 (Local Self Government [hereafter L.S.G.]) 30 August 1927; G.O. 2473 (L.S.G.) 27 May 1929; G.O. 151 (L.S.G.) 11 January 1933, Tamilnadu Archives [hereafter T.N.A.].

19 Justice, 11 June 1936.Google Scholar

20 Hindu, 22 August 1935.Google Scholar

21 Hindu, 29 March, 15 April, 11 05 1935.Google Scholar

22 Hindu, 13 May 1935.Google Scholar

23 Fortnightly report from Madras for second half of May [hereafter in form: F.R. May (ii)] H.P. 18–15 1935, N.A.I.;Google ScholarHindu, 9, 11 July, 5 September 1935.Google Scholar

24 Hindu, 13 August, 11, 12, 19, 21 September, 1 November, 11 December 1935, 29 January 1936;Google ScholarJustice, 23 May, 8 June 1936.Google Scholar

25 Justice, 1 November 1935;Google ScholarHindu, 30, 31 October 1935.Google Scholar

26 Hindu, 5, 10, 26, November 31 December 1935;Google ScholarJustice, 26 November, 2 December 1935.Google Scholar

27 March, F.R. (ii) H.P. 18–3 1935, N.A.I.;Google ScholarKistna Patrika, 23 April 1935, Madras Native Newspaper Reports;Google ScholarHindu, 19 January, 8, 10 April 1935, 11 February 1936;Google ScholarJustice, 23 01 1935.Google Scholar

28 Hindu, 29 October 1934, 6 September 1935.Google Scholar

29 Recorded in Bhulabhai Desai's diary, entry for 29 February 1936; I am indebted to Tom Tomlinson for this reference.

30 Hindu, 17 September 1935.Google Scholar

31 Hindu, 30 April 1936;Google ScholarJustice, 17, 29 April, 23, 30 May, 8 June 1936.Google Scholar

32 Kasipathi, K., Tryst with Destiny (Hyderabad, 1970), pp. 36–8.Google Scholar

33 Justice, 9, 10 06 1936.Google Scholar

34 Hindu, 25 February, 27 March, 8 August 1936;Google ScholarJustice, 25 May 1936.Google Scholar

35 F.R. August (i) H.P. 18–8 1936, N.A.I.Google Scholar

36 Justice, 5 October 1936.Google Scholar

37 Hindu, 29 February, 2, 21 March, 27 April, 2, 12 May 1936.Google Scholar

38 Mudaliar, T. V.Kalyanasundra, Valkkaik Kurippukkal (Madras, 1969), pp. 399405.Google Scholar

39 Hindu, 1 June, 28 July, 10, 11, 17 August 1936.Google Scholar

40 Rajagopalachari, to Gandhi, , 11 August 1936, Rajendra Prasad papers, file VII/36.Google Scholar

41 Ibid.,

42 Rajagopalachari, to Prasad, , 7 September 1936, Rajendra Prasad papers, file VII/36.Google Scholar

43 Erskine, to Templewood, , 22 December 1934, Templewood papers, Vol. 10, I.O.L.Google Scholar

44 See Baker, , Politics of South India, pp. 305–10.Google Scholar

45 Hindu, 3 November 1936.Google Scholar

46 G.O. 385 Confidential [hereafter C.] (Public) 24 February 1937, T.N.A.Google Scholar

47 Hindu, 19 December 1934.Google Scholar

48 Erskine, to Willingdon, , 23 December 1935, E.P., Vol. 8, I.O.L.Google Scholar

49 Reddy, C. R. to Bobbili, , 7 July 1936, C. R. Reddy papers, file 31 of 1935–42, N.M.M.L.Google Scholar

50 Hindu, 30 April, 9, 20 June, 11 July, 1 August, 12 october 1936.Google Scholar

51 Justice, 16, 25 July 1935.Google Scholar

52 Hindu, 10 November 1936;Google ScholarJustice, 23 May 1936, 8 January 1937.Google Scholar

53 Sivagnanam, Ma. Po., Enatu Porattam (Madras, 1974), pp. 128–9.Google Scholar

54 Issues of Hindu and Justice between 6 and 15 December 1936, Justice, 22 January 1937; G.O. 271 (Home) 27 January 1937, T.N.A.; G.O.385 C. (Public) 24 February 1937, T.N.A.; G.O. 424 C. (Public) 1 March 1937, T.N.A.Google Scholar

55 Perumal, N., Chettinad (Madras, 1938), pp. 26–8.Google Scholar

56 Hindu, 11 July, 1 August 1936;Google ScholarF.R. May (ii), H.P. 18–5 1936; F.R. August (ii), H.P. 18–8 1936, N.A.I.Google Scholar

57 F.R. June (ii), H.P. 18–6 1935, N.A.I.Google Scholar

58 Hindu, 4 June 1935.Google Scholar

59 Hindu, 23 June 1935.Google Scholar

60 Hindu, 12, 27 July 1936;Google ScholarErskine to Crack, 20 April 1936, H.P. 4/6 1936, N.A.I.Google Scholar

61 Justice, 7 December 1936.Google Scholar

62 Erskine, to Linlithgow, , 14 June 1936, Linlithgow papers [hereafter L.P.), Vol. 116, I.O.L.Google Scholar

63 Erskine, to Willingdon, , 1 November 1936 and 3 February 1937, E.P., Vol. 8, I.O.L.Google Scholar

64 Hindu, 27 May, 12, 15 July, 31 August, 6 September, 18, 30 November 1936;Google ScholarBaladandayutham, K., Jiva—Valkkai Varalaru (Madras, 1966), pp. 23–7.Google Scholar

65 Hindu, 22 January, 2, 10 February 1937;Google ScholarCenkunta Mittiran, II, No. I (01 1937), p. 519.Google Scholar

66 Rajah, M. C. to Gandhi, , 12 March 1937, M. C. Rajah papers, Vol. GI, N.M.M.L.Google Scholar

67 Justice, 18 January 1937, Ch. Suryanarayana to president, A.I.C.C., 5 May 1936, A.I.C.C. file P3 of 1936, N.M.M.L.Google Scholar

68 Justice, 18 November 1936.Google Scholar

69 Justice, 9 January 1937.Google Scholar

70 Iyer, P. S. Sivaswami to Sastri, V. Guruswami, 12 November 1936, Sivaswami Iyer papers, N.A.I.;Google ScholarKotaiah, D. to Gandhi, and Nehru, , 31 October 1936, A.I.C.C. file P3 of 1936, N.M.M.L.Google Scholar

71 Hindu, 1 August 1936.Google Scholar

72 Erskine, to Butler, R. A., 9 May 1936, E.P., Vol. 19, I.O.L.Google Scholar

73 Perumal, N., Bobbili (Coimbatore, 1960), p. 121.Google Scholar

74 Erskine, to Linlithgow, , 24 December 1936, L.P., Vol. 116.Google Scholar

75 Kasipathi, , Tryst, p. 40.Google Scholar

76 G.O. 3181 (L.S.G.) 20 August 1937, State Archives Hyderbad [hereafter S.A.H.].

77 G.O. 1240 (L.S.G.) 31 March 1937; G.O. 3698 (L.S.G.) 21 August 1936, S.A.H.Google Scholar

78 G.O. 3149 (L.S.G.) 17 August 1937, S.A.H.Google Scholar

79 Hindu, 1 June 1936.Google Scholar

80 See the description of a campaign in Maniparathi, R. S., Maddapparai Cinkam R. S. Venkadramayyar Jiviya Carittiram (Dindigul, 1956), pp. 22–7.Google Scholar

81 Erskine, to Linlithgow, , 1 March 1937, E.P., Vol. 8, I.O.L.Google Scholar

82 Erskine, to Linlithgow, , 24 December 1936, L.P., Vol. 116, I.O.L.Google Scholar

83 Collector of Ramnad, 4 March 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.

84 Erskine, to Linlithgow, , 14 June 1936, L.P., Vol. 116, I.O.L.Google Scholar

85 Collector of West Godavari, 28 February 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.; Erskine, to Linlithgow, , 1 March 1937, E.P., Vol. 8, I.O.L.Google Scholar

86 Tirukkoilur, R.D.O., 27 February 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.Google Scholar

87 Hindu, 1 February1937.Google Scholar

88 171 Congress, 112 Justice and 212 other; F.R. January (i) H.P. 18–1 1937, N.A.I.; the elction results file, H.P. 129 1937 N.A.I., gives a total of 500 candidates.

89 As fn. 86.

90 Collector of Madura, 26 February 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.Google Scholar

91 Hindu, 20 February 1937Google Scholar;‘A Gandhite’, Kamaraj the Shrewd, 1903–40 (Madras, 1961), p. 37;Google ScholarKasipathi, , Tryst, p. 41;Google ScholarCollector of Guntur, 4 March 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.; Patro to Erskine, 4 March 1937, E.P., Vol. 19, I.O.L.Google Scholar

92 Hindu, 15 July 1936.Google Scholar

93 H.P. 129 1937, N.A.I.

94 Hindu, 23, 24 February 1937;Google ScholarA Gandhite’, Kamaraj, pp. 36–7.Google Scholar

95 Collector of Tinnevelly, 28 February 1937, Collector of South Arcot, 4 March 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.Google Scholar

96 Data on results from H.P. 129 1937, N.A.I.Google Scholar

97 The information for the analysis of elected candidates comes from a wide variety of sources including: G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.;Google ScholarSatchit, T. N. (ed.), Who's Who in Madras (Cochin, 1935 and 1938 editions);Google ScholarDirectory of the Madras Legislature, published by the Madras Legislature Congress Party (Madras, 1938);Google ScholarRao, C.Ranga (ed.), Andhra Desa Directory and Who's Who (Bexwada, 1939); several biographies, government files and newspaper reports.Google Scholar

98 Out of the 92 members of the old Legislative Council, as many as 58 stood for election to the new Legislative Assembly and Council. Only 25 were elected, including all twelve who stood on the Congress ticket. Dyarchy electorates had been only marginally kinder to sitting members: 17 were rejected in 1926 and 12 in 1930.

99 Rao, A.Kaleswara, Na Jivita Katha—Navya Andhramu (Vijayawada, 1959).Google Scholar

100 See Tomlinson, , The Indian National Congress and the Raj, Ch. 3, for all-India treatment of the 1937 elections.Google Scholar

101 Collector of Anantapur, 27 February 1937, G.O. 708 C. (Public) 8 April 1937, T.N.A.Google Scholar

102 When a death caused a by-election to one of the four general seats the Congress had lost (emphatically), the Congress candidate was not even opposed.