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Social Support Base and Electoral Politics: The Congress in Colonial Southeast Punjab

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Prem Chowdhry
Prem Chowdhry
Affiliation:
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
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Extract

The weakest hold of the Indian National Congress in the colonial period was in the province of Punjab. The strength and domination of the National Unionist Party and the limited support and response afforded to the various nationalist movements highlight the weakness of the Congress especially in its southeast region, now known, after being carved out as a separate state on the 1st of November 1966, as Haryana.

Type
Articles
Information
Modern Asian Studies , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , October 1991 , pp. 811 - 831
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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References

1 For the names of early Congressmen from southeast Punjab, see annual Proceedings of the Indian National Congress, from 1885 onwards.Google Scholar

2 For details of the heavy recruitment in this region and reasons behind it, see Chowdhry, Prem, ‘The Advantages of Backwardness: Colonial Policy and Agriculture in Haryana’, The Indian Economic and Social History Review 23%, 3, 10–12. 1986, pp. 236–88.Google Scholar

3 The ‘Agriculturist Castes’ were created especially by the Punjab Alienation of Land Act, 1900. For details of these castes, see the Alienation of Land Bill of 1900, Gazetteer of India, 1899, Pt V.Google Scholar

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5 Confidential Files of the Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, (CFDC), 2, part I, see Handing Over Notes, Malik Zaman Mehdi Khan, 4 Nov. 1931. Also see JG, 3 June 1931, p. 4; 15 Sept.1937, p. 6; Tribune, Lahore, 10 01. 1945, p. 7.Google Scholar

6 Tribune, 10 Jan. 1945, p. 7.Google Scholar

7 JG, 10 Oct. 1923, p. 13. Also see Haryana Tilak (HT), Rohtak, 19 Nov. 1923, p. 2Google Scholar; 18 May 1926, pp. 7–8. The Haryana Tilak, a weekly newspaper in Urdu, was established in 1923 by the Congress leader Shri Ram Sharma.

8 See JG, 5 Jan. 1921, p. 3; 19 Jan. 1921, p. 1; 9 Feb. 1921, p. 3; 16 Feb. 1921, p. 2; 23 Feb. 1921, p. 8; 4 May 1923, p. 7; 23 June 1922, pp. 4–5.Google Scholar

9 The basic division of the Punjab society into agriculturist v. non-agriculturist and rural v. urban was indeed the creation of the British through the Punjab Alienation of Land Act, 1900, and the Reforms Act, 1919, which created administrative and political divisions. Once having created these separate seats, government jobs also came to be reserved for the agriculturists. For details, see Punjab Legislative Council Debates, VIII, 2 March 1925, pp. 408–15.Google Scholar

10 Parliamentary Papers: Returns Showing the Results of Elections in India, 1929–1930, Comm. no. 3922, Vol. XXIV, pp. 22–4.Google Scholar

11 For the social base of the Unionists, see Chowdhry, Prem, ‘The Triumph of the Congress in Southeast Punjab: Elections of 1946’, in Panigrahi, D. N. (ed.), Economy, Society and Politics in Modern India (New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House, 1985), pp. 372–95.Google Scholar

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13 Confidential Files from the Superintendent's Office, Rohtak (CFSO), Rohtak, 6- A, K. W., Confidential D. O. to Commissioner, Ambala Div., 13 Nov. 1922 and Report to D. C. Rohtak, 9 Jan. 1923.Google Scholar

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18 CFDC Rohtak, H-18, Superintendent of Police (SP) to DC Rohtak, 10 Dec. 1931. also see HT, 15 Dec. 1931, p. 2; 29 Sept. 1931, p. 5.Google Scholar

19 Annual Report of the Land Revenue Administration in Punjab, 1935–36, p. 12.Google Scholar

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21 CFDC Gurgaon, 14 (b), Handing Over Notes (HO Notes), DC Gurgaon, 2 Oct. 1929.Google Scholar

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23 CFSO Rohtak, H-17, SP to DC Rohtak, 14 Sept. 1931.Google Scholar

24 CFSO Rohtak, H-18, Report of Tehsildar of village Gohana to DC Rohtak, 5 Jan. 1932. Also see Report of Hazari Singh, Honorary Magistrate (n.d.), ibid.

25 CFSO Rohtak, H-17 and H-18.Google Scholar

26 Linlithgow Collection, 112: Emerson, the Governor of Punjab, to the Viceroy, 21 Jan. 1937.Google Scholar

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28 JG, 6 Jan. 1937, p. 7; 27 Oct. 1937, pp. 3–4; also see HT, 21 Jan. 1930, p. 3.Google Scholar

29 JG, 6 Jan. 1937, p. 4.Google Scholar

30 JG, 21 Jan. 1931, p. 3; 26 May 1931, p. 3; 26 Jan. 1938, p. 4.Google Scholar

31 CFSO, Rohtak, 6A and K.W.Google Scholar

32 All the issues of the HT deal with the work of the Congress Committee with regard to the untouchables in the Southeast region of Punjab.Google Scholar

33 For ideological thrust of the Punjab Unionist Party, see Chowdhry, Prem, ‘The Zamindar Ideology of the Unionist Party: Nature and Propaganda Tactics of the Unionists in South-East Punjab’, The Punjab Past and Present, Vol. XVI–II, 10. 1982, pp. 317–36.Google Scholar

34 JG, 18 Sept. 1929, p. 3; 11 March 1931, p. 4; 15 Sept. 1935, p. 1; 5 May 1937, p. 3; 16 June 1937, p. 4; 22 Dec. 1937, p. 4; 4 May 1938, p. 6; 2 Nov. 1938, p. 3.Google Scholar

35 The Haryana Tilak gives a wide coverage to these conflicts. See 18 May 1925, p. 6; 1 June 1925, p. 10; 24 Aug. 1925, p. 6; 12 April 1926, p. 10; 14 March 1927, pp. 1, 4; 21 April 1927, p. 4; 28 April 1927 3; 26 May 1927, p. 3; 6 June 1927, p. 6; 13 June 1927, p. 5; 20 Dec. 1927, p. 9.Google Scholar

36 JG, 6 Jan. 1937, p. 7; 27 Oct. 1937, pp. 3–4.Google Scholar

37 The only Jat of any importance which HT, the mouthpiece of the Congress in this region could indicate in its catalogue of ‘Haryana Desh Bhakts’ (Patriots of Haryana), was Master Baldeo Singh, who incidentally also joined the Unionist Party in 1940. HT, 30 April p. 6. The same stands affirmed in the list of prominent people involved in the Congress movement of 1919, 1921, 1931 and during 1937–1946 as catalogued by Sharma, Shri Ram in his book Haryana Ka Itihas (Hindi) (Haryana Sewa Ashram, Rohtak, 1974), pp. 61, 66, 72, 90, 111, s.Google Scholar

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39 This and the rest of the argument which follows may be looked up in Chowdhry, Prem, Punjab Politics: The Role of Sir Chhotu Ram (New Delhi, Vikas Publishing House, 1984), Ch. 9.Google Scholar

40 JG, 1 Sept. 1937, p. 6; 15 Sept. 1937, p. 5; 6 Oct. 1937, p. 3; 4 Jan. 1939, pp. 1, 2; 1 March 1939, p. 4.Google Scholar

41 JG, 4 Jan. 1938, pp. 1, 8.Google Scholar

42 CFDC Rohtak, 12/40, p. 7.Google Scholar

43 For Congress-like propaganda of the Unionists, see JG, from 20 Jan. 1931 to 15 Feb. 1933. Also see CFDC Rohtak, 11/29, pp. 143–9; India Office Records (IOR): Proceedings of the Punjab government, P/12071/1935.Google Scholar

44 See Chowdhry, Prem, ‘The Zamindar Ideology’, as in fn. 33.Google Scholar

45 Sharma, Shri Ram, Oral History Transcript, N M M L (Hindi), p. 61.Google Scholar

46 The two Unionist victories in Gurgaon North-West and Hansi had very narrow win margins of 231 and 925 votes respectively. See same source as for Table 2.Google Scholar

47 Until Feb. 1946, a total of 20,497 INA personnel had been released. Out of them 9,852 or 48.07% were from Punjab. In Haryana, about 2,248 soldiers were estimated to have joined the INA. Out of these 273 had died in action, which meant that about 2,000 of them went back to their villages. For details of these calculations see GI: Home Poll, 21/17, 1945, Vol. I to Vol. V; also see Chander, Jagdish, ‘Political Development in Haryana from 1928–47, in Yadav, J. N. Singh (ed.), Haryana: Studies in History and Politics (New Delhi, 1976), p. 105.Google Scholar

48 Jawaharlal Nehru Papers (N M M L), 41, 1940–1948, p. 57.Google Scholar

49 Ibid.

50 GI: Home Poll., Fortnightly Reports from Punjab (FRP), 18/2/46, Feb. 1946.Google Scholar

51 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/11/45, Nov. 1945; 18/12/45, Dec. 1945.Google Scholar

52 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/12/45, Dec. 1945.Google Scholar

53 GI: Home Poll., 29/19/45, see minutes of the Conference of Provincial Representatives to discuss the INA problem, 10–20 Nov. 1945.Google Scholar

54 IOR: War Staff Department Files, L/WS/1/707, 1943–1945.Google Scholar

55 Ibid.

56 Ibid. See secret document of the War Cabinet from the Secretary of State for India, 10 May, 1943.

57 Ibid.

58 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/10/45, Oct. 1945.Google Scholar

59 Monograph, Adjutant General's Branch (n.d.), Historical Section, Ministry of Defence, see Monograph, ‘Resettlement’. Also, regarding paucity of land in Punjab for redistribution to the returning soldiers, see note of D. Monteath, 1 March 1945, in IOR: Public and Judicial Department Proceedings, L/P /8/1513, 1945.Google Scholar

60 CFDC Rohtak, 11/39, DC interview with Chhotu Ram, 12 Jan. 1932.Google Scholar

61 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/10/45, Oct. 1945.Google Scholar

62 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/11/45, Nov. 1945.Google Scholar

63 GI: Home Poll., 21/19/45, 1945, see Conference minutes, 19–20 Nov. 1945.Google Scholar

64 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/12/45, Dec. 1945.Google Scholar

65 IOR: L/P /2188, 1945, Deputy Secretary, Government of India to the Secretary, Political Department, India, 20 Nov. 1945.Google Scholar

66 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/2/46, Feb. 1946.Google Scholar

67 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/10/45, Oct. 1945.Google Scholar

68 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/2/46, Feb. 1946; 18/3/46, March 1946.Google Scholar

69 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/2/46, Feb. 1946.Google Scholar

70 IOR: Economic and Overseas Papers, L/E/8/3321, 1946, p. 39.Google Scholar

71 IOR: Department of Agriculture, V/24/119, 1946, see Punjab Season and Crop Reports, 1946.Google Scholar

72 Ibid.

73 IOR: L/E/8/3327, 1946.Google Scholar

74 IOR: L/E/8/3368, 1946.Google Scholar

75 IOR: L/E/8/3354, 1946.Google Scholar

76 IOR: POS, 5548, ‘Report of the Punjab Famine Operations in the South-East Punjab, 1938–40’, Lahore, 1946.Google Scholar

77 IOR: L/E/8/3207, 1946, see ‘Recent Development in Indian Food Situation’, 17 March 1943.Google Scholar

78 Figures calculated from IOR: Department of Agriculture, V/14/150, 1938–1939, Vol. I, Agricultural Statistics of India, Table VII and V/14/154, 1943–1944 to 1946–1947, Indian Agricultural Statistics, Table VII.Google Scholar

79 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/10/45, Oct. 1945.Google Scholar

80 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/12/45, Dec. 1945.Google Scholar

81 IOR: L/PO/10/23, 1946, Wavell to Pethick Lawrence, 5 Feb. 1946.Google Scholar

82 Tribune, 26 April 1945, p. 6. Also see JG and HT from April 1945 to February 1946.Google Scholar

83 GI: Home Poll., FRP, 18/9/45, Sept. 1945.Google Scholar

84 Darling Papers, Box no. 5/1, see Darling/s notes on his visit to the villages of Punjab 1946.Google Scholar

85 IOR: L/P /8/513, 1944, see F. L. Brayne's letter to Amery, 19 Nov. 1944.Google Scholar

86 Brayne Coll., 69: see Brayne's article ‘Freedom: Tyranny for India’ (n. d.).Google Scholar

87 This stands revealed in nearly all the correspondence of Glancy to the Viceroy during 1945–1946. See IOR: L/P /5/247, 1944; L/PO/438, 1945; L/P /7/8467, 1945; L/P /5/249, 1946.Google Scholar

88 IOR: L/P & J/5/247, 1944, Glancy to Wavell, 9 Dec. 1944; also 22 Nov. 1944.Google Scholar

89 Ibid., Glancy to Viceroy, 8 May 1944, 24 June 1944.

90 IOR: L/P /5/248, 1945, Glancy to Wavell, 4 May 1945.Google Scholar

91 AICC, p. 16, 1945–1946. For details see the letter of Duni Chand Ambalvi to Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress President, 15 Aug. 1946.Google Scholar