Samipya 1991 Vol 08 Ank 01 02

Author(s): Pravinchandra C Parikh, Bhartiben Shelat
Publisher: Bholabhai Jeshingbhai Adhyayan Sanshodhan Vidyabhavan

Page 87

The Lahore Congress was the culmination of the third stage of Nehru's advance towards Socialism. Vagueness, utopianism and romanticism of the early stages were replaced by a definite outlook and the purely academic interest was replaced by concrete and practical thinking. But without the experience of Pratapgarh villages the meaning of class justice at Derbyshire could not have been comprehended.
Nehru Propagates Socialism :
On his return from Europe in 1927, Nehru began to give a new orientation to Congress policy. According to Acharya Narendra Deo, 'He was a Tilakite in big student days and was a staunch nationalist. But his socialist outlook now, made him see things in a new light.'5 Marxism had given him a scientific method of studying concrete problems. The immediate effect of the Brussels conference was that when Nehru came back to India, he attended the annual session of Madras Congress in December 1927, and he moved the resolution on the political independence which was adopted by a thumping majority. Since then as general secretary of the party and the mouthpiece of progressive ideas, he established his position as the peoples spokesman. In December 1928, he presided over the first All-India Socialist youth Congress at Calcutta. He had also been chairman of the All Bengal Student Conference at Calcutta in the same year. He was also elected President of the AllIndia Trade Union Congress. Besides, he attended and addressed a good number of vouth gatherings throughout the year. So he was welcome alike among the fellow nationalists, the peasants, the youth and the workers. In all his speeches there was the desirability of understanding the international situation and the various forces affecting it.
Nehru's utterances during 1928-29 were characterised by optimism and overenthusiasm. In the Presidential Address at the Lahore Congress in December 1929, he said that the triumph of Socialism in the world was near at hand. He was critical of everything that did not fall in line with his Socialist predilections. Nche proclaimed from the housetop that he was a Socialist and a republican. In the Lahore Presidential Address he said: 'I must frankly confess that I am no believer in kings and princes or in the order which produces the modern kings af industry who have greater power over the lives and fortunes of men than even kings of ald and whose methods are as predatory as those of the old feudal aristocracy."
• The Derlyshire experience, the Brussels Congress, the Soviet visit, the study of Marxism and above all, the knowledge of imperialist rule in India made him more towards Socialism.
Congress and Socialism.
Nehru continued his Socialist propaganda and at his instance the U. P. Congress Committee passed a resolution recommending a Socialist programme of action to the
Jawaharlal Nehru and Socialism ]