THE NEXT STEP IN INDIAN POLITICS

WHILE the confusion into which Indian politics has been thrown is bound to fill all patriotic hearts with anxiety, it is possible for one to derive some consolation from the fact that so many thoughtful men and women are putting forth their best efforts to find a way out of it. Apart from the ordinary run of easy-going Liberals who seem still to believe that freedom will come to India in time as a result of the patient working of the Reforms, and of no less easy-going Non-co-operators who, undaunted by past disappointment, cling to their faith in the constructive programme, there are at least four different groups of politicians who have been endeavouring to find a solution to the present trouble. Two of these groups are in the Congress itself, one represented by Mr. Rajagopalachari and his friends who seem to look forward with confidence in the near future when they will be able to start again an organised campaign of Individual Civil Disobedience; the other represented by Messrs Das, Ajmal Khan and Nehru who consider that the most important thing for the Congress to do is to mend or end the existing Councils. Outside the Congress, there is, first, the school of Mrs. Besant who has been slowly but steadily maturing her plan of a Convection for the early attainment of full responsible government. The success which she has met with so far may be judged from the fact that Mr. Jamnadas Dwarkadas stated in the course of a press interview three or four days ago that it was expected that the preliminary conference of the conventionists, which would be held in Delhi on the 12th, 13th and 14th February, would be attended by about 200 invited guests, and that among those expected to take part in it would be the Right Hon. Srinivas Sastri, backed by the approval of the Servants of India Society, and Dr. Tej Bahadur Sapru, who has consented to preside over the Conference.