The Swaraj Party was initially established as the Congress Khilafat Swaraj Party. It was a political party formed on 1 January 1923. Swaraj party was formed by C R Das and Motilal Nehru. Swaraj party was formed after the Gaya annual conference in December 1922 of the National Congress. The Government of India Act of 1919, the 1923 elections, and several other key events led to the formation of the Swaraj Party. The Party fought against the British Raj to give the Indian people more political and self-government freedom.

The Swaraj Party is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Modern History subject in the Mains General Studies Paper-1 syllabus and General Studies Paper-1 of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus.

The founding of this political party is a significant event in modern Indian history. Let us go over the different factors that contributed to the foundation of the Swaraj Party, as well as the Swaraj Party’s notable accomplishments, limitations, and relevance.

About Swaraj Party

Swaraj Party, an Indian political party founded by members of the Indian National Congress, notably Motilal Nehru and Chitta Ranjan Das, in late 1922–early 1923.

This was presented to Congress by Das and Nehru, but it was defeated. They quit and created the Congress Khilafat Swaraj Party, or Swaraj Party, as it was eventually known. They were termed Pro-changers, while their opponents were dubbed No-changers.

History of Swaraj Party

1922, after the Chauri Chaura Incident, Mahatma Gandhi halted the Non-Cooperation Movement. Congress Party leaders had differing opinions about this. Some wanted to keep boycotting the legislature, while others wished to participate in elections. The first group were called no-changers, including Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and C. Rajagopalachari.

The second group was called pro-changers, led by C R Das, Motilal Nehru, and Srinivasa Iyengar. They aimed to join the legislative council and resist the British government from within. C R Das proposed entering the parliament at the 1922 Gaya session, but the idea was rejected. Later, Das and others formed the Swaraj Party upon leaving Congress.

Motilal Nehru was the secretary, and C R Das was the president of the Swaraj Party. Notable leaders in the party included N C Kelkar, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, and Subhas Chandra Bose.

Formation of Swaraj Party

• Under Mahatma Gandhi’s guidance, Congress became a powerful anti-imperialist platform for nationalists of all stripes and viewpoints.
• The Non-Cooperation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi lasted from 1920 to 1922 and had roots in all social groups.
• The cessation of the non-cooperation campaign was met with many logical errors among the Congress Party’s founders.
• While some wanted to prolong their boycott of the legislature, others tried to stop it and run for office.
• The members of the Indian National Congress who wanted to continue the legislature boycott were known as no-changers. The leaders like Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and C Rajagopalachari were among the no-changers.
• The pro-changers aspired to infiltrate the legislative council and resist the British government from within. C R Das, Motilal Nehru, Srinivasa Iyengar, and others were among these leaders.
• In Congress, there was a separation. The No-Changers were against the council-entry scheme and insisted that Congress accept Gandhi’s constructive Programme.
• The Swarajists, the Pro-Changers, wanted a political Programme of council entry to accompany the constructive agenda.
• C R Das presented a proposal to enter the parliament in 1922 but was defeated. Das and other Congress officials founded the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party, with Das as its president and Nehru as one of its secretaries.
• N C Kelkar, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, Subhas Chandra Bose of Bengal, Vithalbhai Patel, and other Congress pioneers who were becoming dissatisfied with Congress were among the notable pioneers.

Also, Check the details on the Cabinet Mission Plan here.

Goals and Objectives of Swaraj Party

The party’s main purpose was to run for the new Central Legislative Assembly in 1923 and, once elected, to use anti-government agitation within the council chambers to disrupt official policy and derail British rule in India.

The Swaraj Party, also known as the Congress-Khilafat Swarajya Party, intended for:

• Quick acquisition of dominion status.
• Obtaining the right to draught a constitution that incorporates the machinery.
• Taking back control of the bureaucracy.
• Obtaining complete autonomy for the province.
• Obtaining Swarajya is a difficult task (self-rule).
• Obtaining the right for people to exercise control over the existing government machinery and system.
• Organizing labour in the industrial and agricultural sectors.
• To enhance trade and commerce, Asian countries should form a federation.
• Participating in the Congress’s positive programmes.

Study the NCERT Notes on Rise of Gandhiji in Indian Freedom Struggle here.

Accomplishments And Works of Swaraj Party

• In 1923, the Swarajists were the single largest political group in the Central Assembly, Bombay, and Bengal Councils, and their presence in the Uttar Pradesh Council was not insignificant.
• The Swarajists’ electoral victory bolstered their position in Congress against the No Changers.
• The Swarajists won several victories in the Legislative Assembly from 1924-25. They successfully had the Budget thrown out, forcing the government to rely on its certification power.
• The Swarajists backed the Constructive Programme, which advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity, the abolition of untouchability, prohibition, Swadeshi, and boycott.

What Role Did The Swaraj Party Play In India?

• Individuals from the Swaraj Party contributed significantly to India’s fight for independence. The Swarajists exposed the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms.
• In the Assembly, they delivered fiery remarks on self-rule and civil liberties. The arguments in the legislatures, in which Indian MPs frequently outwitted and denounced the government, were followed with bated breath across the country.
• The Swarajists played an important role in keeping the spirit of anti-British protest alive during this period when there were few large political activities. They made it nearly impossible for British monarchs to gain legislative approval for their policies and proposals.
• The Swarajist movements created a stir in the country and achieved all they could under the constitution with their techniques.
• The no-changers in popularity helped them win several municipal elections. The no-changers believed that they might be put to good use.

Check the Modern History NCERT Notes here.

Limitations of Swaraj Party

• They needed help synchronising their efforts within the Assembly and outside the broader freedom movement.
• Their reliance on newspapers was essential to convey their Assembly work to the external world.
• Some were enticed by the privileges of power – Motilal Nehru on the Skeen Committee, A Ramaswamy Iyengar on the Public Accounts Committee.
• Their policy of obstructionism had drawbacks and limitations.
• Internal divisions arose: responsivists (M M Malaviya, Lala Lajpat Rai, N C Kelkar) aimed to cooperate with the government, while non-responsivists (like Motilal Nehru) withdrew from legislatures in 1926.
• Entering the 1926 elections, the party was disarrayed, leading to poor performance.
• Failure to support the peasant cause in Bengal eroded their support.
• In 1935, the party merged with the Congress.
• The death of C R Das in 1925 damaged the party even more. Their obstructionist policy has weaknesses and limitations.

What Were The Differences Among Swarajists?

• By 1924, the Swarajists’ prominence had been eroded by recurrent communal disturbances, which had split the Swarajists along Responsivists and Non-responsivity lines, and the death of CR Das in 1925 had weakened it even more.
• Internal schisms existed among the Swarajists. The non-responsivists and the responsivists were separated.
• The social democrats (Lala Lajpat Rai, MM Malaviya, and NC Kelkar) aspired to work with the government and assume positions.
• In the year 1926, the non-responsivists (Motilal Nehru) withdrew (retreated) from legislatures (councils).

Causes Of Decline of Swaraj Party

The Swarajists’ zeal began to fade in 1924, and demoralisation and eventual demise occurred in the years 1925-1927. The following factors caused the Swaraj party’s decline:

• The Dynamics Of The Independence Struggle began to Change: The Simon Commission sparked a worldwide boycott, while Motilal, taking up Birkenhead’s challenge, drafted the Nehru Report, a constitution. The Swarajists and the No-changers became increasingly close.
• The Temptation of Office: The Swarajists’ demise was exacerbated by the allure of office. They were not opposed to using the benefits of being a member of the councils. Swarajist leaders accepted positions and served on a variety of committees.
• Increasing Communal Politics: As the communal tempo increased, the events began to take shape. The Hindu Mahasabha’s operations and changing Muslim estrangement from Congress damaged the Swarajist position.
• Internal Disputes: The Swaraj Party was a divided house within itself. Internal disputes and mistrust weakened its legitimacy. Some Swarajists declared their candidacy as independents after being denied tickets.
• Unification with the Indian National Congress (INC): The Council Entry programme has taken a back seat in the new political environment and has lost its usefulness. As the country prepared for the second wave of direct mass action to gain complete independence, the Swaraj Party joined the Congress.

Despite the Swaraj party's decline, it successfully fulfilled its objectives during that difficult period. Swarajist activities enlivened an often drab political scene. The government was embarrassed by their blocking tactics, and the parliamentary duels of the time were a beautiful page in the annals of legislative politics.

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