The collapse of the Non Cooperation Movement was the beginning of the breakdown of the national consensus leading to the debate between composite nationalism and the two-nation theory. The Gandhian era will be remembered for its novelty and many other positive features including a realization that the Indian national movement cannot be restricted only to secure political freedom but must also bring about social and economic betterment of its people.

It was during this era that a large number of women began to actively participate in the Gandhian programmes. Till 1927, the general consensus among the Congress leadership was to demand dominion status akin to the set-up that existed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. Ambedkar accepted the demand of dominion status provided the depressed classes were protected. It was at the 1928 Calcutta session of the Congress session that Subhas Bose questioned this consensus and insisted on independence with no continued British connection. Nehru concurred with Subhas. Gandhi was still in favour of dominion status stating that it would be a ‘grievous blunder to put independence against Dominion status or compare the two and suggest that Dominion status carries humiliation with it and that independence is something that is triumphant”.

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He took note of the attraction of leftist ideas among the younger leaders, the rise of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), and nominated Nehru to be the next president of the Congress in order to accommodate new ideas to maintain party’s cohesion, still thinking that the young president with responsibility “will mellow the youth and sober the youth and prepare them for the burden they must discharge”. The Congress, the Muslim League and the liberals opposed the Simon Commission as it did not have a single Indian representative and did not........

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