(EDITORIAL) While rumours of Mr. Gandhi being in communication with the Viceroy remain officially uncontradicted, Congressmen who are supposed to “know Bapu’s mind” are divided over further plans of action. Whenever Mr. Gandhi makes a statement, he is careful in inserting some qualification or loophole, and it is the favourite practice of his followers to interpret “Bapu’s mind” in diverse manner and speculate on conundrums. Mr. K.M. Munshi … is supposed to know “Bapu’s mind” but his Heath-Robinson scheme of coping with the situation has not found favour with others … who also claim knowledge of Mr. Gandhi’s mental processes.

Mr. Munshi’s plan is supposed to be in harmony with the scheme of Mr. Gopinath Srivastava for putting salt on the tail of the Imperialistic bird, represented by Lord Linlithgow. They want to annul the decision of the Congress without the sole dictator of the mass struggle appearing to modify his stand or compromising his prestige. In one of the novels of Dickens, politicians confronted with some impasse are suddenly told that Mr. Popkins has a plan, and all the busybodies run about speaking about “Popkins’ plan”, not one of them being the wiser though repeating the phrase. Congressmen who yearn to recover the initiative without losing the halo, are similarly engaged in discussing plans divorced from realities. — Dawn Delhi

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2018