Introduction-

Initially named the Congress-Khilafat Swaraj party, the Swaraj party was a political association formed by the eminent freedom fighters Motilal Nehru and C.R. Das. The party was formed on 1st January 1923, after the Gaya conference of the INC (Indian National Congress) in December 1922.

Formation-

The Chauri Chaura incident of 1922 concluded with the halting of the non-cooperation movement by Mahatma Gandhi. This led to inconsistencies among the members of the Congress party. Some supported the non-cooperation movement, and some resisted it. The former were called no-changers while the latter were called pro-changers who wanted to sit for elections. C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru were the pro-changers. They aimed to resist the British government from within the legislature. C.R. Das moved a proposal to enter the legislature but was defeated. This led to the formation of a separate resisting party called the Swaraj Party.

Objective-

The objective of the Swaraj party was to gain Swaraj (self-rule) and the right to frame their constitution.

Achievements-

The Swaraj party, one the largest party in central Asia of its time, invoked anti-British feelings among the commoners. They ensured there was a strong disapproval of the British policies and proposals. The party exposed the weakness of the Montague-Chelmsford reforms. The Swaraj party strengthened the enthusiasm among the Indians to fight for their right.

Shortcomings-

The Swaraj party failed to bring every leader together. This destruction of uniformity weakened the protests against the Britishers. The death of C.R. Das was a blow to the party. The declaration of the Simon Commission further declined the presence of the Swaraj party. The party slowly lost its relevance and importance among the commoners and leaders.