Sharma : Did this satyagraha make any impact?
Chavan : I should say, Yes, impact in the sense that it kept the party going. In the absence of any programme the younger element was getting rather disturbea, I was one of them. I was completely frustrated. At least this programme gave us ideas of establishing civil liberties. Naturally, Gandhiji devised a new mode of offering satyagrahs. He might have his own reasons for that. He came out with some other programmes some time later. That was our hope and faith, which ultimately did happen in 1942. when other leaders in the Congress were not in favour of it, Gandhiji did want to start the quit India movement. I supported it.
So Individual Satyagraha made its own contribution, keeping cadres of the Congress Party and people engaged in activity. People thought that yes, the Congress in its own way was playing a part in resisting the war effort in a symbolic way. They did not want to go and join the war effort like the leftist parties which were identifying themselves with the war effort. It was rather a very curious situation at that time.
Sharma : Was the activist in you satisfied with this kind of weak protest?
Chavan : Well, I should say, that there was some substitute because attraction to the party organisaion was great, loyalty to the party, colleagues and friends. I was satisfied and my frustration disappeared as my party was doing something. I accepted the presidentship of the District Congress Committee temporarily because the elected President was allowed to offer satyagraha and go to jail. So I was looking after the congress work. I went round talked to the people, gave them reasoning behind the Individual Satyagraha, how symbolically it was a fight against the war and a fight against imperialism. so that gave some sort of outlet to my energies as an activist.
