Haripura Session of Congress - Feb 1938

Haripura is a village located near Kadod town in the Surat district of Gujarat, India. It is around 13 kilometres north east of Bardoli. During the Indian independence movement, it was the venue of annual session of the Indian National Congress in 1938, referred as the 'Haripura Session'

A description of the decorum to welcome Subhas Chandra Bose, newly elected President of Indian national Congress, a prestigious position in India at that time.

Haripura,being the 51st Congress session 51 ornamental gates were erected , 51 Congress flags were hoisted, and the President was taken in a procession seated in a chariot drawn by 51 white bullocks to the accompaniment of 51 brass bands . More than 4,000 workers and 7,000 volunteers had laboured for weeks to construct the pandal . The exhibition halls, the bamboo huts for residence of the delegates, and special kitchens were arranged.      

The full context of the address, given at Haripura Session,  was published in the book, 'Cross Roads" compiled by Netaji Research Bureau, Calcutta containing the works and lectures of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Sisir Kumar Bose mentioned in the Preface referring the words of Tagore

 address

that the year 1938 began for Netaji with a ojourn in Europe followed closely by assumption of the office of Congress President .

 This address was extended to 28 pages of the book touching all the relevant points of the present political  situation and the future programme to be taken by the  Congress.He answered  to the question , asked by himself, 'can the British Empire trnsform itself into a federation of free nations with one bold step, ' This transformation will be possible only if the British people become free in their own homes  - only if Great Britain becomes a Socialist state. To maintain the nture of their 'divide and rule' policy, an internal partion is necessary in order to neutralise the transference of power.He didn't forget to mention the remedy of the minority question in India.and suggested that 'apolicy of live and let live in matters of religios and an understanding in matters economic and political should be our objective.For future programme he suggested that after the capture of political power national reconstruction takes place in socialistic lines.as thre are haves and hvenots within the Indian masses.

Differing from those who think to wither away the Congress Party after freedom is won, he said that the party wins freedom for India should also take the responsibility of reconstruction of their country.He also mentioned the lines of reconstruction in Independent India.Land reforms, eradication of poverty and illiteracy. Regarding economic development he referred a comprehensive scheme of industrial development under state ownership and state control. He stressed the need to form a planning commission. 

He mentioned the budget of the cenral Government for the year 1937-38. In total outlay of Rs 77.90 crores an amount of Rs. 44.61 croes was alloted for military purposesi.i.e.,57% of the total expenditure.

he concluded his speech by saying ," India freed means humanity saved.