ABSTRACT
The orientation of the Kisan Sabha had been clearly established by 1936; it was a movement of militant agitation under the determined leadership of Swami Sahajanand with a fully formulated program of peasant demands. These demands were totally incompatible with the policy and character of the dominant Gandhian leadership of the Congress. The differences between the Right-wing leadership of the Congress and the Left, characterized in Bihar at this time primarily by the Kisan Sabha, went to the heart of their respective analyses of the political situation and they were ultimately to raise the harsh charge of violence. The tension between the Congress and the Kisan Sabha continued when Sardar Patel questioned the right of peasants to form class organizations at all, and Gandhi suggested that Kisan Sabhaites who sought to win majorities in Congress committees were bound to win opposition to their activities.
