Author: Ram Gopal
Publication: BJP Today
Date: December 1-15,
2000
Congratulations for
BJP TODAY's 16-31st October issue on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the great
unifier of modern India.
In your editorial, you
have expressed the view that the Congress behaviour towards Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel smacked of paranoia, even after your academic friend had explained
to you that the Congress behaviour was not psychological but was real politic.
I must say that your friend was absolutely correct. There is no disputing
the fact that Gandhi's greater obsession was Hindu-Muslim unity, not independence,
for which he was prepared to make any sacrifice on behalf of Hindus.
You must also recall that Jawaharlal Nehru was opposed to each and every
principle of Gandhi. Summing up his differences with Nehru, even
Gandhi once said," Jawahar wants Englishmen to go but Angreziat (English
ways and culture) to stay; I want Angreziat to go and Englishmen to stay
as our friends". (Durga Das, 'India from Curzon to Nehru and after',
p.261, Rupa Paperback, 1977). Indeed, Nehru was an Englishman in
Indian skin. His socialist leanings were well known to Gandhi.
In Muslim appeasement his closest friend was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, an
orthodox Muslim. Sardar Patel, on the other hand, followed Gandhi
in all respects, but took a pragmatic approach on the Hindu-Muslim question.'
He sometimes used to say, "There is only one nationalist Muslim in the
Congress and he is Jawaharlal Nehru." It was the Sardar who, in a public
meeting at Lucknow on 6th January 1948, said: "It should not surprise Muslims
if doubts were entertained about their loyalty. They could not ride
on two horses. Those who were disloyal could not remain in India
for the atmosphere would become too hot for them."
Thus, obsessed with Hindu-Muslim
unity, Gandhiji had a logic in sacrificing Sardar Patel to make Jawaharlal
Nehru the first Prime Minister of India, even while realizing that Patel
was far more capable. The disastrous effect of this unethical act
of Gandhi is being realised by the Indian intelligentsia only now when
it is too late. Having come to power, it was a political necessity
for Nehru to sideline and even eliminate Sardar Patel's memory, along with
his supporters, like P.D.Tandon, K.M.Munshi and Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Gandhi's assassination on 30th January 1948 provided him a golden opportunity
to brow-beat Patel. Nehru's socialist brigade did every thing to
tarnish the image of Sardar by accusing him of having a hand in Gandhi's
murder.
The story of denial of
Prime Ministership to Sardar Patel on page 5 of the issue based on Rajmohan
Gandhi's book is a crude attempt to white-wash Gandhi's sin of June 1946
to oust the Sardar and let Jawaharlal Nehru become the Congress president
to be called by the Viceroy to form the government at the centre.
The famous journalist and political analyst of the time, Durga Das, who
had close relations with all the political leaders has given the correct
account in his book cited above. He says : "Patel was the head of
the Congress Parliamentary Board and the provincial Congress committees
had expressed their preference for him as Azad's successor. But Gandhi
felt Nehru would be a better instrument to deal with Englishmen, as they
would talk in a common idiom. Many years later, I sought Kriplani's
explanation of Gandhi's preference for Nehru as against Patel.
He said that like all
saints and holy people Gandhi wanted significant men amongst his adherents.
Insofar as Jawaharlal Nehru's election was concerned, Kriplani added that
all P.C.C.s sent in the name of Patel by a majority and one or two proposed
the names of Rajen Babu in addition, but none that of Jawaharlal.
I knew Gandhi wanted Jawaharlal to be President for a year, and I made
a proposal myself saying some Delhi fellows want Jawaharlal's name.
I circulated it to the members of the working committee to get their endorsements
played this mischief and I am to blame."(India from Curzon to Nehru.
Pg229-230).
On 12th August 1946,
when the Viceroy Lord Wavell decided to invite the Congress president to
form a provisional government, most of the CWC members felt that it should
be Patel because he was best suited to deal with an opponent like Jinnah.
Durga Das states: " I asked Gandhi for his reaction to this feeling among
a majority of the working committee members. He readily agreed that
Patel would have proved a better negotiator and organiser as Congress president,
but he felt Nehru should head the government. When I asked him how
he reconciled this with his assessment of Patel's as a leader, he laughed
and said -Jawahar is the only Englishman in my camp-and seeing that he
had aroused my curiosity further , he added Jawahar will not take the second
place. He is better known abroad than Sardar and will make India
play a role in international affairs. Sardar will look after the
country's affairs. They will be like two oxen yoked to the government
cart."
