Today That Day : 02-August-1946

 

DROP POLICY OF THREATS - Congress Chief's Advice to Jinnah

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, leading members of the Congress Working Committee, in a speech at Bombay advised Mr. Jinnah Moslem leader, to drop his and follow "the constructive path of co-operation."

It was the first Congress reaction to Mr. Jinnah's statement on Wednesday that Congress was organising "a mass civil disobedience struggle."

Mr. Jinnah's threatened "direct action" if it was real. Mr. Patel said, was aimed not at the British Government but at Congress because the British had already made it clear that they had no intention of staying in India.

Denying that Congress had concluded a secret deal with the British Cabinet, Mr. Patel said-"It was Mr. Jinnah who entered into a secret understanding and obtained promises behind the back of Congress. He wanted to form an interim Government without Congress, and failed in the attempt. That is why he is angry."

Sardar Patel's New Definition of Government Officer

TODAY THAT DAY : 4th May 1939

RAJKOT

When a stalemate ensued in the conversations between the Thakore Saheb and Mahatma Gandhi, the letter expressed a hope, on the eve of his departure for Calcutta, that the Thakore Saheb himself would take the initiative and satisfy his subjects without the intervention of a constitution committee. The Thakore Saheb took advantage of this expression of hope and offered to introduce dyarohy in his State on the model of Cochin and full responsible government ten years later, and asked Mr. Dhebar, who was to be chairman of the committee, whether he would accept the offer. Mr. Dhebar could not give a definitive answer on his own account and therefore went to Bombay to consult with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It is hardly possible that the Sardar will advise the Rajkot people to agree to the offer, as they had been promised full responsible government immediately. Mahatma Gandhi, it seems clear, on his return from Calcutta, would insist upon full implementation of the promise, and as he has secured the help of the Paramount Power in this respect there is no doubt but that he will gain his and, whatever temporary set-backs he meets with before the final goal is reached.

TODAY THAT DAY : 28 APRIL 1949

BOLD AND MOMENTOUS, SAYS PATEL

REACTION was generally favourable to-day to India's new association with the Commonwealth.

The Indian Congress news paper, "Hindustan Times," said that in a quiet businesslike way the Commonwealth Prime Ministers had made history, not only for their group of nations but for the world.

"If there is genuine co-operation and give and take, the association of a fourth of the human race may lead the way to the redemption of the world from the perpetual dread of conflicts and wars and its transformation into a commonwealth of the human race," the paper added.

Sardar Patel, Indian Deputy Prime Minister, commented "Bold and momentous."

He paid tributes to the "full understanding" shown by Britain and the Dominions of India's attitude and acknowledged their "assistance and co-operation."

"We have all taken this step in hope and with faith in the bonafides of each other. The future will show how far that hope and that faith can be fulfilled." he added.

The Canadian Parliament greeted the Commonwealth decisions with thunderous applause, it was reported from Ottawa.

Other comments were: "Bombay Free Press JOurnal" "Wait and see."

"Calcutta Amrit Bazar Patrika": "A partnership which in no way mortgages India's future."

"New York Times":"It is an historic step, not only in the progress of Commonwealth, but in setting a limit to Communist conquest and opening up the prospects of a wider defence system than the Atlantic pact."

Mr. Herbert Morrison read the India declaration in the House of Commons to-day. There will be no immediate debate on the declaration, which was read merely to get it on the Parliamentary record, writes a Lobby correspondent.

In due course, however, a motion to approve it will probably be moved in both Houses of Parliament.

TODAY THAT DAY : 23 MARCH 1931

APPEAL FAILS

Sentence of Death

INDIAN MURDER

Calcutta, March 23,

The Lahore High Court rejected the appeal of Bhagat Singh and Rajguru and Sukhdev against the sentence of death in connection with the murder of Mr. Curtis, the police officer, at Lahore, last year.

It is likely that the men will be executed to-morrow morning.

The failure of the efforts to obtain commutation of the sentence created a tense feeling in Congress circles throughout India, and the Bombay Provincial Congress Committee passed a resolution urging a restart of the civil disobedience campaign if the men are executed.

A Karachi report states that if the sentence is carried out one of the principal leaders, who till now, favoured Congress co-operation in the forthcoming Round Table Conference, will refuse to participate in it.

Mahatma Gandhi has asked that all demonstrations cease if the men are executed.

TODAY THAT DAY : 08 MARCH 1930

VICEROY WARNS MR. GANDHI

"Campaign Bound to Involve Violation of Law."

GAOL FOR CHIEF ADVISOR

Civil Disobedience March May Begin To-day.

The Viceroy has replied as follows to Mr. Gandhi's threat to start a civil disobedience campaign in India on March 12 : -

Dear Mr. Gandhi,

His Excellency the Viceroy desires me to acknowledge your letter of March 2.

He regrets to learn that you contemplate a course of action which is clearly bound to involve a violation of the law and a danger to public peace.

Yours very truly,

G. Cunningham - Private Secretary.

Mr. V. Patel, Gandhi's principal lieutenant, was imprisoned yesterday (07-03-1930) for disobeying the order prohibiting public speech. Mr. Gandhi says now that he may give the orders to begin the "Civil disobedience" march to-day or tomorrow. Mr. Gandhi also calls for a "HARTAL" (complete cessation of work) today.

In the Legislative Assembly yesterday a motion of censure on the Government was defeated by 50 votes to 31. During the debate Sir James Crerar (the Home Member) repeated the Government's warning that every means would be used to preserve law and order.

The opposition leader, the Pandit Malaviya, said that if the Government would agree to give Dominion status to India as the result of any conference, he would induce Mr. Gandhi to stop civil disobedience campaign.

GANDHI's PLANS

Appeal for Peaceful "HARTAL" Today.

A message from Borsad states that Mr. Vallabhai Patel, one of the Gandhi's most prominent lieutenants, and a brother of Mr. Patel, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, was arrested today at Ras, in the Borsad Taluk.

He was charged with disobeying the order prohibiting public speech. He was convicted and sentenced to three months simple imprisonment and to pay a fine of 500 rupees, or in default to a further three week's imprisonment. He has been taken to the gaol at Sabarmati.

Mr. Vallabhbhai Patel is one of the leaders in the civil disobedience campaign, and played the most prominent part in the Bardoli agitations.

On receipt of a telegraph informing him of the arrest and imprisonment of Mr. Patel, Mr. Gandhi said that the news should be heartily welcomed. He added that he might have to revise his plans for marching with the first batch of volunteers, as he might give the marching orders for tomorrow or Sunday.

Mr. Gandhi has issued a public appeal to the mill-owners, mill workers, shopkeepers and all citizens, to observe a peaceful hartal (complete cessation of work) tomorrow, "in celebration of the incarceration of the uncrowned King of Gujarat." --Reuter

TODAY THAT DAY : 01 MARCH 1930

AN UNPRECEDENTED WAR.

Starts in a Few Days.

WHAT MR.V. PATEL PROMISES FOR INDIA

Ahmedabad, Saturday Reuters --

A war unprecedented in the history of the world will begin in a few days, and a beginning will be made in Gujarat.

said Mr. Vallabhbhai Patel, Mr. Gandhi's chief Lieutenant, and leader of the no-tax fiasco in Bardoli last year, in an address at a public meeting held at Broach today, on the eve of the launching of the civil disobedience campaign.

Those who are afraid of death, he added, should go on pilgrimage, and those possessed of riches should go to foreign countries.

VACHAN

આ દેશમાં વચનનો મહિમા અનાદિકાળથી ચાલ્યો આવે છે. વચન ખાતર રાજા રામે રાજપાટ છોડ્યાં. એવા લોકો જ્યાં રહે છે ત્યાં જ ભગવાનનો વાસ હોય છે. એવી વિભૂતિની તપશ્ચર્યા જ આપણી શક્તિ વધારે છે.

THE SARDAR'S ARREST AT RAS

After the Congress had approved the Complete Independence Resolution, at its Lahore Session, the Working Committee directed that the 26th of January, 1930 should be celebrated throughout the country as Independence Day. Accordingly, in every city, and in thousands of villages, meetings were held and at those gatherings large numbers of people formally took the pledge of Complete Independence. Thus ran the concluding part of the pledge :

We hold it to be a crime against man and God to submit any longer to a rule that has caused this four-fold (economic, political, cultural and spiritual) disaster to our country. We recognize, however, that the most effective way of gaining our freedom is not through violence. We will, therefore, prepare ourselves by withdrawing, so far as we can, all voluntary association from the British Government and will prepare for civil disobedience, including non-payment of taxes. We are convinced that if we can but withdraw our voluntary help and stop payment of taxes without doing violence, even under provocation, the end of this inhuman rule is assured. We, therefore, hereby solemnly resolve to carry out the Congress instructions issued from time to time for the purpose of establishing Poorna Swaraj.

To be continued...