“LETTER T0 J. L.
MAFFEY
ON THE TRAIN,
May
18, 1918
In full
confidence that the request contained in my letter of the 29th will be
accepted, I am busy making recruiting preparations. But I shall not commence
work before I have your reply.
(From the
manuscript of Mahadev Desai’s Diary. Courtesy: Narayan Desai)”
The follow-up letter of
Gandhi’s given below is written after he announced the Government concessions.
“SABARMATI,
May
30, 1918
DEAR
MR. CRERAR,
I have just received Mr. Maffey’s letter
in which he refers me to His Excellency the Governor regarding the offer of my
services which I made immediately after the Conference at
Delhi. . . . Will
you kindly let me know His Excellency’s wishes regarding my offer and the
suggestions made in my letter to Mr. Maffey in so far as they refer to Kaira?
Yours
sincerely,
M.
K. GANDHI
(India Office
Judicial and Public Records: 3412/18)
What
was the Government answer to Gandhi’s oh-so-generous offer to be a
“recruiting-agent-in-chief” and persistence in getting a reply?
James Crerar, Secretary to the Governor of Bombay,
has this to say in his June 1 letter in acknowledgment of Gandhi’s letter:
“His
Excellency will cordially welcome your co-operation, which he hopes will be
directed more particularly to the encouragement of recruiting in the Northern Division . . . As
suggested in your letter of April 30th to Mr. Maffey, he will be glad, when the
organizations which will, it is hoped, result from the Conference, have been set
on foot, to indicate in more detail the directions in which you services can be
most profitably utilized.
As regards the revenue situation in
Kaira, His Excellency considers that this, like all other questions of internal
administration, must be dealt with separately on its merits, and that there
should be no confusion of issues in regard to the great and urgent purposes of
the Conference, but a whole-hearted and united effort without distinction of
race, class or creed. He feels sure that you will concur in this view and by
your example and influence support his endeavour to secure the most complete
unanimity and co-operation which the present grave crisis requires.”
So the Government happily accepted Gandhi’s
recruiting services, while declining to make any concessions for his Kheda
satyagraha . . . !
This might have left Gandhi in a fix, but fortunately
for him, he was able to resurrect the meager concessions the Government had
granted on April 20, 1918—just days before his proposed bargain with the
Viceroy!
That Gandhi was unaware of these concessions until
many days later is clear from his speech below. This is what he says, on June
6, 1918, addressing the people of Kheda (after getting the Government response
to his “recruitment” offer and their stand on Kheda):
“Orders
were issued to all Mamlatdars on the 25th April that no pressure should be put
on those unable to pay. Their attention was again drawn to these orders in a
proper circular issued by me on the 22nd of May and to ensure that proper
effect was given to them, the Mamlatdars were advised to divide the defaulters
in each village into two classes, those who could pay and those who were unable
to pay on account of poverty.
If this was so, why
were these orders not published to the people? Had they known them on the 25th
April what sufferings would they not have been saved from!”
There is a distinct
note of aggrievement in these words!
How pathetic these concessions were is obvious in
the “catch” therein. Who was to decide which defaulters were to be classified
as “poor”—the Government! Also,
“The
Mamlatdar’s order, to the effect that the rich agriculturists of the village
should pay up their dues and the poor khatedars
would be given a suspension of the assessment till the next year, was
read out by the talati.”
There was a time limit to the relief granted to the
“poor”!
But Gandhi grabbed avidly at the concessions and
declared a successful satyagraha. As Keer says in his biography (page 270):
“On April 20 the Collector had
given orders granting total remission to those who were poor. But it was left
to the Government officers to determine who were poor, and the terms were
repeated on May 22 to Mamlatdars in the district. Gandhi avidly clung to the
offer and agreed to it.”
What
was the actual result of this “successful” satyagraha?
“Only 8 percent of the land revenue was in arrears
and most of it was subsequently recovered. Yet Gandhi thought he had won a
victory! . . .
Which satyagraha by Gandhi fulfilled the essentials
of a complete triumph? His much-trumpeted victory did not bring any material
remission of land revenue.”
Read
excerpts from Gandhi’s letter to see what was actually taking place there:
“51. LETTER TO J. KER
NADIAD,
June 8, 1918
DEAR
MR. KER,
I
addressed a big meeting in Nadiad and explained the settlement. The speakers
got up one after another and then said that executions and forfeiture orders
still continued. . . . In Wadthal three writs have been recently
issued for the collection of chothai to all intents and purposes. It is
claimed that the first proceeds of a sale were credited in the chothai column.
Surely this was wrong. If you restore this to the revenue column there is
nothing due. Should these executions not be withdrawn? In three cases in
Wadthal forfeiture notices have been issued.
Two
men are ready to pay the assessment. Should not these orders be cancelled
against payment? In the third case the holder is dead. The holder was in
strained circumstances. The heir is still less able to pay. I trust that in
this case forfeiture will be cancelled and suspension granted on the ground of
poverty. I have approached the Mamlatdar regarding these cases. He says he
cannot grant relief without your orders.
In
Nadiad a holder owed only two annas on account of principal. He tendered the
amount and asked for return of his pots which were distrained. The Mamlatdar
refused to restore the pots unless chothai was paid. The holder has paid
the chothai under protest and prevented the threatened sale of his pots.
Should not chothai be refunded in this case?
Orders
of forfeiture have been issued in Sinnaj also and payments offered after the
date of settlement have not been accepted.
Yours
sincerely,
M.
K. GANDHI
From a copy: C.W. 10698. Courtesy:
Chhaganlal Gandhi”
There are more of such letters written by Gandhi in
the following days.
Follow my blog tomorrow to see how Gandhi starts a
furious campaign of recruiting Indians for the WWI.
Anurupa
Mahatma Gandhi Facts: Gandhi Revealed.
No comments:
Post a Comment