01-18-2008, 07:33 AM
Did Gandhi make Nehru Indiaâs first Prime Minister?
If Rajmohan Gandhi is to be believed, the answer is yes.
â¦Four years later, in the summer of 1946, after Quit India movement and long and bitter spells in prison for Gandhi, Vallabhbhai, Nehru, Azad, Prasad and tens of thousands of others (Rajagopalachari had disagreed with Quit India and was not arrested), it was time to choose a Congress president again. Extended by several years because of Congress rebellion against the Raj, Azadâs term, begun in 1940, had ended. Who would follow Azad? The question was of more than usual interest because premier Clement Attlee of Britain had declared that Britain was quitting India and sent three cabinet ministers to arrange the withdrawal, which meant that Azadâs successor was likely to become the first Prime Minister. Azad desired reelection, a fact that agonized his close friend Jawaharlal, who had his hopes and claims. Vallabhbhai was also involved, for twelve of the fifteen provincial Congress committees had proposed his name. The names of Kriplani and Pattabhi , too, had been suggested.
The twenty-ninth of April, 1946, had been fixed as the last date for receiving nominations. On 20 April, Gandhi wrote Azad as follows, enclosing a newspaper report that claimed that Azad was willing to serve again but Gandhi was against the idea:
Please go through the enclosed cuttingâ¦When one or two Working Committee asked for my opinion, I said it would not be right for the President to continue another term⦠If you are of the same opinion, you may issue a statement about the cutting to say that you have no intention of becoming the president again, It is but proper that another person should now be the president.
If asked, I would prefer Jawaharlal in todayâs circumstances. I have reasons for them. Why go into them?
The trouble was that no provincial committee had proposed Nehruâs name. Learning of Gandhiâs wishes, Kriplani ââsent a paper roundâ on 25 April, proposing Nehruâs name and obtained the signatures of several Working Committee members and also of some Dlehi members of AICC. Fifteen valid signatures sufficed for Nehruâs nomination; in deference to Gandhâs wishes, Patel, Kriplani and Pattabhi withdrew; and Jawaharlal was duly elected president.
A small but important incident was, however, part of the exercise. Before signing his statement of withdrawal, Vallabhbhai handed it to Gandhi , who shows it to Jawaharlal, saying, ââNo PCC has put forward your name, only the Working Committee has.â Nehru, it seems, responded with âcomplete silence.â Returning the paper to Patel, Gandhi asked him to sign it. Vallabhbhai signed it at once.
Why did Gandhi show the sheet to Nehru and say what he did? Was he giving Jawaharlal an opportunity to withdraw? A more likely reason is that Gandhi wanted Nehru to recognize Patelâs strength in the party and the dimension of his sacrifice. As in 1936, Gandhi wanted Nehru to understand that his election and weightage for Patel went together.[Rajmohan Gandhi; The Good Boatman: A Portrait of Gandhi]
For those more interested in understanding Gandhi, Nehru and Patel and their relationship which shaped much of India as we know her today, I would highly recommend V.B Kulkarniâs The Indian triumvirate: A political biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Pandit Nehru.
If Rajmohan Gandhi is to be believed, the answer is yes.
â¦Four years later, in the summer of 1946, after Quit India movement and long and bitter spells in prison for Gandhi, Vallabhbhai, Nehru, Azad, Prasad and tens of thousands of others (Rajagopalachari had disagreed with Quit India and was not arrested), it was time to choose a Congress president again. Extended by several years because of Congress rebellion against the Raj, Azadâs term, begun in 1940, had ended. Who would follow Azad? The question was of more than usual interest because premier Clement Attlee of Britain had declared that Britain was quitting India and sent three cabinet ministers to arrange the withdrawal, which meant that Azadâs successor was likely to become the first Prime Minister. Azad desired reelection, a fact that agonized his close friend Jawaharlal, who had his hopes and claims. Vallabhbhai was also involved, for twelve of the fifteen provincial Congress committees had proposed his name. The names of Kriplani and Pattabhi , too, had been suggested.
The twenty-ninth of April, 1946, had been fixed as the last date for receiving nominations. On 20 April, Gandhi wrote Azad as follows, enclosing a newspaper report that claimed that Azad was willing to serve again but Gandhi was against the idea:
Please go through the enclosed cuttingâ¦When one or two Working Committee asked for my opinion, I said it would not be right for the President to continue another term⦠If you are of the same opinion, you may issue a statement about the cutting to say that you have no intention of becoming the president again, It is but proper that another person should now be the president.
If asked, I would prefer Jawaharlal in todayâs circumstances. I have reasons for them. Why go into them?
The trouble was that no provincial committee had proposed Nehruâs name. Learning of Gandhiâs wishes, Kriplani ââsent a paper roundâ on 25 April, proposing Nehruâs name and obtained the signatures of several Working Committee members and also of some Dlehi members of AICC. Fifteen valid signatures sufficed for Nehruâs nomination; in deference to Gandhâs wishes, Patel, Kriplani and Pattabhi withdrew; and Jawaharlal was duly elected president.
A small but important incident was, however, part of the exercise. Before signing his statement of withdrawal, Vallabhbhai handed it to Gandhi , who shows it to Jawaharlal, saying, ââNo PCC has put forward your name, only the Working Committee has.â Nehru, it seems, responded with âcomplete silence.â Returning the paper to Patel, Gandhi asked him to sign it. Vallabhbhai signed it at once.
Why did Gandhi show the sheet to Nehru and say what he did? Was he giving Jawaharlal an opportunity to withdraw? A more likely reason is that Gandhi wanted Nehru to recognize Patelâs strength in the party and the dimension of his sacrifice. As in 1936, Gandhi wanted Nehru to understand that his election and weightage for Patel went together.[Rajmohan Gandhi; The Good Boatman: A Portrait of Gandhi]
For those more interested in understanding Gandhi, Nehru and Patel and their relationship which shaped much of India as we know her today, I would highly recommend V.B Kulkarniâs The Indian triumvirate: A political biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, and Pandit Nehru.