8/10/2019 The Tribune TT 15 August 2014 Page 9

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lahore,saturday,august15, 1914

The Significance of Indian and British unityIT has been reserved for Sir Pheroze Shah M. Mehta, who is lovinglycalled the uncrowned king of Bombay, to give free expression to the

one feeling which now dominates the minds of all the many differentraces who inhabit this great country and who owe willing and unques-

tioned allegiance to British Crown. In his brief and telling speech at

the Town Hall meeting on Thursday evening he said: "At this junctureof supreme gravity we have met together here to-day in this public

hall of different races and religions, of different creeds and communi-ties English and Hindu, Parsi and Musalman to proclaim with

one heart, one soul and one mind that these differences distinguishbut do not divide us, and that in the presence of this solemn situation

we are merged in one general and universal denomination, the prouddenomination of loyal and devoted subjects of the British Crown."

Recall of officers on leaveIT is certainly the right thing that the Government of India hascalled back all I.C.S. men and police officers now on leave in Eng-

land to resume duty at once in India. At a time of storm and stressevery body should be at his post. We understand that the Punjab

officers now at home on leave will all be back by the first week ofSeptember. When they have returned the question of posting themwill be one of importance. One thing that should be borne in mind

in this connection is that important districts should be placed incharge of men who are well known for their tact and experience,

men who possess cool heads and large hearts. The proper thingwould be to appoint men, both civilians and police officers, to dis-

tricts where they are well-known, loved and respected.

ACROSS

1 Disposed to say li ttle (8)5 Trudge (4)9 Before anything else (5)10 Plentiful (7)11 In excellent condition (5,

2, 1, 4)13 Wily (6)14 C arry to excess (6)17 Visionary, impractical (12)

20 Counsellor (7)21 Thing exactly like another (5)22 Every one separately (4)23 Campaigner (8)

DOWN

1 Widespread (4)2 Eventuate (4,3)3 Spirited interchange of

views (3,3,6)

4 A delicious drink (6)6 Inexact (5)7 Refuse to sanction (8)8 Be very significant (5,7)12 Deliberate malicious

damage (8)15 Told (7)16 Intense dislike (6)18 Great disorder (5)19 Scorch (4)

YESTERDAYSSOLUTION

Across1 To speak of, 8Large, 9 Pinnace,10 Fulfil, 11 Metier,12 Anathema, 15Ethereal, 18Thanks, 20 Enfold,21 Seaside, 22Cross, 23 Hit-or-mmiss.

Down2 Opine, 3 Pundit,4 Accurate, 5Flaunt, 6 Proffer, 7Tell tales, 11 Makepeace, 13 All thego, 14 Chiffon, 16Relish, 17 Hansom,19 Kudos.

Yesterdays solution calendarAUGUST 15, 2014, FRIDAY

Shri Vikrami Samvat 2071

Shaka Samvat 1936 (Sharavan Shaka 24)

Shravan Parviste 31

Hijari 1435

Krishan Paksha tithi 5, up to 7.53 am

Shula yoga up to 1.54 pm

Revti Nakshatra up to 11.05 am

Moon enters in Pisces sign at 11.05 am

Panchak ends at 11.05 am

Independence Day

Chandans Shasthi vart.

quick crossword su do ku forecaston this day... 100 years ago

Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy Rainy

CITY MAX MIN

Chandigarh 34 27

New Delhi 35 27PUNJAB

Amritsar 36 27

Bathinda 36 26

Jalandhar 35 27Ludhiana 36 28

Patiala 35 27HARYANA

Ambala 34 27

Bhiwani 37 27

Hisar 37 27

Karnal 36 28

Sirsa 36 26HIMACHAL PRADESH

Dharamsala 26 16

Manali 24 16

Nahan 26 18

Shimla 22 16

Solan 27 20JAMMU & KASHMIR

Jammu 33 23

Leh 31 18

Srinagar 32 18

UTTARAKHAND

Dehradun 30 23

Mussoorie 22 16

Nainital 22 17

SUNSET: FRIDAY 7.05 PM

SUNRISE: SATURDAY 5.50 AM

TEMPERATUREIN OC

1 8 5 4 9 7 2 3 6

6 9 3 8 5 2 4 7 1

7 4 2 3 6 1 8 5 9

5 3 7 9 4 6 1 2 8

9 1 6 2 3 8 5 4 7

8 2 4 1 7 5 6 9 3

2 6 9 5 1 3 7 8 4

3 5 1 7 8 4 9 6 2

4 7 8 6 2 9 3 1 5

1 5 3

7 8

2 6 4

7 2

9 6 1 2

5 8

7 8 3

9 8

8 5 9

THE TRIBUNECHANDIGARH | FRIDAY | 15 AUGUST2014 09OPED-HISTORY

Raghuvendra Tanwar

THE 20th century will berecorded in the annals of world

history for some hugely impor-tant events. Many of these

have left imprints that transformed theworld and its people. The two World

Wars (1914-19 and 1939-45); the two rev-olutions, Russia (1917) and China

(1949); the use of atomic weapons; land-ing man on the moon and the scientificadvances that followed; the microchip,

adult franchise, the list goes on. Theworld we live in today is very different

from the world of a time when imperi-alism and colonialism were respectable

terms. India's struggle for freedomand its final victory sounded in a way

the first call that would in the course oftime demolish the concept of colonial

empires. As country after country fol-lowed India in discarding their colo-

nial yokes 1947 became iconic in thecontext of freedom and nationalistic

aspirations not just on the subconti-nent, but virtually all across thecolonised world. In this sense partic-

ularly for the younger generation, it isimportant to remember that 15 August,

1947 is a date significant not only inour history but in the history of the

colonised world.

The summer of 1947Even though India's fight for freedom

was a long and arduous struggle, it wasduring the summer of 1947 that India's

political destiny was truly written. TheBritish officialdom in India were as

tired and exhausted as the Indian lead-ers. As much also remains unex-plained, students of history continue

to search in the dark for answers to keydecisions, awaiting key files to be

made accessible.By the first week of August an esti-

mated 150,000 people had already beenkilled in the Punjab and, the worst was

yet to come. However, in Delhi,notwithstanding the calls for boycott by

many people, the tempo for the Inde-pendence Day celebrations had begun

to speed up from the beginning ofAugust itself.

In the East Punjab, however, the situ-ation was quite different. There pre-

vailed almost a complete lack of enthu-siasm among the common people inmost parts. Officially, the government

of East Punjab issued instructions to allthe 12 deputy commissioners on how

celebrations were to be organised.Every district was to organise a main

function which was to be attended by allofficials where the new flag of the

Republic was to be saluted. Arrange-ments were to be made for illuminating

important government buildings. InLahore, Muddie was sworn in as Gover-

nor of Punjab at 10.45 am, on August 15,1947. Even as Lahore was being over-

run by violence a great part of the atten-tion and effort of senior functionaries ofthe government was being devoted to

arranging a grand event in the Ball-room of Government House. The invi-

tation card carried details of dresses tobe worn and elaborate protocol that was

to be followed. As Muddie took oath ofoffice with bands and salutes, sounds of

gun fire, looting and screaming anddark clouds of smoke from burning

buildings formed the backdrop.There is an interesting story of how

August 15 was chosen by Mountbattenfor the formal transfer of power. Not

having been in India long enough torealise that the opinion of astrologers

usually played an important role inthe choice of dates and time for impor-

tant events, Mountbatten chose

August 15 for the simple reason that itwas on this day that Japan had surren-

dered to the Allied Forces markingthe end of World War II (1945). Mount-

batten knew that the rationalist Nehruwould be hap py ignoring astrologer s

even though a great many of the otherCongress titans were firmly commit-

ted to astrology. In his Personal Report

(No 16 August 9, 1947), Mountbatten

writes: the astrologer s are beingrather tiresome, since both August 13

and 15 have been declared inauspi-cious The Viceroy noted with asmut that: luckily the Constituent

Assembly has go t over this by decid-ing to meet before midnight August

14. Mountbatten was as we know agreat believer in pomp and pageantry.

The dramatics of handing over power

at midnight fascinated the Viceroy.

Thus came to be the memorable cere-mony and Nehru's speech in the cen-

tral hall of Parliament, as theworld sleeps India will

Indias first CabinetThe formation of free India's firstCabinet finds an interesting reference

in Mountbatten's Personal Reports

(Report No 15, August 2, 1947). In the

first week of August (1947), Delhi wasfull of stories of who would make it tothe Cabinet and who would be left out.

Mountbatten was keen that Nehrumust choose young and imaginative

people for his Cabinet rather than oldCongressmen: I told him unless he

got rid of a lot of top weights likeRajagopalachari and Maulana Azad

he would find himself hampered. I

told him Bhabha and Mathai shouldboth be kept since they were extreme-

ly able and fearless. I told him BaldevSingh appeared unsatisfactory (for

Defence) even though I realized hewas the o nly Sikh. Mountbatte n, i n

fact, suggested that Rajendra Prasadshould be a very good Speaker. The

Report says Nehru agreed, but he(Nehru) felt, there was a: remarkable

dearth of good young men, to take upsuch responsibility. Nehru is quotedas saying: he would induct some

young people as Deputy Ministersand Parliamentary Secretaries to give

them experience. Later Nehru wentto his colleagues in the party who had

already drawn up a list of their own.Nehru tore up the list.

Some days later, just before Mountbat-ten was to leave for the midnight cere-

mony (August 14), Nehru called onMountbatte n: And you Sir, have cho-

sen me as your Prime Minister andthere is the Cabinet which I submit to

you, (handing over to Mountbatten anenvelope). When Mountbatten openedthe envelope it contained only a blank

sheet of paper. On seeing Mountbatten'samazement Nehru lightly remarked:

You and I have been through this sooften it doesn't matter. You and I have

agreed who it is going to be.Both the national flag and the nation-

al anthem find interesting entries in theViceroy's private papers. The p rospect

of lowering the Union Jack (the flag ofGreat Britain) for the last time in India

appears to have been weighing on theViceroy. The Viceroy's Personal Report

(No 17) for August 16, 1947 (para 67)reads: At 6 pm the great event of the

day was to take place the salutationof the new Dominion Flag. This pro-gramme had originally included a cere-

monial lowering of the Union Jack, butwhen I discussed this with Nehru he

entirely agreed that this was a day theywanted everybody to be happy and if

the lowering of the Union Jack in anyway offended British sensibilities, he

would certainly see that it did not takeplace. With regard to the national

anthem even as late as August 7, theagenda item to decide on the national

anthem had listed Bande Matram.There are numerous versions of how

and when it was changed. But from ini-tial responses of senior leaders the deci-sion to change the national anthem

appears not to have been well-received.

First brush with democracyThe main function was planned for

about 30,000 but over 300,000 actuallyturned up. Democracy India-style gave

its first picture. Crowds stormed theseating reserved for dignitaries. Never

had the British system of protocol failedso badly. The Viceroy and Lady Mount-

batten found themselves among com-mon people, with the August heat and

the crowd combining to create a lethalcombination. All the carefully workedout details were swept aside. Mountbat-

ten virtually shouted the order to hoistthe Tricolour.

As the Tricolour was hoisted, a thun-derous roar came up from the crowd.

So much was the noise that the soundof the saluting guns, seemed a whim-

per. Some reports noted the sight of arainbow the colours of which bore a

stark resemblance to the Tricolour.Such was the hysteria that Nehru actu-

ally sat cross-legged on the bonnet ofhis vehicle, finding it impossible to get

in on the way back. Indian crowdsbeing what they are soon raised slogans

- Pandit Mountbatten ki jai. If any-thing, the ceremony and confusion that

followed showed that the British hadgot away with their honour and dignity

unharmed. As Cambell Johnson in hisimportant work noted: After 200 years

Britain has conquered India, referringas he was to the crowd's response.

From the Minutes of the Viceroy'sStaff Meeting (No 65), of July 28, 1947,

comes another amusing incident. TheViceroy issued instructions for a grand

dinner and reception which was to fol-low the midnight ceremony of August14-15. For the first time the convention

of raising a toast to the King Emperorwas to be changed to merely the

Health of the King. Many years later,Mountbatten remarked: ...to drink

port at 2 am, in a toast to the King ofEngland at the dawn of India's Inde-

pendence was quite something...At some stage Mountbatten appears to

have been of the impression that bothNehru and Gandhi had agreed to have

on the Indian Union's flag, even if in asymbolic manner, the Union Jack.

Mountbatten was reasonably sure thatthe Congress would accept the idea andin believing so had, ready on his table a

design of the proposed flag when Nehrucame to meet him on June 24. It is dif-

ficult to know what Nehru thought orhow he reacted mentally to the propos-

al, but certainly the gentleman thatNehru was, he did not show any

response to Mountbatten. Nehru eventook the design with him on the

grounds that he would discuss the mat-ter with other leaders. Mountbatten

even appears to have thought that asimilar proposal might carry conviction

with Jinnah as well.Jinnah of course was blunt and

straightforward when a similar propos-al was put up to him. In a note append-ed to the proceedings of this meeting,

Mountbatten recorded that whileNehru said that extremists in the Con-

gress would not agree, Jinnah saidthat it would be repugnant to the feel-

ings of Muslims to have the Christiancross alongside the crescent. The

same document also shows that atsome earlier stage Mountbatten had

also reached a decision with seniorIndian leaders that even after August

15, (1947) the Union Jack would beflown in India on special occasions.

What Gandhi feltAny reference to the last days of

British rule and the first days of ourIndependence cannot but end without

a reference to the great man himself.Even though Mahatma Gandhi was as

Robert Payne put it: ..like a mountainand Nehru like a blade of grass..,

Gandhi died a sad man, disillusionedand disenchanted. Soon after Mount-

batten had been requested to acceptthe office of Governor-General, Gand-

hi called on him: I wanted to let youknow, you must please give an exam-

ple. We are a poor country. The Britishruled with tremendous show ofpanoply and ceremony if you are

Head of State you must come downand be humble and live in a small

house with your wife be accessiblelike I. Mountbatten remarked: And

what do we do with this magnificenthouse which cost a fortune to build.

Ah! That, Gandhiji replied, shouldbe turned into a hospital. Mountbat-

ten tried to explain that the place wasnot planned and therefore not suitable

to be a hospital. Gandhiji then said:You must find some use for it move

out as an example. We must all live ona much lower scale.

The writer is Senior Professor, Department of History,

Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra.

Past forward: Revisiting August 15, 1947Even thoughIndias fight forfreedom was along and arduousstruggle, it wasfinally during thesummer of 1947that Indiaspolitical destinywas truly written.A walk downhistory lanerecreates theevents of themilestone day.

Reliving historySome people were even

hoarding the Tricolourand selling it in the blackmarket.

Over 300 flag-hoistingceremonies wereplanned for Delhi alone.

The complete lack ofenthusiasm amongPunjabis stands outrepeatedly in the appealsmade by Congressleaders to celebrateAugust 15.

The widespread gloomand sadness thatprevailed across Punjabappears to have in noway interfered with thepomp and pageantry inDelhi and Karachi andeven Lahore.

Even as Lahore wasbeing overrun byviolence, a great part ofthe attention and effort ofsenior functionaries ofthe government wasbeing devoted toarranging a grand eventin the Ballroom ofGovernment House.

A grand dinner and reception was to follow the ceremony. For the firsttime the convention of raising a toast to the King emperor was to bechanged to merely the Health of the King.Many years later,Mounbatten remarked:... to drink port at 2 am, in a toast to the Kingof England at dawn of Indias Independence was quite something.

Lord and Lady Mountbatten in the midst of euphoric crowds on the way to the main

function of Independence Day, 1947. Photo courtesy: Alex Von Tunzelmann, Indian Summer

Lady Mountbatten with Prime Minister

Jawaharlal Nehru at the farewell dinner for

the Mounbattens. Photo courtesy: Nehru

Memorial Museum & Library

The historic press conference on June 4,

1947, when transfer of power was formally

announced. Photo: Transfer of Power

Jawaharlal Nehru being sworn in as the Prime Minister by Lord Mountbatten on August

15, 1947. Photo courtesy: VP Menon, The Transfer of Power 1957