It is your sacred duty to protect the person, property and honour of everyone. You should strike down the offender, even though he belongs to your own community.
Those were the words of the administrative head of a province marred by sectarian violence that came with the Partition. He was addressing law enforcers.
On Tuesday, his grandson reminded a Kolkata audience of the key role C. Rajagopalachari played in taming the violence.
The tenure of Rajagopalachari — statesman, freedom fighter and a staunch Gandhian — as Bengal’s first governor was the subject of a talk delivered by Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the state’s 22nd governor from 2004 to 2009.
The title of the Bengal Club Library talk, in association with The Telegraph, was “Rajaji in Raj Bhavan — Calcutta: 1947-48”.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi, a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Rajaji, began with Jayaprakash Narayan’s glowing tribute to Rajaji after his death.
“Jayaprakash Narayan, speaking a few weeks after Rajaji’s death in 1972, said that the Gandhi constellation comprised five stars — Gandhi himself, (Jawaharlal) Nehru, (Vallabhbhai) Patel, (Maulana Abul Kalam) Azad and Rajaji. JP said that of these five, Rajaji shone brightest as a mental phenomenon,” he said.
When he took charge as Bengal’s governor, India had attained Independence but at the cost of the Partition. Bengal was mired in communal violence, prompting Gandhi to camp in Kolkata, where he stayed in Hyderi Manzil in Beliaghata.
The Mahatma started a fast to put a leash on the violence.
“Rajaji motors to Hyderi Manzil. He asks Gandhiji if his fasting would have any effect on goondas.... Gandhiji says I shall fast. But as is his practice with fast, Gandhi tries to add some drops of sour limes and salt to his water. When Rajaji requests him not to fast, Gandhiji says he has left his fate in God’s hands. Rajaji… says if you have left your fate in God’s hands, then why are you adding sour limes…. Right, says Gandhi, I will not add sour limes,” Gopalkrishna Gandhi said.
“He turned to the public and asked them to create conditions that would make the 78-year-old break his fast,” he said.
On the third day of Gandhiji’s fast, Rajaji had issued an “emphatic appeal” to the police and military.
“Addressing soldiers, officials and constables, the governor says: ‘It is your sacred duty to protect the person, property and honour of everyone. You should strike down the offender, even though he belongs to your own community…” Gopalkrishna Gandhi said.
Before the talk, neurosurgeon Sandip Chatterjee pointed out a coincidence.
“We have a guest born on April 22, who was the 22nd governor of this state,” he said.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi said: “Apart from the coincidences that Dr Chatterjee has mentioned, the fact that a former governor of West Bengal should be speaking on the first governor of West Bengal on a day when the new governor of West Bengal has come to Kolkata is an act of grace.”
C.V. Ananda Bose is due to take over as West Bengal’s governor on Wednesday.