26 January - Republic Day

Extracts from the speech of Shri Sri Prakasa, Governor of Bombay on the occasion of Republic Day (Broadcast recorded at Nagpur on Wednesday, January 20, 1960)

My Brothers and Sisters,

Once more the glad occasion of our Republic Day has come; and once more on this historic date of January 26, we throw our minds back to the long decades of our struggle for Freedom, and particularly to the decade that closes to-day, during which we have functioned as a Sovereign Democratic Republic, as architects and arbiters of our own national destiny. I greet you all, citizens of the State of Bombay, and send you my best wishes for a year of healthful and joyous endeavour in the cause of our own well-being so that when this day comes round again, we might take stock of our achievements, and be able honestly to congratulate ourselves on our tasks well done.

….When first I addressed you soon after taking charge of my present office, I dilated on the fact that we were a bilingual State; and to us was entrusted the great task of making it a success so that we might be able to encourage other similar unions to take place in the land, and be bulwark against any fissiparious tendencies that might tend to endanger our unity and our solidarity. This was on this date in the year 1957. In 1958 on the self-same date, I ventured to draw the attention of my brothers and sisters to the extreme necessity of looking after their homes so that these may be truly happy and healthy centres of domestic and social life, and build up the succeeding generations in an atmosphere of true patriotism and social service. A year later in 1959, I made a personal appeal so that every single individual might be encouraged to examine himself; and by overcoming his drawbacks, make himself a truly worthy citizen of the great Republic fulfilling all his duties to himself, his family,  his society and his country.

I anxiously think to-day of what further I could usefully say. So far as my talk about the bilingual State was concerned, we all know that despite the best efforts of our leaders, it was not possible to overcome the popular sentiment that here too, we should have unilingual States just as we have in the rest of the country. It has now been decided that within a few month’s time, that is as soon as the necessary formalities and preliminaries are fulfilled, we should have separate Maharashtra and Gujarat States. The situation is beyond the realms of argument, for sentiment has to be taken into consideration, and the wishes of the majority fulfilled in a democracy. I may only hope that all the problems that arise at a time like this, would be peacefully and harmoniously resolved, and that the new States would function in an atmosphere of complete mutual friendliness and goodwill. The State of Bombay has always been noted for its progressive thought and activity; and has ever been in the forefront of national struggle, giving a proper lead to public opinion all over the land. It has as its headquarters, the great City of Bombay which has been unique in its cosmopolitan nature offering welcome to all who came to it, and giving shelter and assistance generously and spontaneously to all who needed the same. These age-long relations can never be sundered; and all those who belong to the two States as they will after the bifurcation, will, I have no doubt, continue their mutual co-operation for the good of themselves and the country as a whole.

….A democracy entirely depends on every citizen doing his duty; and in the fulfilling of our daily tasks, lies the seeds of the highest patriotism. A democratic people cannot afford to depend on any individual or individuals appearing mysteriously from somewhere and making our tasks light and easy for us. These have to be performed by ourselves, and so incessant vigilance is essential on the part of everyone in the matter of fulfilling his personal responsibilities and keeping himself fit for all emergencies….

Many events of the year that has just closed, have brought all these matters vividly and forcibly to our minds. There is the fundamental problem of Unity. Whether we live in unilingual or multilingual constituent States of our Republic, we have always to remember that the safety, the dignity, the integrity and the solidarity of the country as a whole, are our first concern….

….Then there is the problem of internal development. We have our successive Five Year Plans to implement for raising our standards of material life. The success of these plans entirely depends upon our performing the duties entrusted to us properly and well, whether we live in the city or the village, whether we are rich or poor…. Consider the situation from whatever point of view we may, we are bound to come to the conclusion that ultimately everything depends upon ourselves as individual citizens. We must, therefore, so strive during  the year that lies in front that we might be worthy of the high tasks entrusted to our care; and freed from all fears that assail us to-day, live in security, peace and joy.

Jaya Hind.

(Sri Prakasa)

Source: Sri Prakasa (I-III Inst.), MSS, NMML 

30 January – Mahatma Gandhi Assassinated

Remembering the Mahatma – Sri Prakasa

MAHATMA GANDHI – my first meeting

It was in my home-city of Kashi (Banaras or Varanasi) and the occasion was the laying of the foundation stone of the Banaras Hindu University. The then Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, had come to perform the Ceremony. At the invitation of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder, a large number of dignitaries from all over the country including Mahatma Gandhi, had come to participate in the functions. The foundation was formally laid by the Viceroy on Feb. 4, 1916.

....Mahatma Gandhi was invited to be the speaker on one of the evenings. I happened to be in charge of the arrangements at the meetings. That was where I saw Mahatma Gandhi….

          ….Mahatmaji got up to speak. It seems that he had gone just before then to worship at the temple of Vishwanath, the presiding deity of the ancient city of Kashi or Varanasi. He was appalled at the dirt that he saw in the precincts of the temple. He began by castigating all those who allowed such filth in their cities and round their temples.

 Then he spoke of the poverty of the people, contrasting it with the splendour of the few rich. He then turned at the princes and said: “Princes, go and sell your jewels and use your riches for the poor”. At this there was some commotion on the platform, and whispering among those who sat in front. The audience cheered Mahatmaji loudly; and when the President asked him to stop, the audience asked him to continue….

          ….Mahatma Gandhi referred to the official arrangement made for the supposed safety of the Viceroy and expressed great unhappiness at the form it had taken. And then he said: “It were better that the Viceroy had been shot than that the people of a whole city should be so terrorised”.

 The commotion that then took place can be easily imagined. High local civil officers were present at the meetings. They all got up to leave. The princes stood up also to go. The audience went on shouting asking Mahatmaji to continue as he stood unruffled on the platform. Then he also came down and left. I accompanied him to the portico. He seemed surprised at all that had happened and said to the people around him; “What did I say? I said nothing improper”. Some persons in the crowd were heard to say: “We have been to many meetings. We had known the audience leaving. We had seen speakers asked to sit down. We have, however, never seen the President departing from his seat”.

 In any case the meeting ended in confusion. Pandit Malaviya anxious about the upshot, went up to the Commissioner in the evening, and found him preparing a note for the district magistrate asking him to issue an order for Gandhiji to leave the city at once. Pandit Malaviya was able to induce him not to issue any such order. He said he would himself see to it that Gandhiji left the town.

            ….This took place in 1916…. To me this speech of Mahatmaji’s in my own old Central Hindu College where I had studied for ten years, marks the beginning of the new age when the fight for freedom was started in true earnestness. During these decades I had occasions to meet Mahatmaji scores of times in different situations and at different places; but this incident stands out most prominently before all others, [even though I] may have reason to be unhappy at the shape our freedom finally took having been accompanied by the tragic partition of the land. Mahatma Gandhi himself was most unhappy at it. I saw him for the last time on January 3, 1948, twenty seven days before his cruel assassination. Obviously referring to Hindu Muslim hostility which was the basis of the partition of the country, he said to me:“The whole work of my life has gone down the drain (MERI ZINDAGI KA SARA KAM MITTI MEN MIL GAYA)”.

 We for ourselves may also be unhappy at various things that we see around us which may make us despair, but there is no doubt that a light was lit that evening in Banaras by Mahatmaji which was to lead us to Freedom; and if we are not able to utilise the opportunities to the best purpose, that Freedom has given us, and if we are mis-using the power that has come in our hands surely no fault lies with the great Master, who led us to freedom; who for himself, told us that the means should be as pure as the end; who himself wanted us never to accept partition but to come away from Government and keep the country one, whoever the rulers might be; who always exhorted us to follow the path of righteousness in all circumstances, and whom even when we prove unworthy ourselves of him, rightly and reverently call

THE FATHER OF THE NATION

Source: Sri Prakasa Papers, MSS, NMML