RAJAJI AS I KNEW HIM

EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA

It was a great shock to me when the Queen’s Private Secretary, Sir Martin Charteris, rang me up to tell me of the death of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, or Rajaji, as he was affectionately known, who had been a personal friend of mine for more than a quarter of a century.

When I came out to India as Viceroy, in March 1947, I got to know him as one of my Cabinet Ministers. He had such a clear and candid mind and was so ready to enter into sympathetic and useful discussions, that our many interviews were sources of real pleasure to me, and I hope to him too.

After the transfer of power on 15th August 1947, when I found it impossible to obtain Mr. Jinnah’s agreement to keep India unified, he was given the vital post of Governor of West Bengal.

My wife and I enjoyed our visit to Calcutta in 1948, when we stayed with him, and found him a truly delightful host. We were particularly moved by the eloquent and friendly speech he made in Calcutta about us. His command of the English language was complete. Very few Englishmen spoke English as beautifully as he did.

Trained in our law, he was a lifelong believer in the principles of British Jurisprudence, which he upheld not only as Governor of West Bengal, but much more importantly, as Governor-General of India, for it was he who succeeded me in this post in June 1948.

I do not believe a more admirable choice could have been made by the Government of India than Rajaji to be the first Indian Head of State in succession to the last British Head of State of India.

Rajaji had a never failing sense of humour. He sent me a copy of the photograph taken on the steps of Rashtrapati Bhavan as I greeted him on his arrival to take over from me. On this he had written: “So the Magician inducted me into trouble.” He wrote to me more than once expressing his distress that the Agreement made by his Government, with the Ruling Princes of India, had not been kept inviolate.

He was an ardent believer in Parliamentary Democracy and was convinced that India needed a strong opposition party, available to form an alternative Government, if elected. He told me that it was on these grounds that he had formed the Swatantra party.

He came to have luncheon with my daughter and me on his way through London to visit the United Nations headquarters. We had a very happy and nostalgic re-union; he was as affectionate as ever.

On my last visit to India in 1967 I offered to go to Madras to see him, in view of the fact that he was then nearly 90 years old. However, he insisted on coming up to Delhi and my elder daughter, Paticia Brabourne, and I, had an emotional meeting with him in our old study in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

He agreed to record an interview for the Television Series of my “Life and Times”, which has so far been shown in 79 countries. By common consent, this and the interview which the Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, recorded, were regarded an outstanding.

He was the last of that generation of Indian leaders who brought about the transfer of power peacefully and in friendship. Without the support of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel Rajagopalachari and their immediate Colleagues I could never have found a workable solution, which was hailed in the British Parliament as “A Treaty of Peace without a War”.

Rajaji’s name will be held in honour not only in his beloved India but throughout Great Britain.

–Courtesy: All India Radio

GANDHIJI ON RAJAJI

Rajaji is one of my oldest friends and was known to be the best exponent, in word and deed, of all I stand for. That in 1942 he differed from me, I know. All honour for the boldness with which he publicly avowed the difference. He is a great social reformer, never afraid to act according to his belief. His political wisdom and integrity are beyond question.

Harijan, Feb, 10, 1946

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