‘TRIVENI’
HAS SHED LIGHT ON MY PAIH.
BLESSED BE HER NAME!
‘THE
TRIPLE STREAM’ 1
With
the reference of the States Reorganisation Bill and the ancillary Constitution
Amendment Bill to a Select Committee or both the Houses of Parliament, the
discussion of this momentous issue enters on the penultimate phase. The Select
Committee will submit its report on the 14th of May, and before the end
of the month, the Bill will become law.
The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have worked unceasingly, since the publication of the S.R.C. Report, to obtain the maximum measure of agreement on the many controversial questions involved in the plan of reorganisation. The draft Bill, as it was sent to the Legislatures of the various States of the Union, did not differ in essentials from the Bill now presented to Parliament. The Home Minister, in his reply to the debate in the Lok Sabha, justified some notable departures from the recommendations of the S.R.C. Report. In particular, he referred to the provision in the Bill for constituting the City of Bombay into a Centrally administered area. At one stage, it was proposed to create a City State of Bombay with its own Legislature, in addition to the States of Maharashtra and Gujerat. But powerful interests were opposed to this move, and it was urged on their behalf that, as Bombay is virtually the second capital of India and also its premier commercial centre, the scales could not be held even, as between the rival groups, except under the auspices of the Central Government. The Corporation of Bombay and the Legislature of the present Hyderabad State have expressed themselves strongly in favour of the inclusion of Bombay City in Maharashtra. The Bombay Legislature voted for Central administration of the City; but this result was achieved only because the Congress legislators from Maharashtra were not free to vote against the Bill: they refrained from voting.
In
the discussion in the Lok Sabha, Sri Gadgil and other representatives of
Maharashtra pleaded for the integration of the City with the region to which it
naturally belongs. The Finance Minister, Sri C. D. Deshmukh, has resigned on
this issue, and last-minute efforts are being made to conciliate Maharashtra.
The Prime Minister had an informal conference with the Maharashtra Members of
Parliament on the 27th. In the Select Committee, a proposal is likely to be
made to amend the Bill so as to permit the integration of the City with
Maharashtra after a few years. But whether such integration will be automatic,
or the result of a plebiscite, is still doubtful. If the leaders of Maharashtra
and Gujerat could be induced even now to agree about a large
bi-lingual State including all the Marathi and Gujerati areas, with Bombay
as capital, peace and harmony can be restored, without further agitation about
the future of the City. The prospect of a plebiscite after some years will keep
the fires of controversy raging, and the intervening period will be full of
uncertainty.
It
was exactly for this reason that the Chief Ministers of Andhra and Hyderabad
opposed the postponement of Andhra-Telengana integration for a period of five
years. Due to their joint endeavour, a satisfactory agreement has been reached.
The thirty million people of the Telugu-speaking regions are grateful to the
Chief Ministers and to the Prime Minister for the fulfillment of their
long-cherished dream. ‘Andhra Pradesh’, as it emerges in october
this year, will be one of the largest States of the Indian Union-well-knit, homogeneous,
and capable of developing its vast natural resources. That Parlakimedi
in the north, and Bellary and other tracts in the south have been denied to
‘Andhra Pradesh’, continues to be a sore point. The Home Minister’s remark, in
the Lok Sabha, that the Government of Andhra may not be so keen on the
acquisition of such tracts, in view of the large gains in the shape of the
Telengana Districts of the composite Hyderabad State, misses the significance
of the resolution of the Andhra State Assembly relating to the States
Reorganisation Bill. That resolution reiterates the Andhra claim to Bellary and
other border-areas and seeks the appointment of Boundary Commissions. The
Government of Andhra were prepared to accept even less than what the S.R.C.
Report recommended: they wanted three firkas instead of three
whole Taluks. And they contended that if, for administrative
reasons, Kolar should form part of Mysore State, these three firkas ought, for
similar reasons, to be included in Andhra.
The
plan for the merger of Bengal and Bihar has not met with that widespread
support which was genuinely expected. Even the modified proposal
of a ‘sub-union’–and not a complete merger–put forward by the
Chief Ministers, is subject to the condition laid down by Dr. B. C. Roy–that
the boundaries between Bengal and Bihar should be settled at
once, in accordance with the Government of India’s decision which modified the
recommendations’ of the S.R.C. Report. But it was chiefly in order to solve the
vexed question of boundaries between neighbouring States that the plan of
bi-lingual States was favoured by the Central Government. The insistence on a
preliminary decision on boundaries is not likely to hasten the formation of a
‘sub-union’. One wonders how this patched-up ‘sub-union’ covering only certain
branches of the administration is a step in advance of the present position.
The Union of India and the autonomous States are there. In between, the Zonal
Advisory Councils will function. The new-fangled ‘sub-unions’ are just unwanted
spokes in a wheel.
But
provisions relating to the union of Bengal and Bihar or the formation of
‘Dakshina Pradesh’ will not form part of the present Bill. After the States
settle down to the many tasks of reorganisation and the implementation of the
Second Five-Year Plan, and after the Zonal Councils have succeeded in promoting
co-operative endeavour in their respective zones, it will be time enough to
plan bi-lingual States. And, indeed, Zonal States–five in all–represent a
greater ideal than bi-lingual States. That way lies the line of future advance.
As
the full-moon day of Vaisakh (the 24th of May) draws near, the devotees of the
Lord of Compassion are preparing to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of his
coming into incarnation. Not professed Buddhists only, but men and women of
goodwill in all lands are eager to pay homage to the memory of one who was
‘Maha-Karunika’ (All-Compassionate) as well as ‘Maha-Bodhi’ (Fully
Enlightened).
Buddhist
tradition has it that once every year, on Vaisakh Day, the Lord overshadows the
earth with his presence and pours forth a flood of love and beneficence. Thus,
he who was acclaimed as the Teacher of gods and men keeps in touch with the
humanity of which he formed a part, before he progressed from the human to the
Divine. To this Teacher of gods and men, the sub-human creation too was
exceedingly dear. In addition to the many incidents narrated in the ‘Jatakas’
(stories of his previous births), there are moving scenes of his youth and early
manhood which the Buddhist legends describe in vivid detail. It was given to
Sir Edwin Arnold to immortalise some of them in his ‘Light of Asia’:
“No
bolder horseman in the youthful band
E’er
rode in gay chase of the shy gazelles;
Yet
in mid-play the boy would oft-times pause,
Letting
the deer pass free.”
And
then the poet relates how the young Prince Siddhartha “caressed into peace with
light kind palms” the frightened and bleeding swan which
his cousin Devadatta’s arrow had brought down, and how he asserted his own
right to the ‘living thing’ as against Devadatta’s plea:
“Say
no! the bird is mine,
The
first of myriad things which shall be mine
By
right of mercy and love’s lordliness.”
But the most favoured
of these beings was his horse Kantaka, which bore him “the farthest journey
ever rider rode.”
On
the eve of that Great Journey, he exhorts the horse:
“...Be
fire and air, my horse!
To
stead thy lord; so shalt thou share with him
The
greatness of this deed which helps the world!
For
therefore ride I not for men alone,
But
for all things which, speechless, share our pain
And
have no hope, nor wit to ask for hope.
Now,
therefore, bear thy master valorously!”
And they came to the
border-stream, Anoma:
“Then
drew he rein and leaped to earth and kissed
White
Kantaka betwixt the ears, and spake
Full
sweet to Channa: ‘This which thou hast done
Shall
bring thee good and bring an creatures good.
Be
sure I love thee always for thy love’.”
Poor
Channa is bidden by the Prince to take the steed back to Kapilavastu. In the
sculptured marbles preserved in the museum at Nagarjunakonda, is a panel
depicting the pathetic scene in which Channa leads the horse into the King’s
presence and gives the news of the Great Renunciation. Next
to it is another panel in which the horse Kantaka rushes into the inner apartments
of the palace and sinks exhausted at the feet of the sorrowing Yasodhara who
caresses the horse tenderly, for, indeed it is a living link between her and
her dear Prince. I noticed these panels years ago and wrote about them in a
Telugu daily. I now learn on reliable authority that, when Sri
Jawaharlal Nehru visited the famous valley in January last, he stood before
these identical panels and was visibly overcome by emotion.
Finally,
there is the story of the limping lamb unable to keep pace with its mother and
of the vexed mother who “hither and thither ran”:
“...full
tenderly
He
took the limping lamb upon his neck.
Saying,
‘Poor woolly mother, be at peace!
Whither
thou goest I will bear thy care;
‘Twere
all as good to ease one beast of grief
As
sit and watch the sorrows of the world’.”
Wisdom is great, but love is even greater. And so, while India celebrates the great occasion and pilgrims from many lands flock to Kapilavastu and Buddha Gaya, Sarnath and Sanchi, Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda, the memory of the Lord of Compassion must ease the tensions between nation and nation and the law of love prevail against disharmony and conflict. The wheel of the Law, which Free India has taken for its emblem, was first turned by the Lord at Sarnath. Today it symbolises India’s role of peace-maker and Bringer of Light.
The Late Dr. Cousins
Among
the savants who interpreted India and won for Indian Art and Letters the warm
appreciation of the scholars of other countries, Dr. James H. Cousins held a
high place. Born in Ireland and working in close co-operation with W. B. Yeats
and other protagonists of the Celtic Revival, Dr. Cousins was specially
qualified to understand the heart of India. “We Two Together”, the joint
autobiography of Dr. and Mrs. Cousins, relates the story of their early years
in Ireland, their adoption of India as their home, and their association with
the many social and cultural movements which preluded the dawn of Indian freedom.
To
Dr. Cousins, a correct understanding of the cultural heritage of India by the
rising generation of Indians was an important element in the educational
programme to which he dedicated his life. At Adyar and at Madanapalle he strove
incessantly to build up an atmosphere favourable to the cultivation of the fine
arts after the classical Indian pattern. The Kalakshetra was the institution to
which he gave of his best during his later years. Srimathi Rukmini Devi found
in Dr. Cousins a valuable colleague who lent distinction to that international
art-centre by his acceptance of the Vice-Presidentship. More than forty years
ago Dr. Cousins outlined the scheme of a Literary Academy with a view to bring
together the litterateurs working through the various Indian languages and
publishing translations of the best of their productions into a common language
like English. The scheme evoked very little response and Dr. Cousins was
naturally disappointed. When towards the end of 1927 I met him and sought his
support for Triveni, he brightened up and exclaimed with enthusiasm,
“Yes, Mr. Rau, you are doing the work which I planned to do.” His approval
meant a great deal to me and I said, “I am going to edit Triveni with
your blessing.” That blessing, like that of Sri C. Jinarajadasa, was a source
of strength to me.
Dr.
Cousins usually carried about with him a collection of water-colour paintings
of the Modern Indian School represented by Dr. Abanindranath Tagore and
Nandalal Bose. Through his lectures, illustrated by lantern slides of the
paintings, he spread the message of Indian Art far and wide. When schools of
painting sprang up at Masulipatam, Trivandrum and Adyar, Dr. Cousins could be
depended upon for guidance. Many Indian artists of today owe their success to the
words of cheer uttered by Dr. Cousins in commending their work.
His
achievement as a poet and critic is widely known. Dr. Cousins was a cultural
ambassador between East and West. India will cherish the memory of this poet
and scholar whose very presence was a benediction.
1 April 29