1938-04-26 — Page 8

Page

THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 26, 1988.

IDOL OF INDIA'S MASSES

Ο

* ** *

BY

E.C. COTES

-

NE of the world's most re rencing him to imprisonment for always in complete sympathy with "I did not give an markable characters is Pan- breaking the law of the land. He Mr. Gandhi. dit Jawaharlal Nehru, now the lead- was first sent to prison în 1921. absolute allegiance to the doctrine er of the Nationalist Movement Since then he has had numerous non-violence," he has said, "but the in India-a movement dominating other sentences. Between 1927 and belief grew upon me that... it was the newly achieved political eman- the present day he has spent five and the right policy for us.... And the offered More than non-co-operation movement cipation of some hundreds of mil- one half years in jail.

sub- once he has been injured by baton me what I wanted the goal of na- may be built up. lions of people inhabiting. a

His high personal character and continent as big as all Europe, ex blows from police engaged under tional freedom (as I thought the

official orders in breaking up illegal ending of the exploitation of the his entire selflessness; and devotion cluding Russia.

to the cause of Indian nationalism Pandit Jawaharlal's history has gatherings in which he has parti- underdog.”

His abiding sympathy for the have made him the idol of the Indian been one of paradox. Before the cipated.

fore- His late mother and his wife "underdog," who in India is the masses. His popularity has become British went to India, his bears from time immemorial were endured at different times similarly peasant, and his forceful determina- second only to that of Mr. Gandhi, well-to-do Brahmins who, one gen- regrettable experiences in support tion to free the poor from the clut- who is venerated with an intensity so ches if the money-lender and to possible only among Orientals. On eration after another, filled adminis- of the cause to which he has trative posts of importance under unsparingly devoted himself. That lessen what he regards as the undue the other hand, the propertied successive Moghul Emperors at cause is to win independence for dominance of the landlords, disting classes regard him doubtfully.

8. Up to the present, Mr. Gandhi Delhi. He himself, now in early India, his view being that nothing uish his attitude from that of middle life, was sent as a child to else can give his fellow-countrymen large number of his associates in and Pandit Jawaharlal have worked a and women the freedom and equality the Indian National Congress camp. in closest concord with one another, England for education. He is

although they differ basically in the highly Europeanized "old boy" of with others he so covets for them.

Pandit Jawaharlal's views are His policy has been clearly defined fact that the Mahatma would do that exclusive and aristocratic Bri-

complex. tish academy, Harrow School.

By his own choice he is It is, first, to work toward eliminat- nothing to antagonize Indian capi-

rule. talistic interests. He is the holder of a creditable poor in wordly goods, for he need ing foreign (that is British)

whole Pandit Jawaharlal, on the other degree in honours won at Trinity only resume his career as a lawyer He rejects altogether the

reform hand, is looked upon, not only in College, Cambridge. He is a fully to begin acquiring wealth. He has scheme of constitutional

of the courted hardship, discomfort and recently introduced from Whitehall, British Indian official circles, but qualified barrister-at-law Middle Temple, the acme of British suffering in support of his craving This is for two reasons; firstly, be also by a good many of the more cause he holds that this scheme moderate Indian politicians as a for for self-government. orthodoxy. He has built up

In a scholarly biography which leaves ultimate control in foreign well-meaning but dangerous agitz- himself a remunerative practice as an advocate of the High Court at he wrote when he was last in prison, bands and, secondly, because it relies tor.

Mr. Basil Mathews, lately pro- "If we claim in for support mainly upon what he Allahabad, where the charm of his, he remarks: personality, the soundness of his dependence to-day it is with no de regards as India's reactionary forces fessor of Christian World Relations legal knowledge and the brilliance of sire for isolation. On the contrary, of vested interest and semi-feudal in Boston University, who saw him in India in the latter part of 1936,

him his addresses, have won for him the we are parfectly willing to surren- authority."

which For the time being he is en- finds possibilities in friendly respect of a distinguished der part of that independence, in

Indian common with other countries, to a deavouring to work with landed and are of a very different kind. bench of European and

on Feb. 9, trading interests which in the past Speaking in London real international order” juäges.

The writer of this article first have been mainstays of the Indian 1937, Professor Mathews described of Jawaharlal Nehru as "an apostle of Here the paradox of his career met Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru many National Congress movement,

But nationalism who is really a citizen He was which he is the elected head. comes in. With all this behind years ago in Allahabad. him he has been a revolutionary then a well-grown, pleasant-faced he makes no secret of his own view of the world.” of revolutionaries. He has played youth with ideals, broad, open brow, that the welfare of the masses must a prominent ́part in a movement clear eyes, singularly fair comple- be the supreme aim of government differ fundamentally about him. Cul- aiming at the destruction of all xion, and cheerful expression tem- and that no competing claim must tured scholar, political enthusiast, British power in India Reckless pered by a quite unpretentious aloo be allowed to stand in the way of ascetic dreamer, devoted social re- of personal danger, he has exposed fness, probably due to shyness, but raising the standard of living of the former, energetic revolutionary idol of millions of workers, his future himself to violence in numerous reminiscent of all that is most peasants.

Nevertheless, of well-nurtured He regards socialism as the ulti- may be uncertain. clashes between police and populace, characteristic

of since he is president of the Indian The movement he has supported wearers of the "old school tie." He mate means to the attainment has been that of satyagracha (pas is now a man of original thought this object. For the present, how National Congress, a political body ever, he tries to rally all classes to which to-day controls six out of the sive resistance), inaugurated by Mr. and immense moral force.

provincial legislatures in Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi After the World War his associa- his immediate endeavour, which is H new

to overthrow India, besides swaying the balance (the Mahatma). He has thus set tion with. Mr. Gandhi became close. by peaceful means

has The Pandit also grew interested in British authority so that a new set in a seventh, it is difficult to de- courts of justice, where he

arise, out of fine limits to the possibilities for un- the Kisan .(peasants) anti-land-rent of conditions may practiced as an advocate, the

He was not which complete Indian autonomy him that may be in store. welcome task of convicting and sen- movement in Oudh.

*

**

.

Several weighty opinions thus

5

350 cc. QHV.

Sports LIGHT

BSA. 250 cc. ́QHV.

Sports

ECONOMICAL

1000 GL/

SV. Twis

HIGH

-POWERED

BRITISH

BICYCLE

COMPANY

B.S.A

MOTOR CYCLE AGENT

16 Hennessy Road

PHONE

3

23979

RSA 350 cc SV.

́ÉASILY-HANDLED

RLA. 500-cè. QET.

·Sports

EASY STARTING

7

9

RELIABILITY