Occasional Paper - 2 from The Library Raj Bhavan, Kolkata 19 September 2006 This Occasional Paper features English, the diarist being the first Mahatma Gandhi's last visit to this Governor of West Bengal, C. city, in August-September 1947. It Rajagopalachari (1878-1972). The also spotlights the part played by diary has been partially reproduced the Governor in the events that in a biography written by his son occurred on that visit. C.R. Narasimhan (1909-1989). We are honoured to carry a This Occasional Paper seeks reminiscence written specially for to recreate the atmosphere at us by Shri Jyoti Basu who had Beliaghata, Calcutta in the weeks called on Gandhi at of August-September 1947 Beliaghata.Saroj Mukherjee, through those two first-hand and daughter of Dr. K. N. Katju who rather little known accounts of was Governor of Orrisa (1947- diarists. 1948) and West Bengal (1948- This OP also carries excerpts 1951) and the distinguished from Narasimhan's biography of singer Juthika Roy have furnished his father and The Rajaji Story by interesting cameos. Rajmohan Gandhi. That period has been Nirmal Kumar Bose (1901- documented notably in two 1972) was central to the time spent accounts by direct witnesses and by Mahatma Gandhi in Bengal, in participants in the visit. The first 1946 and 1947. We are privileged of these is by Manu Gandhi (1927- to present in this OP a piece on 1969), a grand-niece of the NKB written for us by Professor Mahatma who wrote a daily diary André Béteille, Professor Emeritus in Gujarati which was translated of Sociology at Delhi University. into English and published under The OP also carries a review- the title The Miracle of Calcutta by article by Dr. Rudrangshu Navajivan, Ahmedabad, in 1959. Mukherjee on a recent publication The book is now something of a of NKB's writings. rarity. The second is also a diary in In addition to acquiring, accessioning and cataloguing books, the Raj Bhavan Library has unavailable in India. We carry an begun putting together a collection excerpt. of sound recordings and The OP carries at the end, a photographs of historical value. list of the library's holdings , Recent 'arrivals' include recordings printed, imaged and on sound of a talk and an interview given by pertaining to Mahatma Gandhi. NKB in the United States of America in 1958. The subject of both is Mahatma Gandhi. These Librarian. recordings were made available by the kindness of the K.C. Das family, which knew the great scholar in Calcutta as a neighbour and friend. The historian and writer Dr. Ramachandra Guha, on a visit to the Raj Bhavan library on 8 July 2006, was requested to hear these two recordings and comment on them. His review-article is published in this Paper. Another acquisition of value is a BBC recording of Dr. B.C. Roy (1882-1962) made in London in February 1955 on 'Gandhi as a Patient'. This was obtained by us through the kindness of the High Commission of India in London. We carry an excerpt from that rare recording. Ramachandra Guha comments on that as well. Gandhi’s visits to the Governor’s House in Calcutta are listed in a separate entry. Of these, the meetings with Governor Casey (1945-1947) formed a series of seven. The Governor’s wife Maie Casey has a delightful account of those in her memoir, virtually Contents A Reminiscence — Jyoti Basu — 5 From Gandhi in Bengal - A Chronology — 8 From My Days With Gandhi by Nirmal Kumar Bose — 37 From Mahatma Gandhi—The Last Phase by Pyarelal — 38 A Day I Remember—Saroj Mukherjee — 39 An Auspicious Day —Juthika Roy — 41 From Rajagopalachari - A Biography by C.R. Narasimhan — 43 Liaquat Ali Khan’s letter to Rajaji and the reply — 51 Telegram from Trikamjee to the Governor and his reply — 53 From The Rajaji Story by Rajmohan Gandhi — 55 'Bapu In Beliaghata' by Ramachandra Guha — 57 A communication from A.K. Rao — 59 N.K. Bose (1901-1972) - an appreciation by André Béteille — 59 Review article by Rudrangshu Mukherjee — 61 Recording Gandhi — a comment by Ramachandra Guha — 63 An interview with Nirmal Kumar Bose - excerpt — 68 A BBC recording of Dr. B.C. Roy - excerpt — 69 Mahatma Gandhi's meetings with Governors of Bengal - a list — 70 From Tides & Eddies by Maie Casey — 71 A catalogue of the Library's holdings on Mahatma Gandhi — 74 Rare Photographs of Gandhi at the Photo Archives of Raj Bhavan— 89 Gandhi in CDs at the Photo Archives of Raj Bhavan — 91 A Reminiscence Jyoti Basu August - September 1946 ‘Direct Action Day’ And After In 1946, terrible riots took Workers Union, and I was surprised place on a massive scale, resulting they were carrying the booty. Some from Jinnah's call for Direct Action even saluted me. Then someone throughout India. I do not know, told me that it was better to leave as whether the kind of riots that took terrible things were happening in place here, in Calcutta, took place Calcutta. From Sealdah Station you in any other place. I have never could see a lot of people gathered seen such killings and such cruelty there and Bow Bazar was burning. towards children, women and men. Three of us went there. I could not Gandhiji came later. The return home for three days. I Communists were on a Rescue contacted my father and told him Mission at the time, removing that I am quite safe and we were in Hindus from the areas where they the Calcutta District Party Office were a minority and Muslims from opposite NRS Hospital. the areas from where they were a The sights I saw I can never minority. We even had to take some forget. It is inconceivable that man Sikhs to safe places.Suhrawardy can be so cruel to man. Any way, overdid things and he actually after three days, a jeep came for me organized the riots. The Hindus also from our Headquarters in Dacres resisted. It was not a one-sided Lane near Esplanade. There many affair. I got stuck, when the riots of our comrades had gathered. They took place, outside the Sealdah also could not go home. I went Railway Station, opposite the Nil there. I was told by Com. Muzaffar Ratan Sarkar Hospital, where we Ahmed and some others that a had our party office. We were rescue team has been organized by hearing rumours to the effect that the Government with Mr. R. Gupta, trouble will take place in Calcutta on ICS, heading it, and with some that day (Direct Action Day). After British and Indian soldiers. I was about an hour or so, we saw told I could contact them because processions coming in with looted some of our Hindu and Muslim property. Many of the comrades had got stuck opposite the processionists were known to me as Islamia Hospital. I went there. I I was a Trade Unionist at the time - could not meet Mr. Gupta as he had General Secretary of the Railroad gone home, but I met a British official and urged him to rescue the them, the durwan again said that comrades. We went there and saw everybody had left. Momin's wife that people had gathered there with was there. Fortunately, the people dead bodies of Muslims and they did not enter. were shouting Allah-o- Akbar. The Captain and the sepoy then We went into the place along went up the building and within 10 with the British soldier, who was minutes came down with the three armed with a revolver, and a sepoy comrades who had been stuck there. who had a rifle in his hands. I was a At that time, Hindus did not little frightened and apprehensive. I want these riots actually, but told the British soldier that the Suhrawardy had to heed to the call marauders were very excited and of Direct Action Day. He saw that it wondered whether they will disperse was getting out of hand and even the seeing such seemingly negligible Government could not control all deployment of force. The British this. So he thought enough was soldier was annoyed. He told me enough and he wanted a peaceful that he had served in the army and march. took part in the War. I said to him I did not want to argue and that I was When Suhrawardy thought that only expressing my doubts. We too much had happened - even went behind the soldier and his things that he did not foresee - sepoy, along the Bow Bazar Street. killings and so on, he wanted peace. Our car was stopped and they went So he called a meeting in his house ahead near Islamic College and with of all political parties, including Dr. open revolver the British soldier got Shyama Prasad Mookerjee. I went out along with the sepoys from the along with Bhupesh Gupta as we lorry and it was strange that within thought we should also participate in a few minutes all these people who the peace march. We felt that as this were trying to create trouble over the was a peace march organized by the dead bodies giving slogans, they Government, nobody could attack it. dispersed. But after 10 minutes both of us had been sitting in the room he came to There was an old durwan us and said “Dr. Shyama Prasad outside the building. The agitators Mookerjee has seen you coming and had gone to him and asked as to he has said that Jyoti Basu and where the people in the building had Bhupesh Gupta are from the gone.