Case Study: 1 Mss Eur/F236/155 & Add Or 3866-3886

Case Study: 1

Mss Eur/F236/155 &

Add Or 3866-3886

Violence on the Canvas: Calcutta Riot (1946) in the Paintings of Gopal Ghose

Gopal Ghosh (1913-1980) was born in Calcutta, and his childhood was spent in Simla, the summer capital of the British Raj. He was also brought up in Banaras and Allahabad, two old cities of India where various Indian cultures found their successful confluence. His training in art started in the Maharaja’s School of Arts and Crafts, Jaipur. Initially Ghose was influenced by the Bengal School, an art movement in Bengal which culminated with the Nationalist Movement of 1905. The Bengal School tried to discover an indigenous expression of art free from the western influences. Later, Bengal School found an artistic kinship with the Japanese art, and artists like Abanindranath Tagore, Kshitindra Nath Majumder adopted many Japanese techniques like morotai. Gopal Ghose, though did not belong to Abanindranath’s milieu, found his interest in landscape, a subject that many of Bengal School artists chose enthusiastically.

Mss Eur/F236/155

Gopal Ghosh (1913-80)

The British Library has an important file on Gopal Ghose (Mss Eur/F236/155) which is included in the private collection entitled ‘Papers of W.G. Archer, Indian Civil Service, Bihar 1931-47, and his wife Mildred Archer, expert on Indian Poetry and art (1929-1986)’. This file contains few letters of Gopal Ghose written to W.G. Archer where he tried to explain his concept of his own art and technique. In a letter, written on 15 August 1948, Ghose announced his allegiance to Pablo Picasso, ‘I must be frank and flowery that I like Picasso, not only…[because] he has changed his name from Ruiz to Picasso, but … [for] his everlasting vitality and vigour….In Picasso’s fuss I find power of Picasso- so dearly I admire the Pablo of Power’ (Mss Eur/F236/155). It was a long journey, indeed, for him, from Abanindranth to Pablo Picasso.

Ghose’s association with Calcutta was renewed when he started teaching at the Indian Society of Oriental Art in 1940-1945. Besides he continued to teach at the Bengal Engineering College, Shibpur, and Scottish Church College. Calcutta in 1940’s was not a happy place, the first half of which was spent under the shadow of imminent Japanese bombing, and the second half of the decade saw an unprecedented communal riot between Hindus and Muslims over the Partition question. The communal politics took an ugly turn in 1946 with an obvious result of mass killings on the street of Calcutta. On 15 February 1946, the British Parliament discussed the dire situation in Calcutta, and Mr. Arthur Henderson, the Under-Secretary of State for India, made a statement on the situation in Calcutta:

The casualties reported up till midday on Thursday [14 February 1946] were: Civilians, 38 dead and 527 injured, of whom 276 were still in hospital. Of the police, 82 were injured, 22 of whom were detained in hospital. The military casualties were, one officer seriously wounded, and two British other ranks and two Indian other ranks injured. The reports which my noble Friend has received since the statement which I made to the House on Wednesday, in reply to the noble Lord the Member for Horsham (Earl Winterton) indicate that Wednesday was marked by a renewal of mob violence which mostly took the form of erection of road blocks, interference with vehicular traffic, and damaging and looting shops and other buildings.

House of Commons Hansard Archives http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1946/feb/15/calcutta-riots

But it was still a prelude to the worst to come, and on the 16th August 1946, following the ‘Direct Action Day’ Calcutta would be witnessing the beginning of a large scale mass slaughter in the name of religion. This communal killing would be continuing even well after the Partition and Indian Independence in 1947. Gopal Ghose made a few paintings in Calcutta during the second half of February 1946, and it seems that he was almost in hurry to finish them. They all came in a gush, and within a few days, he completed them all. The British Library holds 21 of his original paintings of which 18 were created in 1946. Though nowhere in his entire correspondence with Archer, did Ghose give any reference to the violence he must have witnessed in Calcutta, his disillusionment on human civilization became apparent when he wrote about ‘animal’ as his favourite subject: Yes, the animal I like most…The various types of animal I enjoy,… when I come in contact with animals I feel myself happy. Animal still I keep in my right hand side; rightly speaking animal can cure a lot in an age of so-called civilized world I don’t find any happy atmosphere. Letter to W.G. Archer, 15 August 1948 [Mss Eur/F236/155]

Landscape painting not only made Ghose famous but also gave him respite from drudgery. He commented: I used to run for open space. Landscapes are the next wonder-world to me; Landscapes are to me lungs of the soil- I breathe in landscapes. (ibid)

But interestingly, many of the landscapes that Ghose painted in the February of 1946 feature an impending disaster in forms of storm clouds or forest fire.

Add Or 3875

Storm Clouds

Medium: watercolour; gouache Signed and dated in Bengali: ‘Gopal Ghose. 15/2/46.’

Add Or 3881

Flame of the forest trees (palas)

Medium: watercolour; gouache Signed and dated in Bengali: ‘Gopal Ghose. 28/2/46’

There are four paintings, all made in February 1946, depict directly the violence on the streets of Calcutta. The scenes of agitation, violence and death are smeared with bright colours, though the human figures have been relegated into mere shadows. The non-human objects, building, flags, weapons, trees, vehicles on the street made stark contrast to brightly lit blue or pink sky.

Add Or 3883

Demonstrators in Calcutta

Medium: watercolour; gouache

Signed and dated in Bengali: ‘Gopal Ghose. 29/2/46.’

Add Or 3884

The Calcutta maidan during the communal troubles with military firing

Medium: watercolour; gouache Signed and dated in Bengali: ‘Gopal Ghose. 29/2/46.’

Add Or 3885

A burning liquor shop, Calcutta, and soldiers firing

Medium: watercolour; gouache

Signed and dated in Bengali: ‘Gopal Ghose. 29/2/46.’

Add Or 3886

Calcutta riots

Medium: watercolour; gouache Signed and dated in Bengali: ‘Gopal Ghose. 29/2/46

Case Study: 2

P2349 : 1941-1947

Rudolf von Leyden (1908-1983): Cartoons on Political Situations in India During 1940’s

Rudolf von Leyden was born on 8 August 1908 in Berlin in an illustrious family. His grandfather Ernst von Leyden was a physician, and knighted for his services to the Prussian Court. His father Viktor von Leyden was a high ranking civil servant, and wrote books on legal themes. His mother Luise Reichenheim was of a Jewish origin. This was not a convenient family identity to live with in Berlin during 1930s especially after Hitler became the Chancellor in 1933. Moreover, Rudolf had interests in communism which made his life further difficult in Germany, and Georg-August University in Gӧttingen, where Rudolph did his Ph.D in Geology, stripped him of the degree on the grounds of his communist leanings. He left Germany in 1933, and joined his brother in Bombay (now Mumbai). Their parents also left country and joined them in Bombay six years later. Rudolf, though studied Geology, never worked as a geologist, instead started to contribute political cartoons to The Times of India, which were published in its supplement The Illustrated Weekly of India. A majority of his cartoons concerned the political situations in Europe during the World War II, and they were ostensibly against the Axis power of Germany, Japan, and Italy. At the same time, he drew a substantial number of cartoons on India, and its political and economic situations. Leyden was particularly sensitive towards the Partition question and the economic corruptions which became integral to Indian ways of life during the last decade of the colonial rule in India. Rudolf left India in mid-sixties, and started to live the rest of his life in Vienna. Rudy von Rudolph passed away on March 25, 1983, just before he was to receive the prestigious Cross of Honour by the Austrian Government for his contribution to art and culture.

He signed all his cartoons as ‘DENLEY’, an anagram of his name Leyden.

Source: Rudolf von Leyden, Max Muller Bhavan Bombay, Mumbai, 1999

All the cartoons are taken from the following album in the British Library.

Title: An album containing 259 caricatures drawn by Rudolf von Leyden (Denley) published in The Illustrated Weekly of India 1941-47. Presented by the artist. Artist(s): Leyden, Rudolf von (1908-1983)

Collection Area: Visual Arts

Reference: P2349

Creation Date: 1941-1947

Cartoon Newspaper Date Caption Note The Illustrated Weekly of 28 June 1943 Our Cartoonist’s Dr Kanhaiyalal Maniklal India impression of Mr. Munshi, a Congress Munshi’s resignation leader resigned from the from the Congress on the Congress in 1940 over his issue of non-violence disagreement with Gandhi.

The Illustrated Weekly of NA Getting the Bird Japan luring Thailand in India order to ‘kill’ it.

The Illustrated Weekly of 18 July 1943 Cloth Control Order- Cloth Control Order India Before and After became effective in India in 1943 to restrict the supply of clothes to civilians during the World War. This probably affected corrupt cloth merchants. The Illustrated Weekly of 29 August 1943 Shoot, Man, Shoot…! Sir Jwala Prasad India Srivastava (1889-1954) served as the Member-in- charge of food from 1943-46, during the food crisis in India and famine in Bengal

The Illustrated Weekly of 7 November 1943 Work to be done The Viscount Wavell India (1883-1950), the Viceroy of India (1943-47). His tenure as a Viceroy was marked with crises in India spawned by the World War II, including famine. The Illustrated Weekly of 5 December 1943 Hasten the Day! Cartoon on the brutal India treatment of Japan on Indian prisoners of war

The Illustrated Weekly of 27 February 1944 The straw that… Sir Edward Benthal, the India Member of the Supreme Council of the Government of India in charge of railways hiked rail fare.

The Illustrated Weekly of 16 April 1944 Railway fares are to “stay Sir Edward Benthal, the India put” Member of the Supreme Council of the Government of India in charge of railways hiked rail fare, which he revoked later.

The Illustrated Weekly of 23 April 1944 Someone likes the smell American industries India of it! becoming interested in the 15 Years Plan for India as it included the purchase of foreign equipment.

The Illustrated Weekly of 30 April 1944 Hosts-Ghosts or Boasts Subhas Chandra Bose India collaborated with Japan and formed ‘Government of India’ in Singapore.

The Illustrated Weekly of 21 May 1944 War of Extremities Probably refers to the India Japanese friendship messages to India on Asian fraternity particularly through Azad Hind Fauj.

The Illustrated Weekly of 4 June 1944 Taking the Bull by the The textile Commissioner India Horn trying to control black market in cloth during the time of rationing of all essential commodities including cloths.

The Illustrated Weekly of 2 July 1944 The Paper Weight Control and rationing of India paper in India during the World War II.

The Illustrated Weekly of 30 July 1944 Honourable Rotten Indian and other allied India Apples soldiers in acts of onslaught against Japan, ‘shaking’ the Japanese cabinet and high command. The Illustrated Weekly of 10 September 1944 Untitled Hike of food price by India black-marketeers, and dishonest businessmen taking the advantage of War.

The Illustrated Weekly of 1 October 1944 Run along little man, I Andrew Pearson, or India am busy… ‘Drew’ Pearson, an American journalist who was critical of Allied policies of War, is seen in the cartoon, in an act of mudslinging to an Indian soldier. The Illustrated Weekly of 8 October 1944 ‘Sine die’ The ever-widening gulf India between Jinnah’s Muslim League and Gandhi’s Congress led to rapid communal polarization in India before Independence.

The Illustrated Weekly of 12 November 1944 Keep it under your sola The Controller General of India hat! Civil Supplies in India took measure against dishonest sellers by fixing maximum price.

The Illustrated Weekly of 24 December 1944 Perhaps some fresh air… The viceroy Wavell, India Congress and Muslim League have their own agenda on the question of the wellbeing of India.

The Illustrated Weekly of 11 March 1945 The budget or the storm India that passed

The Illustrated Weekly of 1 April 1945 Bring them back alive! India

The Illustrated Weekly of 8 April 1945 For whom the bell toll The defeat of the India Germans in the World War resulted into collapse of stock market both in USA and India.

The Illustrated Weekly of 27 May 1945 V-Day in Ahmedabad The mill-owners’ India Association refused the demand of the Labour Association to continue giving the dearness allowance to the local textile workers for three months after the end of the war in Europe. The Illustrated Weekly of 24 June 1945 Bombay will ration The rationing of India foreign spirit from 1st commodities would result July into opportunities for black market.

The Illustrated Weekly of 1 July 1945 This journey is On June 14 1945, Lord India necessary! Wavell announced a plan for a new Executive Council in which all members except the Viceroy and the Commander-in-chief would be Indians.

The Illustrated Weekly of 30 September 1945 Remember how hard it HPPO or the Hoarding India was to bring it in? and Profiteering Prevention Ordinance was likely to be withdrawn much to the relief of dishonest businessmen.

The Illustrated Weekly of 23 December 1945 The Magic Wand Lord Wavell’s statement India about the ineffectuality of the Quit India movement for achieving Indian independence.

The Illustrated Weekly of 20 January 1946 Untitled The Cabinet Mission led India by the Secretary of State for India, Lord Pethick- Lawrence brought proposals about processes to Indian Independence. Congress did not agree to many of its proposals. The Illustrated Weekly of 27 January 1946 …failed to return On 12 January 1946, the India Demonetisation Ordinance was passed in British India, and high value notes of Rs. 500, 1000, 10000 were demonetised. The black market was supposed to suffer by it. The Illustrated Weekly of 10 February 1946 Untitled Over 40,000 primary India school teachers in service under local bodies in the Province of Bombay decided to go on strike in demand of increased dearness allowances.

The Illustrated Weekly of 3 March 1946 Mother’s darlings India

The Illustrated Weekly of 10 March 1946 One more river to cross The communal violence India and deterioration of law and order in India in 1946 were part of Indian Independence process.

The Illustrated Weekly of 17 March 1946 International Art Post war situations of all India the concerned countries including India.

The Illustrated Weekly of 31 March 1946 Untitled The Cabinet Mission led India by the Secretary of State for India, Lord Pethick- Lawrence brought proposals to Indian leaders about transfer of power.

The Illustrated Weekly of 28 April 1946 “Say, you are only Sections of American India pretending” public opinion underestimated the seriousness of India’s food position.

The Illustrated Weekly of 18 August 1946 Perhaps if the gentleman The rise in the food index India would remove his was due to the twin effect weight…? of Government’s announcement of rationing and subsequent attempts of racketeers to corner available stock. The Illustrated Weekly of 27 October 1946 Dressed for the occasion? Cooverji Hormusji India Bhaba, popularly known as C.H. Bhaba was in charge of the ‘Works, Mines and Power’ in the interim government initiated modernization plan for cotton industry. The Illustrated Weekly of 17 November 1946 No tail to wag the tiger A.V. Alexander, India Minister-designate for Defence, stated in the House of Commons that the Government’s aim would be to provide an efficient fighting force in which the tail was to be kept as short and teeth as long and keen as possible. The Illustrated Weekly of 1 December 1946 The world needs some India fun, after all

The Illustrated Weekly of 8 December 1946 Valet or Vale India

The Illustrated Weekly of 22 December 1946 Atlee in Wonderland India

The Illustrated Weekly of 29 December 1946 Yes-I can see some future Pundit Nehru’s speech to India for you-some sort of a the Associated Chambers future of Commerce in Calcutta.

The Illustrated Weekly of 5 January 1947 New year’s resolutions India for 1947 or so much wishful thinking!

The Illustrated Weekly of 12 January 1947 Beware of the Dog India

The Illustrated Weekly of 16 February 1947 …about it and about… Complex and difficult India process of negotiation between Congress and Muslim League

The Illustrated Weekly of 2 March 1947 See no black market- hear India no black market- speak no black market

The Illustrated Weekly of NA (probably March In praise of fairness In a letter dated 18 March India 1947) 1947 to Lord Mountbatten, Clement Atlee requested him to aim 1 June 1948 as the date for transfer of power.

The Illustrated Weekly of 30 March 1947 The captain’s baggage Lord Mountbatten of India Burma was the last Viceroy of India and saw through the transfer of power. He was also the first Governor General of independent India.

Case Study: 3

IOR/POS/3658 & Mss Eur Photo Eur 211:1947

Reports of Bengal and Punjab Boundary Commission, dated July-August, 1947: Contents

The Boundary Commission was appointed by Lord Mountbatten to draw boundaries to divide Punjab and Bengal regions of the Indian subcontinent in order to create two separate dominions that would come to exist after independence. In an official memo published on 30 June 1947, titled ‘Partition of the Provinces of Bengal and the Punjab, Boundary Commissions’ (IOR/L/I/1/770) it was announced:

There shall be two Boundary Commissions, one for Bengal and the other for the Punjab, consisting of the following:- For Bengal. Chairman – to be appointed later, Members – Mr. Justice Bijan Kumar Mukherji, Mr. Justice C.C. Biswas, Mr. Justice Abu Saleh Mohammad Akram, Mr. Justice S.A. Rahman. For Punjab. Chairman – to be appointed later, Members - Mr. Justice Din Mohammad, Mr. Justice Mohammad Munir, Mr. Justice Mehar Chand Mahajan, Mr. Justice Teja Singh Note. It is intended to appointment the same person as Chairman of both the Boundary Commission.

Both the Commissions were instructed ‘to demarcate the boundaries’ of the two parts of both Bengal and Punjab ‘on the basis of ascertaining the contiguous majority areas of Moslems and non-Moslems. In doing so it will also take into account other factors.’ Besides, a number of Expert Committees and Sub-Committees were formed by the Indian Independence Act 1947 to work on the nitty-gritties of the Partition.

The Chairman of both the Commissions Sir Cyril Radcliffe submitted his report, and it was published a few days after India and Pakistan became independent.

Partitioning a country like India was not an easy job, as mere drawing of boundaries would not suffice for this purpose. The Commissions also worked on dividing resources, money, military personnel, arms, archives, libraries, and even office furniture like typewriters, and electric fans. The report along with the proceedings of Expert Committees was divided into several volumes, and a mere look at the following content pages of them would reveal the enormity of the task of partitioning a country like India. The British Library holds Volumes I – III & VI, and their content pages are given below.

The content pages are arranged in the following manner:

VOLUME – I

Cover Page (Image C1)

Contents of Vol – I (Image V1)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 1 [General] (Image 1.1)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 2 [The Partition “Machinery”] (Image 1.2)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 3 [Division of Personnel] (Image 1.3)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 4 [Division of Office Equipment & Furniture] (Image 1.4)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 5 [Division of Office Records] (Image 1.5)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 6 [Division of Libraries, Archives & Museums] (Image 1.6)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 7 [Unique Establishments] (Image 1.7)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 8 [Judicial Bodies & central Acts – Effect of Partition] (Image 1.8)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 9 [Provincial Problems] (Image 1.9)

Contents of Vol – I, Chapter – 10 [Miscellaneous] (Image 1.10)

Volume – II

Cover Page (Image C2)

Contents of Vol – II, Page 1 (Image V2.1)

Contents of Vol – II, Page 2 (Image V2.2)

VOLUME – III

Cover Page (Image C3)

Contents of Vol – III (Image V3)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 1 [General Revenues] (Image 3.1)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 2 [Miscellaneous Revenues] (Image 3.2)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 3 [Contracts] (Image 3.3)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 4 [Currency, Coinage & Exchange] (Image 3.4)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 5 [Budget & Accounts] (Image 3.5)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 6 [Economic Relations (Controls)] (Image 3.6)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 7 [Economic Relations (Trade)] (Image 3.7)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 8 [Domicile] (Image 3.8)

Contents of Vol – III, Chapter – 9 [Foreign Relations] (Image 3.9)

VOLUME – VI

Cover Page (Image C6)

Contents of Vol – VI (Image V6)

Contents of Vol – VI, Chapter – 1 [General] (Image 6.1)

Contents of Vol – VI, Chapter – 5 [Decision of the Indo-Pakistan Boundary Dispute Tribunal] (Image 6.5)

(Image C1)

(Image V1)

(Image 1.1)

(Image 1.2)

(Image 1.3)

(Image 1.4)

(Image 1.5)

(Image 1.6)

(Image 1.7)

(Image 1.8)

(Image 1.9)

(Image 1.10)

(Image C2)

(Image V2.1)

(Image V2.2)

(Image C3)

(Image V3)

(Image 3.1)

(Image 3.2)

(Image 3.3)

(Image 3.4)

(Image 3.5)

(Image 3.6)

(Image 3.7)

(Image 3.8)

(Image 3.9)

(Image C6)

CONTENTS

PAGES

1. General 1—24

2. Bengal Boundary Commission: 25—122

A. Report of Non-Muslim Members 25—70

B. Report of Muslim Members 71—123

3. Bengal (Sylhet) Boundary Commission 124—156

A. Report of Non-Muslim Members 127—141

B. Report of Muslim Members 142—152

C. Sir Cyril Radcliffe’s Award 153—155

4. Punjab Boundary Commission 156—310

5. Decisions of the Indo-Pakistan Boundary Dispute Tribunal 310—322

(Image V6)

(Image 6.1)

(Image 6.5)