When I was the acting Governor, Clement Attlee who had granted us independence and removed English Rule, came to India on a visit and stayed for two days at Rajbhavan in Calcutta. I had a long discussion with him on the real reason for the English going away from India. I asked him in a straightforward manner why did they suddenly leave when Gandhi’s Quit India movement had fizzled out long before 1947? Nothing special was happening in ’47? He mentioned a few reasons , the chief of which was the weakening of the base of loyalty of Indians in the Army and the Navy, brought about by Netaji Subhas Bose. Towards the end of the discussion I asked to what extent Gandhi’s activity influenced the British decision to quit. His lips spread in a contemptuous smile, and he seemed to masticate the word I heard: “mi – ni – mal!” I referred to this discussion with Lord Attlee in a speech once I delivered at Netaji Bhavan. All India Radio broadcast it after having expunged Attlee’s comment.. (From letter written by Justice Phanibhushan Chakravarty to SureshChandra Das, quoted by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar in his essay ‘Bharater Mukti Sangrame Netajir Abadan Samvandhe British Pradhan Mantrir Abhimat: Jayashri, Poush 1382 (November, 1975) My translation.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:06:21 +0000
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