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  Rajaji
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  Dr. Senjee Pulney Andy

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Catching up with some of my reading on old Madras, or, at least, a Madras of about 85 years ago, I came across this story about C. Rajagopalachariar (Rajaji) and found that it was narrated without an ending. I wonder whether someone will tell me how this intriguing conflict was resolved.

Rajaji was a leading lawyer in Salem from the early 1900s and like many other professionals of the time, he became a Freemason. In due course, he was to become the Master of Lodge Salem No. 3400 which had been established under the English Constitution. Curiously, his having been a member of the Indian National Congress and having participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement leading to a spell in prison in 1921, seems to have been no impediment to his being accepted as a Freemason. But a decade later, he was again sentenced to jail for disobeying a Magistrate’s orders during the Satyagraha agitation in 1930. This time, A.Y.G. Campbell, District Grand Master, held an inquiry and issued a notice to Rajaji to appear before him in Madras to answer a charge of un-Masonic conduct reflected in his conviction. Rajaji sought time to appear, but though it was granted he still did not make an appearance by the end of January 1933 deadline. In February, Campbell issued an order which, among other things, said:

“Bro. Rajagopalachariar is a Past Master and a District Grand Deacon of Madras. His conduct was entirely inconsistent with the directions of the Ancient Charges…in so far as they relate to the obedience of the laws and constitution of the country in which we reside… He has not expressed any regret for his conduct. He is in my opinion unfit for admission to our assemblies or for the enjoyment of Masonic privileges. As, however, he may hereafter change his views and attitude towards lawfully constituted authority and I am unwilling to deprive him of the opportunity of repentance, I do not propose to recommend his expulsion, but I suspend him for an indefinite period, i.e., until he applies to have his sentence terminated and the sentence is terminated by competent authority.”

Rajaji responded, arguing that he had committed no un-Masonic action and had in no way violated the Ancient Charges of Freemasonry. The suspension order was unjustified and should be withdrawn, he concluded. Swarajya, then a Madras English daily, backed his case in an editorial in May 1933, calling Campbell's order “insulting.” Swarajya went on to stress an aspect of the order that should have been of concern to Indian Free Masons at the time: “The Masonic Lodge contains a large number of Indian members all over the country. We are not in the least interested in its doings, but if Freemasonry is to be used by officials in this country as another weapon for foreign domination, it is well that the country should know it now… From the action taken… it is now quite clear that the Masonic Lodge has admittedly allied itself with the bureaucracy in the country’s present struggle for freedom… (Indian members) should at once sever their connections with the organisation or satisfy themselves that the Masonic Lodge will not be used by the Government to attack the National movement…”

Lodge Salem thereupon expressed its solidarity with Rajaji and wrote to the District Grand Secretary that the Brethren agreed with Brother Rajagopalachariar that he had not violated any of the Ancient Charges and that therefore, the order should be withdrawn. And that is where the story I read ended. I would be delighted to hear what happened after that. Am I correct in thinking that the order was withdrawn and Rajaji then resigned from Freemasonry? More, hopefully, in due course.

RAJAJI AS I KNOW

RAJAJI  AS  I  KNOW

(by KR. Krishnan - Former member of Swatantra Party)

My father took part in the freedom struggle during the period 1930 – 1943 under the leadership of Revered Rajaji.

He used to tell us many things but as a child then, I could not make out or recollect anything except the words “ Ahimsa , Sathyam and purity ”.

Rajaji was an embodiment of Dharma and all virtues put together; and his entire life was an open book.

It was Rajaji who spear headed the crusade against corruption in public life as early as in 1957. In fact, as early as in 1921 , while in Trichy Jail ( long before Independence ), he cautioned the people with his sharp intellect and foresight , thus  “ We all ought to know that swaraj will not at once , or I think for a long time to come , be a better government or greater happiness for the people. Elections and their corruptions, injustice and the power and tyranny of wealth , and inefficiency of administration , will make a hell of life as soon as freedom is given to us. Many will look regretfully back to the old regime of comparative justice, and efficient , peaceful more or less honest administration. The only thing gained will be that as a race we will be saved from dishonor and subordination. Hope lies only in universal education by which right conduct fear of God , and love will be developed among the citizens , right from childhood. It is only if we succeed in this that swaraj will mean happiness. Otherwise it will mean the grinding injustice and tyranny of wealth. What a beautiful world be if everybody were just and God fearing and realized the happiness of loving others? ”.

True to the words of Gandhiji , he lived a simple life without pomp and publicity and showed the way to others by voluntarily reducing his salary as Governor General , in 1949 , from Rs. 2 ,50,000 per month to just Rs. 5,000 per month !.

As Chief Minister of  Madras , he claimed only the actual travelling expenses on his tour although he was entitled for a higher sum as per batta fixed for ministers. Further when he relinquished his office , he refused to use the official car and went home in his friend’s car. He also took special care to return all the gift articles and other furniture provided to him for official duties at his residence.

He was very particular and meticulous in replying to all the letters received by him even from ordinary people. As Secretary of Binny Employees Association in 1968 , I requested him for a message for our Anniversary ; and he readily replied in a postcard duly signed by him , with the message “ Work for the prosperity of the organization and welfare of its employees ”.

Nowadays, despite getting huge emoluments , perks and facilities such as travelling , gas , telephone etc , the MPs , MLAs and Ministers do not even care to acknowledge the letters. What a pity?.

During 1954 – 1959 he used to attend the religious discourses of Anantharama Dikshithar , at Gangai Kondan Mandapam at Triplicane without any paraphernalia and stay there till the end. During 1959 – 1972 I along with the office bearers of Swatantra party used to call on him every year for his blessings on the 8^th of December. Once , I took my young children along with me when it was raining heavily at that time. He was visibly angry and chided and advised me not to trouble the children anymore.

The greatest tribute paid to him , on his death , was from his arch political rival , late Ramaswamy Naicker , who said “ There is no Gandhiji in T.N without Rajaji ”. And Gandhiji , had also said earlier that Rajaji was his conscious keeper.

Such was the greatness of Revered Rajaji. If only our present day rulers , administrators and particularly the crusaders against corruption , care to emulate him and follow his ideals , we can certainly enhance the number of honest men in public life and usher in a clean and corrupt free government.

It is our duty and responsibility to instill these good habits to the present generations from their childhood days.

DEDICATED SERVICE, THE ONLY HOPE (by Rajaji, 1963 Swarajya)

DEDICATED SERVICE, THE ONLY HOPE

[written by Rajaji – May 4, 1963, Swarajya]

(Re produced by Swatantra Forum.

Items within brackets are comments of CS. Ram, who has re produced this article)

THE FATE OF THE NATION is doomed if corruption poisons its life in very sphere, as most people feel and complain that it does today in our land. Administration at all levels, the economic controls which the Government exercises over those engaged in production and distribution, the transport service by road, rail and air, the elections that are held to recruit persons to the various public bodies from the villages up to Delhi, these and other public activities are poisoned with this fatal poison, and the process is so widely prevalent that people seem reconciled to it. (Clever Politicians, over the period, have made the public part of the looting team that is as Share Holders, by offering freebies and non-productive schemes. Slowly the public is loosing its moral right and this is the most dangerous thing to happen to our Country). Democracy is disclosing itself as a puppet dancing to the pull of money-strings. (How true it is !!!!). It is painful having to say all this about one’s own country, one’s own people and one’s own administration. But the evil cannot be got rid of by being un-confessed and our sufferings borne in silence.

Human nature cannot tolerate this state of affairs. The crisis will lead to revolution of some kind, communist or fascist or military. (Again, how true it is ! already most part of our Country is facing such problems, either from Maoists or Naxals or Agitations). The people have to face this corruption on one side and high prices and unbearable tax-levies on the other. Oppression and corruption must lead to revolt, and passing through anarchy, democracy must turn into dictatorship. Neither can the resulting tyranny escape the total evil of the times. The dictatorship will not be a relief, for that, too, will be corrupt.

The only hope for the nation lies in the possibility of restoring good government. The interference of ministers and others with legitimate and illegitimate powers derived from so called democracy has transformed a fairly good government (of 1950s) into an intolerably bad administrative machine. Can we retrace the steps and secure an improvement in the morale of our administrative machinery? I believe we can. Let us hope we can secure a dedicated set of young people to join the service ranks in all departments through whom we can get this revolution of character accomplished. In order to hope for this, we should make sure of a few things besides appealing to intelligent youth to dedicate them selves to a holy war against corruption. (One of the main objectives of our Swatantra Forum is to involve the intelligent younger generation to contribute to the national cause).

We must elevate the simple life to the status it had enjoyed in Gandhian and pre-independence days. It is the ‘standard of life’ that has corrupted and is corrupting our souls.

We should make administration less expensive by reducing the number of people engaged in that unproductive but important work, while at the same time paying adequate salaries to those employed.

The development of productive industries, should be unhampered by controls and bureaucratic hurdles, so that they may grow quickly and absorb more and more of intelligent young men instead of their being driven by necessity to government service. (Even after 20 years of Economic Liberalisation, India, it seems, has not come out of the Socialist grip. The Government need not have to run bus, train and air services. Also there is no need for the Government to run industries. Even after opening up economy and removal of Government control over trade, we see younger people aspiring for Government jobs. This is not because of their ‘service’ mind but because they know they are assured of fat salaries and regular increments, irrespective of the contribution they make. That is why Public sector undertakings are running in huge loss and with in-efficiency. Keeping vote bank in mind the successive Governments have not done anything in this front. This is the only way to reduce expenditure. More over with indirect controls only corruption is brewing. What we need is real FREE TRADE without any interference. The primary job of the Government, with respect to industry, should be to collect taxes and ensure trade sector is following minimum basic guidelines, such as fair trade, etc.).

Less taxation and less inflation, abandonment of wholly wrong plan of finding industrial capital by oppressive taxation, and release of private capital and private initiative from the barbed wire entanglement of Central planning – these will help to a large extent in clearing the air of the poisonous fog of corruption. (The present Government, in the name of finding fresh capital, going to FDI route in all sectors. This is NOT what Rajaji envisaged. FDI is required in high technology industries and or sectors where the participation of foreign nationals and companies can be allowed. What we need is large number of small entrepreneurs, rather than a few big corporate, for equitable distribution of wealth and also to social equality in the long run. Equality cannot be attained by ‘artificially’ distributing wealth to people through freebies, etc.).

There is hope if the young men and women of our country vow to live simply, and to be honest under any circumstances and in any employment. Education is of no use if this dedicated spirit does not crown the acquisition of useful knowledge. Rectitude and rectitude only can save us. Hope thus rests on the restoration of faith in God, and even this must be given by Him. May He give us that faith in His mercy and enable us to save our dear motherland, which does not fate that over-hangs it.

Rajaji - May 4, 1963, Swarajya

My comments: The situation has not changed even after 65 years of independence. As for as possible, instead of finding capital and talents within our boundary, we are satisfied by inviting western corporate to manage our affairs and ready to work under them. The slave mentality, it seems, has not changed yet. That is this slave mentality that kept us under British for a few centuries. If we fail to find a balance, we will soon be under the clutch of another ‘’saamraj’’, this time not under a particular country, but under the ‘Modern Corporate Saamraj’, which includes Indian and Foreign corporate in collaboration with corrupt politicians. The devaluation of Indian currency is artificial and unless we find local solutions this will only further escalate to make things worst. Most of the capital needs can be found in India itself, provided, the currency value is strengthened. FDI cannot and will not strengthen our currency. That means we are knowingly increasing our prices and creating inflation.

Dear Subscribers, Greetings fromSwatantra Forum ! Team Swatantra is very happy to send this mail to you to make you aware of the Objectives of Swatantra Forum. In the coming months we are planning lot of programs - including brain storming sessions, seminars, discussions, analysis, etc - and we request your participation.

Need for Swatantra Forum:

Rajaji's Swatantra party experiment was a bold attempt to bring in that perspective of non-populist, non-ideologically bound alternative that would work in India because it was based on the Indian Ethos and Concepts. It was also a clear departure from an idealistic approach to one that is guided by pragmatism. It promised an India of equality and opportunity. It relied on the native intelligence of India and its family - community - nation value system that emphasised rights and responsibilities in equal measures. However it was probably an idea and movement that was ahead of its time.

We feel that it is important to revive the thought process of Swatantra Party and the idea is to bring together professionals from today's India to contribute to the National discourse by way of a Conservative Forum based on the Philosophy of Swatantra Party. Hence we are attempting to launch a new forum called "THE SWATANTRA FORUM - A CONSERVATIVE THINK TANK FOR PROGRESS WITH EQUITY"

Our Objectives:

  

To prepare conservative policies and roadmap for India in all areas and to analyse the current policies and offer suitable conservative alternatives with the guiding principle of "Progress with Equity". Inter-state relationship and sharing of natural resources in a equitable manner. To create awareness on issues of state / national / international importance thro lectures, debates, campaigns, meetings and articles, in association with like minded organizations. To promote the ideas of "Responsible Citizenry" and "Minimum Government and Maximum Governance" - by promoting a prudent balance between Rights and Responsibilities. To promote the ideas of Rajaji and other Swatantra Party stalwarts who believed in a National Perspective that was rooted in Indian ethos. To involve the youth of India to participate in National Causes. To promote 'Friendly Neighborhood' philosophy for peaceful co-existence with countries surrounding India, to make all of us prosper together.

Thank you.
Team Swatantra.

MORE INFLATION, MORE DEBTS, MORE TAXES

(RAJAJI ON THE ABOVE SUBJECT – SEPTEMBER 10, 1966 SWARAJYA)

ONCE AGAIN WE ARE TOLD BY THE Planning Commission that the turning point is just around the corner (* even now they continue the same trend !!!), and that after an additional injection of foreign aid (* currently replaced with FDI) and some additional taxation and inflation, the country will reach self-sustaining growth and prosperity. Prof. Bauer has dealt with this policy and his opinion has been published in last week’s SWARAJYA. The Fourth Plan contemplates an expenditure of Rs.28,750 Crores, during the next five years, out of which Rs.16,000 crores will be spent over the “public” sector, that is the Government sector, and Rs.7,750 crores are to be laid out in the private sector to help favoured units.

What is the plan for getting this Rs.16,000 crores for the state sector ? The Planning Commission relies on additions to taxation and compulsory levies of various kinds including railway charges to create a railway, surplus to produce in all more than Rs.6,000 crores. Besides these additions to taxation on one kind or another, it is planned to borrow from the public of India Rs.2,500 crores. This too involves, it is well known considerable compulsion on those who can ill afford to save and lend to the Government. It is also planned to add to the present foreign debt burden a fresh sum of Rs.4,340 crores, so that our foreign debt burden will stand terrible. Thus the Fourth Plan means tremendous fresh squeezing of the people’s life blood and a gigantic addition to the burden of foreign debt to be placed on our children’s shoulders. Arid arithmetic is given to the people who asj for bread to eat and not arithmetical fallacies to swallow.

There is another aspect which should also be kept in mind. If this plan is carried out, that is, if all this expenditure is gone through, economists will tell us what its grave effect on the price line will be. Prices which are going up even now, will rise still higher. The life of the poor man will be what he cannot bear, just because Sri Asoka Mehta and others say that this Socialism (* unfortunately the so called socialism has been replaced with slogans like GLOBALISATION & LIBERALISATION – but the effect remains same. A real free market economy where equal opportunity is provided to all is still a dream for us. Not only equal opportunity is NOT provided but also the policies and prices does not allow common man from competing with so called giants, who have formed a coterie to loot the public money and also the public). If the Congress Government is allowed to play this tragedy out, there will be a terrible increase in the inflation under which the people even now are suffering. The cost of living will go up and no magic or tyranny can keep wages from rising. As a result of this and for other reasons, all the calculations of cost which go to make up the figures in the plan will prove to be wrong (* what a profess !!!! This is applicable even now !!!).

Let no one imagine that there will be anarchy if the Congress is not voted to office. The Constitution has not failed to provide for such a contingency. The people will have order and good government instead of a government that is bent on taking us to bankruptcy. Let no one be misled by the threats the Congress bosses are making or the bribes they are offering in the shape of things that will be done if the people agree to accept fresh taxation and oppression and all else which the large figures presented mean and involve.

“But the Congress Party is the only strong and stable party”. This is an oft repeated argument advanced by eminent persons as well as other who admitting the blunders of the Congress Party and its corruptions advise people to support it. What is this stability they talk of? A blundering and corrupt party is worse for its strength and stability which it has acquired through the exercise of power via the economic controls conferred on the State. Ravana could not be beheaded. When one of his ten heads was chopped off, another grew in its place. So also as his arms were cut off, others grew at once to take their place. This stability and strength did not make Ravana better but worse. The longevity of chaos is not a blessing.

This plan must be rejected and the people can do it only by refusing to vote for the Congress in 1967 and asking the President to form a new government to save the people.

[the quotes within parenthesis starting with a * are mine and not to be taken as the great Rajaji’s view]

[The above article was written by Rajaji on September, 10, 1966 Swarajya issue].

My comments:- I am wondering how a person could have such a foretelling capability. Rajaji’s words are applicable even now. Fortunately the present Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Ahluwalia has escaped from Rajaji. What words Rajaji would have used against Ahluwalis, if he is alive today? I am sure Rajaji would have bombarded Ahluwalia.

Coming to the issue, I do feel, the present policy of the Government is taking us to bankruptcy. Instead of creating natural and local sources to generate clean funds, the Government is resorting to FDI route (that too without improving the infra structure facilities), which is nothing but amounting to selling India. There is no hold the Indian public anywhere and there is no level playing field – that is equal opportunity is not provided. The present policy makes Rich more Richer and the Poor remains the Poor. The biggest casualty is the Middle class segment, who actually saved the country through their savings, who are being pushed to the Poor category.

I welcome comments from, especially financial experts, analyzing the current five year plan being relased by our great Planning Commission Dy. Chairman Mr.Ahluwalia.