The Hindu Business Line : Heretical thoughts

OLD timers who have lived in both colonial India ruled by the British and free India ruled by Indians are filled with heretical thoughts. The so-called sovereign, democratic, socialist, secular republic that India has proclaimed itself to be seems to be bereft of the respect for values and common human decencies that were so much a part of the British culture.

With no one to question their authority, and no representative forums to which they were answerable, the British could have simply let loose a reign of lawlessness without having to justify what they did. But, no! They were sticklers for form and made sure of basing whatever action they took on some existing law. They could have staged any number of fake encounters to finish off leaders such as Gandhi, Nehru and others who were thorns on their flesh. Instead, they meticulously went through the process of arrest and trial every time and took very good care of the leaders in prison, even giving generous allowances of Rs 200 or so per month to their families.

Their treatment of Gandhi in prison was so considerate that they released him the moment he announced his fasts lest they be blamed for anything untoward happening to him. Viceroy Lord Linlithgow even went out of his way to make newsprint (scarce during the War) available to Gandhi to run those very papers which were preaching rebellion. Senior officials like the Commissioners and Collectors regularly met imprisoned leaders to ascertain their condition.

In a subjugated country with the populace ignorant of English way of dispensing justice, nothing stopped the judges from behaving in a cavalier fashion, hurling all kinds of irresponsible and unrestrained dicta from their sacred pedestals. But no! They observed all rules of rectitude, raised a wall between themselves and even their own countrymen, shunned all public functions and clubs, and during hearings strictly went by the facts and law placed before them, reserving the pronouncement of their opinion to formal judgments, instead of indulging in hypothetical, speculative or loose comments like gossip-mongers.

Public servants of those days not adhering to a stringent code of responsiveness and accessibility to the common man were promptly pulled up by their superiors.

Incredible, is it not?

B.S. Raghavan

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