Viceroy v. Gandhi 1932

What happened when Gandhi returned to India from the Second Round Table Conference? Time magazine, in its January 1932 report, supplies the answer- 

INDIA: Viceroy v. Gandhi

Between the Roy* (King) and the Viceroy there is this difference: The Earl of Willingdon on his throne at Delhi can initiate action, decree the most drastic measures” in short, can rule.

No. Two years previously, it had been established that the Secretary of State for India could impose anything it liked on the Viceroy and the Government of India. As for the 'Roy'- he reigned, he did not rule. His successor would have to abdicate in order to marry an American divorcee.  

Last week the return to India of Mahatma Gandhi gave the Viceroy a chance to seem every inch a king.

He seemed every inch what he was- viz. an ex-Governor of Bombay and then Madras who would tolerate no nonsense from a Gujarati bania.  

When Mr. Gandhi begged audience by telegram to discuss Lord Willingdon’s recent ordinance suppressing free speech, freedom of assembly and virtually all civil rights in Bengal  he received from the Viceregal court the telegraphic answer:

“. . . His Excellency feels bound to emphasize that he will not be prepared to discuss with you the measures which the Government of India, with the full approval of His Majesty’s Government, have found it necessary to adopt in Bengal, the United Provinces and the North-west Frontier Province. . . .”

In other words, since Gandhi had failed to make a positive impression on the British Government, the Government of India would deal with him harshly. He and his supporters had lost any special position they may previously have had. This was because Gandhi had singlehandedly succeeded in alienating all non-Congress parties or interest groups while in London. He had made his bed. Now he must lie in it.   

In Bombay the Viceregal telegram was publicly called “insulting” by President Vallabhai Patel of the Gandhite Indian National Congress.

Injury would be piled on insult if Congress did not swallow it and meekly go off, or return to, jail.  

Other Gandhites shouted: “This means war!”

It meant defeat and abject surrender.  

Squatting in his little tent pitched atop a Bombay tenement house, the Mahatma meditated half the night. Then loyal followers heard the scratch, scratch of his pen as he wrote to the Viceroy:

“You demand co-operation from the Congress without returning any on behalf of the Government. … I can read in no other way your peremptory refusal to discuss the ordinances. . . . The Congress must resist with its prescribed creed of non-violence such measures of legalized terrorism as have been imposed in various provinces.”

In other words, Congress must go and sulk in jail. The question was whether the property of Congressmen would be expropriated. 

Next morning Disciple Madeline Slade, daughter of a deceased British Admiral, hastily washed all the Mahatma’s loin cloths, so that he might not lack fresh ones in jail.

Indians can't even wash their own dhotis. They need some nice White lady to come and do it for them.  

Meanwhile leading British and Indian merchants and businessmen peppered the Viceregal Court with telegrams, cables. They reminded Lord Willingdon that Mahatma Gandhi’s arrest would mean a trade loss of millions of dollars to the Empire, since it would unquestionably provoke a fresh Indian boycott of British goods.

Two could play at that game. The mansions and millions of those merchants could be expropriated. They themselves were welcome to languish in jail. There was nothing they could do and they were welcome to die. The Gandhian bluff had been called in 1922 itself. At that time, the King Emperor had to yield to spontaneous uprisings in Egypt and the Irish in Ireland. Even Afghanistan got independence. But, in India, Gandhi unilaterally surrendered. Hindu-Muslim rioting, not anti-British agitation, were the headache faced by Viceroy Irwin who, being a Churchy sort had a soft spot for the Maha-crackpot. So did Lord Lothian- a Christian Scientist. But Willingdon had been Governor of Madras and knew well how to deal with Law & Order problems. 

I should mention that the Viceroy's tough stance pushed the Bombay Mill owners to strike a deal with Lancashire- the Mody-Lees agreement. Better half a loaf than no bread. 

Even the Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, George Lansbury,

who was useless 

successor to James Ramsay MacDonald as Parliamentary Leader of the Labor Party,

a tiny rump 

cabled from London to the Viceroy: “Many friends are profoundly disturbed by your refusal to discuss the working of the ordinances with Gandhi . . . should be treated as one whose advice and goodwill on all matters should be considered.”

His deputy, Atlee understood that nothing could be discussed with the maha-crackpot. Labour policy should be to get the fuck out of India- if the Indians would let them.  

The Viceroy’s next act was 100% kingly. He ordered the Government of Bombay to arrest Mr. Gandhi in the dead of night and lodge him before dawn in Yerovda Jail near Poona, where the Mahatma had twice before been imprisoned (1926, 1930).

This was 100% the action of a District Magistrate or Collector. As a former Governor of Madras, Willingdon well knew how to restore the confidence of the men in the field.  

At 3 a. m. Police Commissioner Wilson, Inspector Hirst and two strapping Indian policemen climbed the tenement stairs, approached the tent with-in which Mr. Gandhi was sleeping, bearing a warrant arresting the Mahatma “for good and sufficient reasons.” Under a century-old ordinance enacted in the reign of King George IV. 50 years before Britain became an Empire, Prisoner Gandhi was to be lodged in jail for an indefinite term “during the pleasure of the Government.”

An Indian Prince's pleasure may have been more sadistic. Still, the Brits knew well how to deal with those who 'waged war' on the King Emperor. Throwing a tantrum and then sulking in a prison cell isn't war. It is mere childish petulance.

“Bapoo, Bapoo!” cried Miss Slade softly, awakening the Mahatma by his pet name. “The police are here.”

Indians need nice White peeps to wake them up and to dress them in a clean loin-cloth. Thankfully, the police would be taking over this onerous duty from Nanny Slade.  

As it was Bapoo’s day of silence, he received the warrant of arrest with a silent nod and smile, scribbled with a pencil his obedience to the Viceregal will.

He was an obedient little baby though he sometimes threw a tantrum or two.  

“Mr. Gandhi,” said Police Commissioner Wilson, “you have half an hour to dress and pack.”

Wilson was very evil. He should have dressed Gandhi and packed his dhotis for him. Instead he told the darkie to do it himself. This is a good example of British 'legalized terrorism'. 

Thousands of Indians had massed out side the tenement house, stood silent. With fresh water brought by Disciple Slade the Mahatma washed his hands and face, brushed his teeth. “Arrest me, too!” suddenly screamed Mrs. Gandhi, but even the need of comforting her did not cause Mr. Gandhi to break his silence. As she flung herself at his feet sobbing, “Please forgive me if I have said or done anything wrong to you at any time!” he patted her encouragingly on the back, then scribbled: “Don’t grieve or worry about me. The British will be my warders, but God will be my protector. May the Father of us all keep you in His infinite mercy.”

Hilarious! Mrs. Gandhi did not know how to wash dhoti and left the task to nice White lady. Also, she was illiterate and thus would not be able to read Gandhi's note.  

Softly Mrs. Gandhi, Miss Slade and some other Indian women who had crowded near began to chant the Mahatma’s favourite prayer, “The Perfect Believer”: 

who was perfectly useless 

The perfect believer bears no ill will or malice toward any man.

The better so as to fuck over anybody who relies upon him 

He looks upon every woman as his mother.

Gandhi had four sons. He truly was a mother fucker.  

He wishes well to all living creatures and he would cut out his tongue rather than lie.

Gandhi could not open his mouth without lying.  

As the last half minute of the Mahatma’s half hour came, plump Devi Das Gandhi flung himself at the Mahatma’s feet crying: “Father! Father!” Sobbing Miss Slade kissed the old man’s withered toes, homage which he gently discouraged.

Even in kissing toes, Whites do a better job than Indians.  

Immobile, non-resistant, the thousands of Indians who had waited all night around the tenement house made no move to interfere as the four police officers bundled Mr. Gandhi into a touring car, drove off into the night while the crowd chanted like a litany Victory! Victory! Victory!

Willingdon had won. But there was no battle.  

Arrested the same night, spirited before dawn to the same jail was President Vallabhai Patel of the Indian National Congress which had declared the boycott on British goods as soon as the warrant for Mr. Gandhi’s arrest was issued the afternoon before. (No sooner was Rajendra Prasad nominated to succeed Patel, than he too was taken prisoner. And Jawaharal Nehru, No. 2 Nationalist leader after the Mahatma, was sentenced to two years at hard labor.) One hour after the boycott went into effect, Mr. Gandhi imperatively demanded that two British-made gold watches be bought by his secretary and despatched to the two British policemen who guarded him in Europe. Expostulation against this breaking of the boycott by the Mahatma himself was in vain. “I promised those men watches,” serenely observed St. Gandhi, “and I must stick to my word.” (Each watch is engraved: “With love from M. K. Gandhi.”)

There you have it. Gandhi rewarded White policemen who protected him. The symbolic significance was obvious. Jailors who made him comfortable would profit by their compassion.  

At Yerovda Jail the British warders greeted Mr. Gandhi, whom many of them appear to venerate, with extreme kindness,

they are even kinder to Mafia Dons. 

made him welcome in his old quarters. Soon his spinning wheel was whirring. Beside it lay two books recently given him as keepsakes by their authors: Wanderings and Travels by James Ramsay Mac-Donald, Prime Minister; and The Fourth Seal by Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for India.

Both Ireland and the INC tried to boycott British goods in 1932. Both failed.  The poor have no economic weapon against the rich. 

In his last hours of freedom Mr. Gandhi wrote two messages—a short one to all Christians, urging them to boycott British goods,* strive for Indian freedom; and a long message to his fellow Indians:

“India, awaken from your sleep! . . . Discard foreign cloth. Spin and weave your own. . . . Discard violence!

“Protect Englishmen, English women and children, even if they are provocative. Withdraw from the Government all cooperation, individually and collectively. Fulfill the resolutions of the Executive Committee of the Indian National Congress,even if the hardships include injury or loss of life and property.”

This appeal failed. Indian policemen and jailors may have been very respectful to Gandhi, but nobody resigned office. Nehru says that once the administration started expropriating property, the pretence of opposing it vanished.  

Determined to crush this spirit once and for all. the Viceroy at once proclaimed four new all-India ordinances:

1) Making even peaceful picketing a crime.

Thus curbing a nuisance.  

2) Empowering the Government to declare any association unlawful and making it unlawful to contribute to such an association’s funds.

This was the real weapon in the hands of the Viceroy. Gandhian 'non-violence' just meant 'money-politics'. If those with money risk being expropriated, they stop handing over cash for Gandhian street theatre.  

3) Empowering the Government to punish ”unlawful instigation” not only by arresting the instigators but by confiscating their property.

4) Empowering all the provincial Governments in India specifically to declare the Indian National Congress unlawful and proceed accordingly.

This worked. Indira remembered this lesson and administered it to her opponents in 1975.  

The ink of Lord Willingdon’s signature to the stern ordinances was not dry for long before things began to happen.

The Brits were efficient. But this was only because Indians they employed liked getting paid regularly.  

At Allahabad a procession of Nationalists was ordered by police to disperse. When they refused, police laid about them with their lathis. Back and forth the mob surged, crushing spectators in the narrow byways. Net result: two killed, one of them trampled to death; 18 Congress party leaders arrested; about 20 injured.

It turned out that 'Ahimsa' had no magical powers. Back in 1905, the Boxers in China and the Maji Maji rebels in East Africa had relied on magic to make themselves invulnerable to bullets. Sadly, magic doesn't work.  

In London every paper except the Laborite Daily Herald (which advocates granting Indians their independence) upheld the right royal acts of Viceroy Lord Willingdon last week,

they were not 'royal acts'. There were in conformity with the instructions of the Secretary of State of India who was answerable to the Cabinet which was answerable to the Houses of Parliament.  

particularly endorsed his arrest of Mahatma Gandhi though some editors argued that the Viceroy should have received “Gandhi” before ordering his arrest.

Editors, then as now, are as stupid as shit. Gandhi had met the Secretary of State. The Viceroy had his instructions and proceeded to implement them with vim and vigour. Congress collapsed. The Tories pushed through the 1935 bill granting Provincial Autonomy and clearing the way for the Indians to create a Federal Government of their own. Congress agreed to fight elections and went on to form elections in several Provinces. Suddenly, their views on British civil servants changed dramatically. Take Gandhi's 'sambandhi' (relative by marriage) Rajaji who became Premier of Madras. He found that this White Civil Servants weren't just efficient and loyal, they were prepared to go the extra mile. When he introduced Prohibition, he called in his Cabinet Secretary and assured him that all White officials would be given certificates permitting them to purchase and consume alcohol. He was astonished when the Englishman replied that he and his colleagues had agreed to voluntarily forego alcohol consumption while within the confines of the Presidency. Only when they went to French ruled Pondicherry would they indulge in a Gin & Tonic. 

With hindsight, Congress should have eagerly grasped the chance to work under British tutelage till they had identified those amongst them who possessed superior administrative and policy making skills. Most importantly, they needed to have people who understood the country's requirements regarding Naval Defence. There was a rising threat from Japan for which India was woefully unprepared. It was only American air-power and Churchill's determination which prevented the country being enslaved by a more cruel set of foreign conquerors. Indians still haven't forgiven Churchill for this.