डा० लोहिया

gopal agarwal

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जब डा० लोहिया को सरदार पटेल ने धारा 144 तोड़ने जैसे आरोप में चालीस दिन जेल में रखा
कांग्रेस ने दमन, लोकतान्त्रिक आन्दोलनों को कुचलने व जनहित की उपेक्षा के तौर तरीके अंग्रेजों से गोद लिए थे। इन चौंसठ वर्षों में नेतृत्व में और भी गिरावट आयी। अब कांग्रेस व उसकी सरकार के मंत्रीयों पर कॉरपोरेट कल्चर हावी है जो न्योयोचित व जनहित के फैसले न लेकर पहले अपने क्लांइट के पक्ष में फैसला लेते हैं और बाद में उन्हें तार्किक बताने की कोशिश करते है। कांग्रेस के बारे में प्रचलित है कि यह मैच समाप्त होने के बाद अपनी टीम को विजयी घोषित करने के लिए मैच के नियम बनाती है। अन्ना हजारे के नेतृत्व में चल रहे आन्दोलन में कांग्रेस ने एक बार फिर गलती को दोहराया है। भ्रष्टाचार से जनता त्रस्त है। भ्रष्टाचार के विरूद्ध आन्दोलन को कांग्रेस अपने विरूद्ध आन्दोलन मान बैठी। चोर मन में था इसलिए अन्ना हजारे की बात सुनने के बजाय जेल और डंडे की भाषा शुरू कर कर दी थी।
सिंहासन पर बैठा व्यक्ति यदि अपने विरोध में उठी आवाज को सुनने का साहस न रखता हो तो सामंतवादी कहा जाता है।
25 मई 1949 को 1942 की क्रान्ति के नायक विश्व प्रसिद्ध समाजवादी चिन्तक डा० राममनोहर लोहिया को दिल्ली के कनाट प्लेस के पास से धारा 144 तोडने में गिर¶rkर किया गया। यह देश के लिए घोर लज्जा की बात थी। जिस व्यक्ति ने भारत को आजाद कराने के लिए अनेकों वर्ष जेल में यातनायें सहीं और जब 8 अगस्त 1942 को गांधी सहित कांग्रेस के नेताओं को गिर¶rkर कर लिया गया तब डा० लोहिया ने भूमिगत रह कर आन्दोलन का संचालन किया। भारत के इस महान सपूत को आजाद भारत में धारा 144 तोडने में गिर¶rkर कर तत्कालीन गृह मंत्री सबक सिखाने का बयान दे रहे थे। आपको जानकर आश्चर्य होगा कि तत्कालीन प्रधान मंत्री पं० जवाहर लाल नेहरू ने डा० लोहिया को रिहा करने की इच्छा जतायी थी परन्तु सरदार पटेल अड़ गये और कानून के तर्कों पर डा० लोहिया की रिहाई को मना कर दिया। इस विषय पर तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री पं० जवाहरलाल नेहरू और उपप्रधानमंत्री व गृह मंत्री सरदार वल्ल्भभाई पटेल के बीच तीखा पत्र व्यवहार हुआ। इन पत्रों को पढ कर आप दोनों नेताओं की मन भावना को समझ सकते हैं। पत्रों को रिटाइप करा कर प्रस्तुत किया जा रहा है। मूल पत्रों की छायाप्रति मेरे पास सुरक्षित है। आप अपना निष्कर्ष निकालिये। मैं इसी निष्कर्ष पर पहुंचा हूं कि कुंठा से शासन नहीं चला करता। राजनीति शास्त्र में रूचि रखने वालों के लिए ये पत्र महत्वपूर्ण दस्तावेज हैं।
गोपाल अग्रवाल

 
No. 740-P.M.
New Delhi
June 13, 1949.
My Dear Vallabhbhai,
I enclose a copy of a letter I have received form Kripalani. This was waiting for me here. Before I went to Dehra Dun, some members of the Constituent Assembly spoke and wrote to me on this subject. There was some feeling that the steps taken were in excess of requirements and were creating needless ill-will against the government. This business of going in procession to an Ambassador’s house to present a request or a demand is evidently copied from what happens sometimes in foreign countries. Normally, the police just stops them or allows one or two persons to go and present their request. They do not arrest them unless they are violent, and even when arrested, they usually release them the same day or the next day without proceeding against them.
It is, I think, generally admitted that Lohia in taking a procession like this was acting very wrongly and irresponsibly. But a certain feeling of sympathy for him and his companions is widespread now because it is thought that they have been dealt with far too severely. I should like you to give thought to this matter. In the prevailing atmosphere of a growth of ill-will against the Government it is worthwhile our going slow and not producing the impression of punishing people too heavily for rather trivial offences.
Yours
Sd/-Jawaharlal
The Hon’ble
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
 
TOP SECRET.
Camp: Doon Court,
Dehra Dun, 18.06.49.

Thank you for your leter No. 740-PM dated the 13th June, 1949. I have also seen a copy of Pai’s letter to Shankar Prasad No. 28/47 P.M. dated the 9th June 1949.
With the first letter you have enclosed Kripalani’s letter to you about Ram Manohar Lohia. I have had a talk with Shankar Prasad, whom I had called to Dehra Dun today. As you know, an order under Sec. 144 is already in force throughout Delhi banning meetings and processions except with the permission of the district Magistrate. In this case, the Socialists applied for permission to hold a meeting, but not for the procession. The meeting was allowed. It was at 3 pm. on the day that the District Magistrate received an intimation that a procession was also to be taken to Barakhambha Road. The District Magistrate said that he could not allow the procession. Nevertheless, after the meeting, it was decided to take a procession, and in spite of remonstrations and persuasions by the Police officers present, a procession was taken out. It attracted a large gathering, so that by the time it reached Barakhambha Road, a few thousand people had gathered. The slogans raised by the processionists as well as announced on the placards were objectionable. One of them attributed a reign of loot, rape and terror in Nepal. The local authorities, I think, were right in apprehending breach of the peace and indignity to the Embassy. This, I am sure you will agree, would have been most unfortunate. They, therefore, decided that the procession should not be allowed to proceed further and should be dispersed.
To arrest a small number in such a big gathering is always fraught with serious risks. The police decided not to take such risks. We are always asked by non-officials to use tear gas before dispersing a crowd by force. The police did that, and the crowd dispersed.
(2)
There is some force in the contention that the matter could have been less seriously taken notice of. But consistent with the attitude we took when the Sikhs wanted to stage processions and other bodies also which have tried to do the same, it is difficult for the local administration to allow a particular party to flout authority at will. You will recall that, rather than help us by taking a reasonable attitude after the incident the Socialists started making somewhat wild allegations against the police. The Chief Commissioner, therefore, felt that the law should be allowed to take its course. The case has now reached finality, and I understand that in a day or two the final hearing will be held and the case concluded.

I do not think it would be wise at this stage to interfere with the course of justice. If anything, this would create rather an unfortunate impression in the diplomatic colony that protest/demostratious of this description could be held without any consequences for the holders of those demonstrations. Ram Manohar Lohia has said in his statement that the idea was to see permission from the Embassy to receive a few men in order that the resolution may be communicated. With such a crowd at the back and tempers roused, it would have been a rash act to allow anybody to get inside the Embassy, because, in the event of any Embassy staff being man-handled or of matters getting out of the control of the protection personnel, there might have been retaliation and counter-retaliation. Any such incident would have affected the diplomats most adversely. I am sure that matters could not have rested with one Embassy alone. In all these circumstances, I feel that the best course would be to let the law be vindicated. After the judgment is pronounced, we would consider what action could be taken, in view of the circumstances which you have pointed out.

(3)

As regards the second letter, the whole question turns on the Jail Rules. In so far as the Jail Rules allow discretion, I agree that the Jail authorities should behave with consideration and imagination, but it is obviously impossible for them to go beyond the Rules. I understand from Shankar Prasad that the Jail Rules for under-trials are quite liberal and that, even though they are so, in so far as it was permissible under the Rules, they have given Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and his colleagues as much latitude as possible. He will write to you details separately. There is no doubt, however, that incidents like Matthai’s seeing Ram Manohar Lohia in jail, followed by the visit of Acharya Kripalani and Sucheta, are contributory to rousing public sympathy. Naturally, every one concludes that, when our own ranks weaken in their attitude, there must be something wrong. In this particular case, initially the matters were rather made worse because of the wrong impression created that Matthai went there as your representative or on your behalf.
Yours Sincerely

Vallabhabhai Patel

The Hon’ble Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
Prime Minister of India,
NEW DELHI

 
New Delhi
June 19, 1940

When I was in Dehra Dun last, we discussed the general situation and you mentioned specially the case of Golwakar and Tara Singh. I agreed with you that there was no particular point in keeping them in detention and further, we might also remove the ban on the R.S.S.
I agreed with this on general principles, because I think that in existing circumstances the less we have of these bans and detentions, the better. We can always take action, when necessity arises.
I mentioned to you then and had written previously about the case of Lohia and other socialists, who are in prison here. Now that their trial is over, I think it would be desirable to let the whole lot of them out. I would suggest this both in consideration of the general policy to which I have referred above and also rather specially in this particular case. It was a somewhat trivial affair and it would be as well if we treated it as such. I feel that it would create a good impression generally if we let them all out. All of them have been in prison for over a month now. In the normal course they will be there for another seven weeks plus the period for the fine. To keep them right to the end of this period will not serve any useful purpose, except to embitter many people and make it appear that we want our pound of flesh.
Some of these people who are in prison got rather unexpectedly caught in this business. They had come from some other places to Delhi for the day and had no idea that there was going to be any Satyagraha or the like. At Lohia’s suggestion, they joined his procession and got into trouble.

(2)
I heard today that sometime ago Lohia was elected to represent the Indian committee of the One World Movement. As such he is supposed to go to this One World Conference in Stockholm in August next. The promoters of this one world business are some British M. Ps., as well as others like Lord Boyd Orr, the Food expert, etc. They are inclined to be faddists and impractical. But they are good intentioned people. I made it clear to them, when they came here that I was entirely in favour of the one world idea, but I considered their schemes impractical and in any event I could not associate myself with them formally.
Now that Lohia has been chosen by the committee to go to Stockholm probably sometime in July, the question of his going will arise. We can of course allow matters to drift and let him remain in prison and thus prevent his going. I think this will be a wrong policy and will have bad effects. It would be as well for him to go there. A visit abroad will probably do him good.
I suggest therefore that you might allow all these 42, or whatever the number is, socialists in prison in Delhi to be released unconditionally. That is, the remaining part of their term of imprisonment and fine might be remitted.
Yours
Sd/ Jawahal Nehru
The Hon’ble
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
 
SECRET
Camp: Dehra Dun
21st June 1949.
My Dear Jawahar Lal
Thank you for your letter of the 19th June 1949 regarding Lohia’s case.
I think the best course would be to postpone consideration of this matter till we can discuss it personally. I am looking forward to seeing you here next week-end and we can then determine our attitude. I do hope you will be able to find time to come here.
Yours
Sd/-
(Vallabhbhai Patel)
The Hon’ble Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
Prime Minister of India,
New Delhi