6. As a loyal and obedient servant of the Raj

 

Loyal and Obedient Servant of the Raj 1932 -40

On 04 November, he reported for duty producing his credentials including a letter from his previous employer Mr. V K Abdul Kader greatly appreciating his work and how he was reluctant to forgo his services.  He was interviewed by   the British Revenue Divisional Officer.  While Sub collectors were Indian Civil service officers, the Revenue Divisional Officers belonged to the Provincial or State Service. Though both may be British in many places, Sub collectors were authorized stenographers and Personal assistants while the RDOs were not!    Noticing that he was qualified in shorthand though appointed only as a typist, he dictated a long memo to test his proficiency and asked him to put up a draft typed letter in about an hour!  Natesan typed the first draft in about fifteen minutes and finding a few words not appropriate corrected them on his own and typed an improved draft. His idea was not to show off his   proficiency in the language. He placed the first draft for perusal which the RDO corrected with more appropriate words and asked him to retype it. In next five minutes, he placed the previously typed second draft for perusal.  When he wondered aloud as to he could have typed it in such a short time, he asked Natesan confessed his own corrections but did not put it up so as not to offend his superior! Little did he realise that this deed of his would cost him dearly later during his service.  Contrary to popular belief that the British were just and humane, they were the most venomous when it came dealing with natives in their administration.

His office work, though taxing, was not very strenuous. He cleared all pending correspondence as he was proficient in English, Office correspondence and Typing!  Natesan was looking for a rented accommodation to bring his young wife to Karur.  Dharmambal joined him in December 32 and life was going on smoothly and happily.

Right from the time of their East India company days, the British were looking for improving their revenue through the fertile delta region of the then Madras Province in general and Kaveri delta in particular. 1804, Captain Caldwell, a military engineer, was appointed by the British to promote the irrigation potential for the delta region. We have seen how he   improved the acreage under cultivation by raising the height of Grand Anicut. The Upper Anicut or Mukkombu was built between 1836 and 1838 by Sir Arthur Cotton, to conserve water and divert the superfluous for irrigation on the Northern bank of Kaveri which was otherwise going to the sea. It also helped to prevent flooding of Kavery and its tributaries on its Southern bank damaging the crops and bringing untold miseries to the people. A large number of canals were being built to increase the acreage under cultivation to improve the revenue of the British especially after the First World War. 

Towards that end The Kattalai scheme comprising the ayacut of north bank canal and south bank canal and the newly proposed Kattalai high level canal (KHLC), Uyyakondan channel and Nangam channel. The supply for these channels was to be regulated at Kattalai bed regulator across the river Aganda ( Broad or undivided) Cauvery. The regulator was to be situated near Mayanur in Kulittalai taluk.  The KHLC, a contour canal, was to carry water from   Mayanur regulator to Thayanur in Tiruchi district, a distance of about 62 km, to irrigate about 24000   acres in Karur and Tiruchi districts.  

 

 

 

When Natesan joined the service Karur the physical completion of the canal was more or less over.The head regulator was under construction. A temporary establishment headed by a Special Deputy Collector was established at Kulittalai for land acquisition and finalizing compensation for the lands acquired from the public for building the canal and settling any disputes arising out of it. Though the canal was inaugurated in 1933, a lot many cases were pending regularization of acquisition and payment of compensation.  The responsibility of this special outfit included for fixation of water cess for the various types of lands that were coming under the ayacut of the new canal before the next harvest season. There was palpable discontent among the land owners whose lands were acquired for the building of the canals and also compensation due to loss or damages to crops, trees or dwellings dutring  its construction.

 An order was issued to the Sub Collector at Karur to relieve a suitable Shorthand Typist from their office for transfer to the Office of Special Deputy Collector for land acquisition at Kulittalai. He was very well aware that there was tremendous pressure to clear the back log of land acquisition and award of compensation from all quarters as the project was completed and inaugurated. Each additional day in the continuance of the temporary set up is costing money to the Government! The RDO knew very well that Natesan would be taxed to his limit! The revenue Divisional Officer knew very well that Natesan had rented a house only a month or so ago. What better way to take revenge for slighting him for his English than to recommend his name to shunt him out! Though he was employed as only Typist, he recommended his name!  

 In the first week of Feb 33, just about three months, Natesan was transferred to the Temporary establishment at Kulittalai as Shorthand Typist! The transfer order is attached at Appendix ‘C”. Natesan was apprehensive that in his new job, it would not be restricted to only office work. Land acquisition and finalizing the of compensation would entail physical verification of land, its ownership, the claimants and a host of other issues. It was still a joint family at Nemam comprising his parents, his middle brother and his family and an elder sister who was turned out by her husband! He decided to send his wife back to her parents at Thanjavur promising her to take her back after settling down in Kulittalai!

 A scrutiny of the transfer order issued by the Collector’s office rang a bell! The Clerk who is replacing him from the Office of RDO Trichy was junior to Natesan and there was no reason why he could not have been sent to the temporary establishment in Kulittalai. He was no astrologer to know of things to come!

He took up the job in the Deputy Collector’s office in great earnest. The orders were to quicken the pace of compensation awards so that the establishment can be wound up by the end of 1933. Working day and night and making trips to villages and meeting the land owners to sort out difficult cases, he cleared a lot of back log. By the end of the year, there were only a few cases left to be decided by the Government. When the orders for disbandment of the Sub Collectors Office at Kulittalai came, Natesan got the order that he was ousted and in his place the clerk who replaced him in Karur and who was a junior appointee was appointed! It was a grave injustice. A fighter be was, he made a representation to the Collector of Trichinopoly and was favorably recommended by the Sub- Collector, his Head at Kulittalai. Appendix “D “, Appendix “E”

The crux of his appeal:

 That he was qualified in the madras Public Service Commission for the appointment of a Typist. While awaiting his call for an appointment after his selection, he was appointed in Penang with a monthly salary of Rs 100/ for almost two years after his selection. When he got the appointment letter to join the service forthwith with a warning that he would forfeit the Government Service for ever in case he did not join duty forthwith, he left the job with a view to serve the motherland.  He did his job to the satisfaction of his superiors at Karur when he was replaced by a junior and he was transferred to a temporary establishment at Kulittalai. Here also he has performed his duty to the great satisfaction of his superiors. In spite of his good work, qualification and seniority, he stood ousted from job while a junior is retained in his place at the Sub Collectors Office at Karur where he was originally posted.

The recommendation of Muhammad Ibrahim Sub-Collector, Kulittalai recommending his retention in his appeal:

The case of the individual is a hard one. It is a pity that he should be ousted under the circumstances after a service of over one year.

He has been doing a very good job and besides his own work he has been helping other clerks in getting through their work. He has been very helpful in clearing the large volume of arrears that have been accumulated in the office and picked up the difficult work in the land acquisition office. Any change now is likely to affect the progress that is being made in the work of this office.

Point to note is though the head of the organization is giving glowing tribute to his work culture, he   only said that the change due to his ouster would only hamper the progress. That was how the native officers looked after their staff against the British Superiors. He could have supported his contention as to why a junior is retained while a senior is ousted!

 The British were known for their adamant attitude and would never own up any error on their part. It was no wonder that his appeal was turned down by the Collector of Trichinopoly in spite of a fairly favourable recommendation by a Sub-collector! (Appendix F). His appeal of 5 December made from Kulittalai, was rejected with a curt one sentence ruling that “There is no reason to reconsider the order already passed” by EB Cobbald Esq. ICS, Collector of Trichinopoly on 12 December. Readers may realise that it takes at least two to three days for the letter to reach the Collector’s office by post and an additional day or two for the lower staff to put it up with their recommendation to the Collector for final orders. With two more public holidays on 9th and 10 the December 1933, it is unbelievable that his petition was considered on its merits at all. That shows the British egoistic nature that they could do no mistakes and therefore they would not rescind any of their orders!  Natesan appealed to the Secretary of the Madras Services Commission against the injustice meted out to him against all norms service procedures. (Appendix G, Appendix H).

He has returned just a year ago from Penang and started his family life. Whether to go back to his previous employer or wait for a response from the Service commission on his appeal. Natesan was very well aware that he may not get any favourable reply from the Chairman of the Service Commission. Though he was aware that they would refer his petition back to the Collector of Trichinopoly for his comments and so long as the present Collector was holding the post, he would only justify his action in rejecting his appeal! 

However, there was a lot of work to be done in Nemam. In the absence of proper supervision of agricultural operations, his father was accumulating loans by pledging his lands. Almost every family of Nemam clan who migrated to new Nemam purchased vacant plots extending to 2000 Sq Yd apart from the plots for building their dwelling. These vacant plots were generally in either end of the Agraharam on both rows.  These were called “Serpatti” or sheds for their draught animals.  While the cows were kept in the backyards of their houses, the bullocks were kept in Serpatti. Also Serpatti was the place where the hay stacks were kept after the harvest to serve as fodder. Generally they would keep two or more of bullock carts for carrying load (Kattai vandi), two or more pairs for ploughing and other farm work and a covered cart for travel of family members. All implements for agriculture work were also kept in Serpatti. Apart from that, after the harvest is over the produce were brought and unloaded in Serpatti for drying, cleaning and bagging for sale. What was required for household consumption were generally kept in clay or wooden repositories called Kudhir in their dwellings. Good quality produce would be preserved as seeds for the next sowing season as per requirement.    

  Narayanaswamy Iyer had his Serpatti on the Eastern end of the Agraharam and next to that was the Serpatti of Ramaswamy Iyer of same size. Subbier had his Serpatti on the then Western end of the Agraharam. There was a reason for locating these Serpatti on the periphery. The farm hands, the bullock cart drivers did not have to enter the Agraharam for their work. While the higher caste Hindus who were employed for house work, drivers of carts for families, for milking and looking after the cows had free access in the agraharam, the other castes were shy of entering though they were not debarred.

Now coming to the Serpatti of Subbier, he built a new house for his eldest son in the Serpatti as he was by now married and had a family. Though most of the time, he was in Tanjore, by mid 1930’s, he shifted to Nemam more or less relinquishing his practice. Subbier and Chandrammal lived along with the family of their second son as a joint family. Natesan was given the smaller open plot and perhaps Subbier had decided at that time that Natesan would get this piece of land and a small dwelling on it as his share.

When Natesan was biding his time for a response on his Petition to the  Service Commission, he got a letter appointing him in the temporary post of Typist Clerk in the office of the RDO Trichinopoly on 06 Jan 1934 on the orders of the same Collector who refused to consider his petition only less than a month ago. He joined duty on 14 Jan 1934 with a break in service of more than 21 days. This was going to adversely impinge on his service record and pay scale fixation for no fault of his! (Appendix H). ED Philip, the RDO confirmed his appointment as Attender Stationery at the Office of the RDO Trichinopoly in March 1934 with retrospective effect from 14Jan 1934, almost a year and half after he was appointed as a Steno Typist in the Sub registrar Office Karur. But the order said that had to continue to work as Typist Clerk and draw the salary of an Attender! (Appendix J)! The British Justice! Weighing all the pros and cons of quitting the job and going back to Penang, Natesan decided to continue and fight for his restoration of seniority. Financially, it was a better option since bulk of the expenditure on food was met by the farm produce. There was no need to burden his father in law if he left her. And most importantly, he was expecting his first child in 1935! He shifted his family to Trichinopoly and took up a small house on rent in Jaffarsa Street near Singaratope. There were many families of Nemam Palamarneri clan in Trichinopoly in the agraharam of Single Mall Street   

When Gandhi undertook his first tour of South India in 1921, he was a young boy and the only curiosity was news about the crowd collected at various places highlighted in papers and gossip. Being in the Revenue department, he now understood how the British government was extracting every penny out of the people of India. Ne understood the importance of Gandhi’s extortion to shun foreign clothes and promotion of Khadi and village industries. As far as treatment of depressed classes, right from his childhood, he never minded mingling with them in work and play. In fact some of his close friends were from depressed class with whom he would climb trees, swim, take the cattle for bath to Kaveri and share his tiffin much to the annoyance of orthodox people in the Agraharam. Thaththa Pillai (lit. Grandfather’s son), Tappalai Karuppan (lit.  Black toad) and Ammasi (lit. New moon) were his play mates in his younger days and later in his youth as well. They were sons of his father’s farm hands . In Nemam and Mahadevapuram, he used to work shoulder to shoulder with them for farm work. He learnt a lot of field work related to agriculture, driving carts, carpentry, masonry and even getting the bullocks shoed!    All of them worked in his farm in later years   and all his skills came handy when he was getting his house built.

The early years of Nineteen Thirties were well known for various   landmark events in the history of  the freedom movement in India. The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930), the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931), the Three Round Table Conferences (1930- 1932), the Poona Pact (1932), were the major political events which took place in that particular period.  

 

 Gandhi gave his full support to the British for the war effort for the first Great War, even encouraging   people for recruitment to the British Indian Army. He felt betrayed when India was not granted the Dominion status like other British colonies in Europe and Australia. He stated many movements starting with boycott of foreign clothes and making a bonfire of those collected from people. These events had a lasting impression in the young mind of Natesan. After his return from Penang, the frequent arrests and releases of Gandhi, the frequent fasts undertaken by him on various issues were giving a daily dose of political awakening among the masses. In 1928, Gandhi called for complete Independence if the Dominion status was not granted within a year.

On January 26, 1930, Gandhi called for complete Independence from the British rule. The text of the declaration was:

"We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have freedom and to enjoy the fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have full opportunities of growth. We believe also that if any government deprives a people of these rights and oppresses them, the people have a further right to alter it or to abolish it. The British Government in India has not only deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses, and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. We believe, therefore, that India must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or Complete Independence.

"India has been ruined economically. The revenue derived from our people is out of all proportion to our income. Our average income is seven pice, less than two pence, per day, and of the heavy taxes we pay, twenty per cent are raised from the land revenue derived from the peasantry and three per cent from the salt tax, which falls most heavily on the poor.

"Village industries, such as hand-spinning, have been destroyed, leaving the peasantry idle for at least four months in the year, and dulling their intellect for want of handicrafts, and nothing has been substituted, as in other countries, for the crafts thus destroyed.

"Politically, India's status has never been so reduced, as under the British regime. No reforms have given real political power to the people. The tallest of us have to bend before foreign authority. The rights of free expression of opinion and free association have been denied to us, and many of our countrymen are compelled to live in exile abroad and they cannot return to their homes. All administrative talent is killed, and the masses have to be satisfied with petty village offices and clerkships.

"Culturally, the system of education has torn us from our moorings, our training has made us hug the very chains that bind us.

"Spiritually, compulsory disarmament has made us unmanly, and the presence of an alien army of occupation, employed with deadly effect to crush in us the spirit of resistance, has made us think that we cannot look after ourselves or put up a defence against foreign aggression, or defend our homes and families from the attacks of thieves, robbers, and miscreants.

"We hold it to be a crime against man and God to submit any longer to a rule that has caused this fourfold disaster to our country. We recognize, however, that the most effective way of gaining our freedom is not through violence. We will prepare ourselves, by withdrawing, so far as we can, all voluntary association from the British Government, and will prepare for civil disobedience including non-payment of taxes. We are convinced that if we can but withdraw our voluntary help, stop payment of taxes without doing violence, even under provocation, the end of this inhuman rule is assured. We, therefore, hereby solemnly resolve to carry out the Congress instructions issued from time to time for the purpose of establishing Purna Swaraj."

As a part of the Non Co-operation Movement, the Congress had continuously boycotted all the elections to the Central and Provincial Legislative Councils held under the Indian Councils Act of 1919.  As a result, the Swarajist Party became an alternative to the Congress at the national level and certain regional parties at the Provincial level. The Justice Party became an alternative in the Madras Presidency.

While Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement, the Justice Party was in power in the Madras Presidency. On 12, March he embarked on his now famous Dandi march to protest against the imposition of tax on salt. This became the famous Salt Satyagraha covered worldwide more so by the United states of America. More than a hundred thousand protesters were imprisoned by the British.

Despite that, the Congress played a commendable role in successfully conducting the Salt Satyagraha under the leadership of C.Rajagopalachari, President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. 

All the Congress leaders including Gandhi were arrested and imprisoned. However, the Civil Disobedience Movement developed the image of Gandhi as well as the Congress Party throughout the nation.

When Gandhi was in jail, the Indian National Congress boycotted the First Round Table Conference which was held at London from 12th November 1930 to 19th January 1931 to resolve the conflicts between the ruler and the ruled. However, after singing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact on 5th March

1931 Gandhi participated in the Second Round Table Conference as the sole representative of the Congress. The conference was also attended by B.R. Ambedkar who represented the Depressed Class people. In the meeting of the Minorities Committee Ambedkar demanded 'separate electorate' for the Depressed classes in the Central and Provincial Legislatures. While Gandhi declined to accept this demand of Ambedkar, the British announced the 'Communal Award' which gave what Ambedkar demanded.  Describing it as a plot to divide the Depressed classes from the Hindu main stream ,   he started a fast unto death on 20th September 1932 to protest against the award,.  In order to save the life of Gandhi, Ambedkar agreed to give up his demand of separate electorate and signed the historic Poona Pact on 24th September 1932 which enabled Gandhi to break his fast.

 After the formation of the Harijan Sevak Sangh at the national level with Seth Ghanshyandas Birla, a prominent Gandhian follower as its President, its branches were opened in the Provinces within a short span of time.  

Gandhi began his country-wide Harijan Tour at Wardha on 7th November 1933. Subsequently he continued the tour in the Central Province, Andhra and Kerala. It was on 23rd January 1934 he started his Harijan Tour in Tamil Nadu from the point of the southernmost end of the sub continent, Kanyakumari which was under the jurisdiction of the then Travancore Princely State. Gandhi arrived at Trichy by train in the early morning on 10th February 1934. There was a heavy crowd in the Railway Station to accord a warm reception to Gandhi. Gandhi detrained and accepted the reception. In his key-note address at the Srirangam public meeting, Gandhi emphasised that he had no wish at all that

there should be any force or compulsion used against the public opinion to enforce temple-entry for the Harijans. He said that in his opinion the Sastras do not prohibit temple-entry by the Harijans and therefore it was the duty of the Hindus to admit them into the temples.

His tour, speeches and  the donations he collected were extensively covered by the vernacular and English news papers and wherever he went there was unmanageable crowd to have his “ Darshan” and here his speech. Natesan attended the meeting at Srirangam more out of curiosity to see the man he admired in flesh and blood. Little he knew at that time of its consequences in his official life and personal life too!   

Though Natesan was reinstated in January 1933, there was a lurking fear that on the final abolition of the Special Deputy Collector’s office at Kulittalai, he may again be disturbed. He made an appeal to the Collector of Trichinopoly in March 1934. (Appendix K)When he was sent to Special deputy Collector’s Office dealing with land acquisition cases for the construction of irrigation canal, a person who was junior was posted in his place at Karur. If the establishment was surplus, his junior should have been ousted instead. To add insult to injury, still a much junior was posted in his place at Kulittalai when he was ousted. Though he was reinstated in January 1934 on his application to Secretary Madras Service Commission as Typist Clerk at the RDO’s Office at Trichinopoly, he was subjected to a break in his service and consequently his pay was downgraded from Rs.35 to Rs. 30 per month. He was worried that if there should be a further reduction of staff due to final disbandment of the temporary establishment at Kulittalai, he might stand to lose, though he was senior in service to both of them and also completed his probationary period of one year. In addition he had also qualified for the higher grade in typewriting and was more qualified than both of them. His application was strongly and favourably recommenced by MR. ED Philip, the Revenue Divisional Officer. (Appendix L)

He came to know from the office grapevine that someone most probably Mr. Ramaswamy Ayyangar, had spread a rumour that someone told him  that he saw Natesan attending the meeting of Gandhi  at Srirangam. The equation between Gandhi and the British at that time was very well known. Any sympathizer of the Freedom Movement would be ruthlessly removed from service under some pretext or the other. Ayyangar deliberately spread the rumour that he might be axed when the dissolution of the temporary establishment where he replaced the ousted Natesan, being the junior most entrant to the service.

Due to favourable report of the RDO, Natesan was not disturbed, but his confirmation for permanent appointment came in December 1934 in the post of an Attender! (Appendix ‘M”) The order signed by the RDO said that his confirmation took effect from Jan 34 without prejudice to his acting appointment of Typist in the same office! That is the British way of extracting the maximum by paying minimum. He would work as a steno, typist and a Clerk but would draw the salary of an Attender! May be because of his   exemplary work he was retained in his job though there was no eyewitness account f his attending Gandhi’s meeting! It would take another couple of years and sustained exemplary work to get his appointment as Clerk in the Revenue department though his very first appointment order of 1932 said that he was appointed as Shorthand-typist!

1935 was a good year. His work was appreciated and the RDO published a note of appreciation for the excellent target achieved due to sustained work put in by Natesan and two others including his head clerk. (Appendix “N”) A red mark was put in his Record of Service and other staff were extolled to emulate the good work done by these three staff. In the domestic front his eldest was born! The first son as per convention takes the name of the paternal grandfather. He was named Shanmukha Sundaram, another name of Subramanian! May be because the maternal grandfather was also Subramanian!

1936 saw Natesan getting a black mark entry in his record of service for dereliction of duty! As he was appointed as Attender Stationery, he was also burdened with the maintenance and accounting of forms and other stationery items in the Office of the RDO Trichinopoly. The RDO has changed and a new RDO has taken over. A few staff members were jealous of Natesan’s popularity and work skill! Though Natesan was absolutely scrupulous in ensuring no misuse of Government property, he was a little lax in updating of ledgers since this was over and above his duty of clerical work. When he was on leave a surprise check was carried out and it was found that few ledger postings were pending for receipts and issues though there were no wrong accounting or posting in ledgers. In a few cases, he had not obtained the initials of the receiving staff. It was also found out from the ledger posting  that he had issued two pencils to the Head Clerk  of the RDO office in a  half year instead of one as authorized! On these counts he was warned with a black mark entry in his Record of service!

Though he was doing the work of more than a Clerk, he was still confirmed as only an Attender as per the latest appointment orders. He put up an appeal in 1936 to confirm his appointment as Clerk   stating the facts of his initial qualification for appearing in the Public Service examination for the post of typist, his SSLC Mark sheet confirming his qualification for the post of Clerk, his first appointment order as Steno -Typist, his subsequent clearing of higher grades. (Appendix ”P”& “Q”).

His brother–in-law Sundaram had by now returned after from London with a Master’s Degree in Literature. He got a job of Professor in Ravenshaw College, Cuttack Orissa. He was getting married to his lady love from coastal Karnataka. The marriage was taking place in Cuttack and there were no one from his family was able to travel to attend the wedding nor he invited many to attend the same. Natesan with Dharma and two year old Sundaram were the only representatives from the Palamarneri clan to attend the wedding. He took almost fifteen days leave intending to attend the marriage and also visit Calcutta which was already the most sought after destination for job seekers. Though it was a strenuous journey from Trichy to madras and from there to Cuttack that was perhaps the first outing for Dharma! After the wedding was over, Natesan wanted to leave Dharma and his son at Cuttack to visit Calcutta for a couple of days to survey the job market.  From Cuttack it was just a overnight of about 250 miles. Natesan did not plan for this trip when he left for the wedding and wanted twenty odd rupees as loan so that he could visit Calcutta. But Sundaram not only flatly refused but wanted them to return as soon as possible! He was planning to leave for Mussoorie (near Dehradun) for his honeymoon. Natesan felt deeply hurt by his attitude. They had come all the way to attend his wedding spending almost two months of his earning only to make sure that someone from his family represented in the occasion and here his host was telling them to clear out as soon as possible!  Dharma felt equally hurt though she could not confront her brother openly. Natesan was going to remember his hurt for a long time! 

 His second child a daughter was born in 1937 and was named Chandra after his mother Chandrammal!

 

 He was detailed for attending a Survey School and got qualified in 1939. On 24 November 1939, he was appointed as Clerk and was posted to Revenue Divisional Office Musiri on completing the Survey Training! (Appendix “R”) That was a good seven years after his first appointment for the post he had cleared in the Public Service examination!    

His father-in-law, one of the richest lawyers in Madras Presidency fell on very bad times. His eldest son died of Cholera leaving a young widow without any issues. His second son who was a professor in St. Xavier’s College in Palayamkottai lost his mental balance. It was believed that someone jealous of his brilliance had caste an evil spell on him. He lost his job and returned to his parental home.   Natesan’s father-in-law lost his practice and income dried up.  He spent Lakhs of rupees by taking loan keeping his three story residence as surety. He tried all avenues including mantric, tantric and yantric means with no effect. He had already spent a lot of money taking loan for educating his third son at Oxford hoping to clear them off from his law practice.  The creditors started pressing him for repayment of loan. Natesan wrote to Sundaram who is leading a comfortable life at Cuttack to rescue his father and redeem their house at Tanjore which was worth at least ten times the loan amount. His classmate and roommate at Oxford was Algappan Chettiar, one of the richest men in India. Natesan knew that his father-in-law ensured that Sundaram had a life of luxury much beyond his means so that he did not feel embarrassed by leading a frugal life. If Sundaram had put in a word for a loan to redeem the house to his, he would have definitely helped. He could have taken over the loan and creditors knowing his financial ability would not have gone to court.  But Sundaram flatly refused to come to the rescue of his father.  

There were invaluable articles that were collected from far and wide. It included a high security steel safe for keeping cash and jewellary, clocks, pocket watches and other curios.  He was declared insolvent and the house was sealed by the Court.  Though he had only pledged the house, he could not take away the contents before it was sealed.  Natesan felt very bad that a son for whom his father had spent tens of thousands rupees for his study abroad, setting up his house on return from London would be so ungrateful.

Natesan felt that the loan to his father-in-law was advanced only against the house and not the articles there in. But it was legally untenable. Once a premise was sealed by the Court, it becomes the Court party for auctioning and clearing the loans to the creditors. Natesan however was determined to take out a few valuable things so that his father-in-law might get some cash by selling them. His parents-in-law along with the mentally disturbed brother-in-law shifted to Palamarneri and started living with their elder daughter Meenakshi. Their son was grateful and gracious enough to send forty rupees per month by Money Order to Meenakshi to look after his parents and elder brother!  

Natesan collected some of his old friends and farm hands from Mahadevapuram and Ilangadu to Tanjore. On a new moon night they scaled the wall of the sealed house and lifted out the Iron safe, the wall clock and a few more valuables and made good their escape.  It was a great effort to lift and clear the compound wall of the heavy iron safe weighing almost half a ton.  Any slight mishap would have landed all of them in jail for house breaking that too the one sealed by the Court! He brought the item taken out to Palamarneri and handed them over to his sister-in-law with whom they were staying. He also told her that should they ever wanted to sell off those items, he should be informed of the same in advance.   

Before he could shift his family to Musiri, his posting was changed to Ariyalur in Feb 1940.   (Appendix “S”). In June 1940, he was appointed to act as Revenue Inspector of Lalgudi taluk. (Appendix “T”) He was very happy that though this promotion was overdue, at least it has come in the most opportune time. Lalgudi was a better place to keep the family and for the schooling of children. Many of his relatives and friends were there.   More so during summer, he could reach Nemam which was only a few miles away by crossing the dry Kollidam and sparsely flowing Kaveri!  

Though Natesan got promoted as Revenue Inspector, it was mainly due to his incessant representation throughout his service for seeking justice from his Department. He hated every time he had to write an application. It had to invariably start as “I beg to submit the following “and signed under “Your obedient servant I shall ever remain”.   This was the norm to write an application to the British masters!  From the time he got the clue that there were people in his own office who are more or less spying on him for his attraction to Gandhi and his activities, he became a lot more cautious. Though his loyalty to the Government and his job was unquestionable, he kept himself abreast of the political events connected to freedom struggle.

On August 1935, the Government of India passed longest act i.e. Government of India Act 1935 under the British Act of Parliament. India would become a federation if 50% of Indian states decided to join it. They would then have a large number of representatives in the two houses of the central legislature. However, the provisions with regards to the federation were not implemented. The act made no reference even to granting dominion status, much less independence, to India.

It introduced what is known as provincial autonomy. The ministers of the provincial governments, according to it, were to be responsible to the legislature. The powers of the legislature were increased. However, in certain matters like the Police, the government had the authority. The right to vote also remained limited. Only about 14% of the population got the right to vote. The appointment of the governor-general and governors, of course, remained in the hands of the British government and they were not responsible to the legislatures. The act never came near the objective that the nationalist movement had been struggling for.

In 1937,  Elections held in India under the Act  and The Indian National Congress forms ministries in seven provinces defeating Muslim League even in Punjab where they are in a majority population wise.

It was not easy for the Congress organization with its past traditions and vast membership, numbering now three million, to adapt itself to new conditions. The office acceptance had brought a breath of fresh air and released mass energy In Bihar, the Kisan movement came into conflict with the Congress organization. Elsewhere also, the high hopes that had been faised by the advent of the Congress ministries not being fulfilled, dissatisfaction arose. The strikes in 1937 accounted for a loss of nine million working days and involved 647,000 workers. 

By 1938, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose had emerged as candid spokespersons of the Congress. By the same time, Congress had divided among two groups based upon the ideology. One was the conservative group and another was radical. Subhash Chandra Bose was very critical to the ideology of compromise of Gandhi.

In the midst of the violence and non-violence, in the midst of new developments of the socialist ideology, in the midst of the subdued resentment against the Congress ministries which had become slow in their progress towards independence and in the midst of the conflict of ideologies, Congress met at Vitthal Nagar Haripua from 19th 21st February 1938. President of this Congress was Subhash Chandra Bose. He outlined his policy as follows: ” My term of office as the Congress President will be devoted to resist the unwanted federal scheme will all the peaceful and legitimate powers, including non violence and non cooperation if necessary and to strengthen the country’s determination to resist this scheme”.

It was this 1938 Haripura session when the differences between Gandhi and Bose surfaced over their attitudes towards the Great Britain. Subhash Chandra Bose was against the plan of the British to drag India into the Second World War. He was aware of the political instability of Britain and wanted to take advantage of it, rather than wait for the British to grant independence. Which is evident from his statement : Britain’s Peril is India’s Opportunity.

 

In this session, under Bose, a resolution was passed. As per Haripura resolution, Britain was given 6 months ultimatum to the British, failing to which there will be a revolt.

But this was something Gandhi could not digest. Subhash did not endorse the nonviolence and Satyagraha tactics of Gandhi to throw the British away. The result was that there was a great divide between Gandhi and Bose. Similarly, Nehru also fell apart from Bose. This variance grew further when Subhash Chandra Bose organized National Planning Committee. National Planning Committee was the Forerunner of India’s Planning Commission. The idea was to draw a comprehensive plan for economic development of India on the basis of Industrialization. It was against the Charkha policy of Gandhi. It was perhaps the grand plan of Gandhi to sideline Bose.  

The British Government was keen on the developing Gandhi Bose strife. In December 1938, Bose had a meeting with two representatives of the German Nazi Party. Here, Bose told the Nazis that the Hitler regime must stop insulting the Indians. In India, Nazis were not liked because of their deeds of extinguishing the democracy, eliminating the socialist ideas. For the 1939 elections of the President of Congress, Subhash announced his candidature knowing that he would be opposed. By this time, Nehru was on a long holiday in Europe. When he returned in 1938, Gandhi suggested him to announce his name as a candidate. But he declined and suggested the name of Maulana Azad. But Maulana Azad withdrew his name and then new name came up was of Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, an Andhra leader. But Subhash was not sure of his win. The result was declared on January 29, 1939 and Subhash secured 1580 Votes. Sitaramaya got 1377 votes, thus Subhash winning by a narrow but clear margin. But the defeat of Sitaramayya was taken by Gandhi as a personal blow. He said  “Bose defeated Dr. Pattabhi by 1,580 votes against 1,375. On January 31, two days after the election and its results became known, Gandhi issued a statement from Bardoli saying "I rejoice in this defeat":

"Shri Subhas Bose has achieved a decisive victory over his opponent, Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya. I must confess that from the very beginning, I was decidedly against his re-election for reasons into which I need not go. Subhas Babu, instead of being president on the sufferance of those whom he calls the rightists,  is now president elected in a contested election. This enables him to choose a homogeneous cabinet and enforce his programme without let or hindrance. ” Subhas Bose expressed grief that Gandhi should have taken the result of the election as a personal defeat. He said that it would always be his aim to win Gandhi's confidence: "It will be a tragic thing for me, if I succeeded in winning the confidence of other people but fail to win the confidence of India's greatest man."

 Here it was obvious that he did not want the Congress party under Subhash Bose as President to pursue his policy statements he made in the last session.  On February 22, the resignation of twelve members of the Working Committee—Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu, Bhulabhai Desai, Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Shankarrao Deo, Mahtab, Kripalani, Daulatram, Bajaj and Ghaffar Khan— followed by that of Jawaharlal Nehru, came as an unpleasant surprise to the public. In their letter drafted by Gandhi, Azad and eleven others informed the president of their unanimous decision to resign: "We feel that the time has come when the country should have a clear-cut policy not based on compromise between different incompatible groups of the Congress. It is but right, therefore, that you should select a homogeneous cabinet, representing the views of the majority." Nehru prefaced his resignation with a covering letter. It revealed that he had tried his best to bring about a compromise.

Mahatma ji refused to nominate new Committee members as per the resolution passed in the previous AICC Session moved Vallabh Pant. Gandhi refused to budge n spite of repeated written requests and personal discussions of Subhash Bose with him. This was probably an indirect way to force him to resign.

 Subhash Bose tendered his resignation:” "I have been pondering deeply as to what I could do to enable the A.I.C.C. in solving the problem that is now placed before it. I feel that my presence as the president at this juncture may possibly be a sort of an obstacle or a handicap in its path. For instance, the A.I.C.C. may feel inclined to appoint a Working Committee in which I shall be a misfit. I feel, further, that it may possibly be easier for the A.I.C.C. to settle the matter, if it can have a new president. After mature deliberation, therefore, and in an entirely helpful spirit, I am placing my resignation in your hands." Rajendra Prasad was nominated in his place is history. Gandhi who had a fundamental difference about pressuring the British at this most opportune time when Europe was getting battered by Germany under Hitler on moral grounds as he claimed, had no compunction in declaring “Quit India Movement” when the British were almost on the verge of collapse in 1942 which even his very staunch supporter like Rajaji resented!

After being outmaneuvered by Gandhi leading to his resignation, Subhash Chandra Bose formed The Forward Bloc of the Indian National Congress party on May 3, 1939. Bose visited Madurai on 6 September, Muththuramalinga Thevar organised a massive rally as his reception.

On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland from the west; two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, beginning World War II. The Viceroy of India declared that India too was at war.  On the outbreak of war, Bose advocated a campaign of mass civil disobedience to protest against Viceroy Lord Linlithgow's decision to declare war on India's behalf without consulting the Congress leadership. Having failed to persuade Gandhi of the necessity of this, Bose organised mass protests in Calcutta calling for the 'Holwell Monument' commemorating the Black Hole of Calcutta, which then stood at the corner of Dalhousie Square, to be removed.  Gandhi in the meanwhile advocated individual Satyagraha without any rationale!

Congress ministries in the provinces resigned against the war policy of the British Government.  Muslim League observed the resignation of the congress ministries as Deliverance day.  During the 1940 Lahore session of the Muslim league they passed the “Pakistan Resolution”. It was a great a great blow to Mahatma Gandhi.   None of his endearment for pleasing Jinnah by acceding to all his points during the Round table Conference to the detriment of the rights of Depressed Classes put up by Dr. BR Ambedkar, bore any fruit!

The next year, on 20–22 June 1940, the Forward Bloc held its first All India Conference in Nagpur. The conference declared the Forward Bloc to be a socialist political party, and the date of 22 June is considered as the founding date of the party by the Forward Bloc itself. The conference passed a resolution titled 'All Power to the Indian People', urging militant action for struggle against British colonial rule.

 Soon thereafter, on 2 July, Bose was arrested and detained in Presidency Jail, Calcutta.   In January 1941 Subhash Bose escaped from house arrest, and clandestinely went into exile. He travelled to the Soviet Union via Afghanistan, seeking Soviet support for the Indian independence struggle. Stalin declined Bose's request, and he then travelled to Germany. In Berlin he set up the Free India Centre, and rallied the Indian Legion out of the Indian prisoners of war.  

Natesan, though a staunch Gandhian, was getting disillusioned by his policies. He was getting more attracted to Subhash Bose!  

The latter half of 1941 was to have major turning points in life!

(The Appendices are following from next page)