Saturday, May 9, 2020

Nehru's View on Communist as Terrorist - Dampened Efforts to Save Ganapathy


We have seen in the previous postings that many leaders of Dravida Federation expressed their frustrations for the failure of Indian Government to act promptly in Ganapathy's case. 

If we dwell further into history of leftist oppression in India, we will find the validity in the federation's claim. We shall notice that India was baffling with leftist especially the Communist Party of India and other socialist fronts which were critical of Nehru's administration. 

The communist and socialist fronts continue to remain critical of exploited labour force which were used to serve the British's interest in India. British were still holding huge economic interests in India just like other newly "liberated" British colonies - liberation in the sense that British economy highly depending on these colonies.  Malaya too was serving the British for so many years after independence until Tun Dr. Mahathir called a shot to end this interest with his campaign - Buy British Last. Eventually the nation wide campaign crippled the British's economy. 

Going back to our discussion, Nehru was reported criticizing the CPI in Indian Parliament on the 1st March 1949 - the day Ganapathy was arrested.  Nehru said the CPI "has the past year had adopted an attitude not only of open hostile to the Government but one which can be described as bordering an open revolt."

The House also was made aware of the communist revolts that have taken place in neighbouring countries bordering India. 

"It was presumably in the furtherance of the same policy that attempts were made in India to incite the people to active revolts. 

Nehru's statement which revealed further that Government has taken against those who revolt, clearly show the Congress Government treated CPI as the British would treat the CPI.  

Nehru with Queen 

Malayan Tribune - 1st March 1949
On the 22nd April 1949 (when Ganapathy's appeal against his death sentence was dismissed), Nehru commented on CCP communist victory in China. He said that the victory not only a threat to India but to the whole world. He made this comment in Cairo when on his way to London for the Commonwealth Prime Minister Conference. 
(Note : It is believed that Nehru was still in London attending the conference when Ganapathy was hanged on the 4th May 1949. Yet. we do not see reports of any personal attempts taken by Nehru to meet Lord Listowel or PM Atlee)

Asked whether the Indian Government was fighting the Communism, Nehru replied : "We do not fight Communist, but we fight sabotage and terrorism" 
(Note: We note the similar term Communist Terrorist (CT) was used widely against the communist in Malaya by the British Government in Malaya). 

The Indian Daily News reported the Indian Prime Minister who was a key-man of London conference told correspondence : "We are friendly to everybody. We want to cooperate."
Interesting to note that this conference will determine the fate of India as the member of the Commonwealth Nation. India being a Republic did not fit into the criteria of the member of the Commonwealth Nation. The conference was paramount to determine the fate of India. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Commonwealth leaders, taken at the 1960 Commonwealth Conference, Windsor Castle.




Indian Daily News - 22 April 1949

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