Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, Indai

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail- [e-mail]; [e-mail]

 

Makhanlal Chaturvedi and Mahatma Gandhi

 

Makhanlal Chaturvedi is well-known Hindi poet and patriot; editor of karmavir. Pandit Makhanlal Chaturvedi was one of the best followers of Mahatma Gandhi. But he was famous for his poetry and literature. He was a famous for his journalism also. But he was remembered for his participation in freedom movement of India. In the field of Literature, he contributed neo romanticism movement. He was awarded for his literary work Himtarangani.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Pandit Makhanlal are serving the community better being in jail for the sake of conscience than they would have being free. Those who think otherwise, in my opinion, do not understand the dynamics of non-cooperation. The dynamic force behind this great movement is not vocal propaganda but the silent propaganda carried on by the sufferings of the innocent victims of a mad Government.”1

He was born in Bavai village in Hoshangabad district of M.P. He was only sixteen when he took up a teacher job in a school. He later remained the editor of the nationalistic journals Prabha and Karmavir in Hindi language. After the Indian independence, he refrained from seeking a position in the government, instead continuing to speak and write against social evils and in support of an exploitation-free, equitable society as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi. His poems displayed his unconditional love and respect towards his country and that is why he was also referred to as "a true Indian spirit. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “I have already adverted to the prosecution and conviction of Pandit Makhanlal Chaturvedi. I have just received a copy of his statement before the court. He refused to defend himself by leading evidence or otherwise, but made his statement before the court with merely a reiteration of his creed of non-violence.

 The reader, however, will be startled, as I was, to find that, if Pandit Makhanlal’s statement may be relied upon, he was prosecuted in reality not for what was his actual offence in the estimation of the Government, but for an in offensive speech. The following is the part of the statement I have in mind. From it one can see that when the prosecution was decided upon, Makhanlalji had not spoken at all. I have been the editor of the Karmavir published from Jabalpur. In the course of my journalistic duties, I have had occasions to ventilate many public grievances and to criticize several administrative measures in the province. The district administration of Narsinhpur had fallen into disrepute, and it became a matter of duty fearlessly to expose in the columns of my paper the scandals connected with the administration of Mr. J. C. Bourne, the Deputy Commissioner. The local official there systematically tyrannized over the people, and as was stated in the Legislative Council, ‘a body of police force had invaded a village, tortured the people, spat at their faces, kicked them with their shoes, arrested and maltreated them, starved them for a number of days and lastly violated the honour of women.’ As a result of the exposure, I have become the object of Government wrath, and it is not at all surprising to me that the C. P. Government should prosecute me for a speech made at the Bilaspur Conference on the 12th of March 1921, when the Home Member of the Government publicly announced on the 4th of March in the Central Provinces Legislative Council that my prosecution was already awaiting the sanction of the Government. I venture to state that, if I had not fearlessly exposed the corrupt character of the Bourne regime at Narsinhpur, this prosecution would not have been launched. I admit to having made a speech at the Bilaspur District Conference on the 12th March, but assert that the speech as reported by the Government reporters neither represents my views nor is an honest and correct report of what I spoke at the meeting. I am a strict and loyal adherent of the non-violent non-co-operation creed of the Indian National Congress, and have honestly worked within the letter and the spirit of the resolution as passed at the Nagpur session. Thus, the Government had decided upon prosecution on the 4th of March, whereas actual prosecution took place for a speech delivered on the 12th of March. Why he was not prosecuted in connection with his exposure of the administration at Narsinhpur? I do not know whether there is any truth in the charges against the Narsinhpur administration. But there is certainly something very wrong some-where.”2

Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “People say that the days of big public meetings, processions and speeches are past, that the time has come to work while keeping the mouth shut. But the organizers of conferences and public meetings are always anxious to make great shows of them. In their zeal, many times they forget the truth and practice deception on the innocent public while making preparations for conferences. A notice about some conference says: It is a matter of great pleasure that the conference is going to take place in a big way. Important leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, the Ali Brothers, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Kitchlew, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Devdas Gandhi, Shankerlal Banker, Rajagopalachari, Seth Jamnalal Bajaj, Maulana A. Jafar Khan, Shrimati Gandhi, Bi Amma Sahiba, Tapasvi Sunderlal, Makhanlal Chaturvdi, Shrimati Subhadra Kumari, etc., are expected to come. It is possible that the reception committee has sent invitations to these leaders. But till replies have been received from them saying that they will try to come, it is not true to say that they are expected to come. However commendable the intention may be, it is improper to mislead people. Once or twice people may be deceived, but very soon the workers lose their prestige as well as the I trust of the people. Abraham Lincoln has rightly said: ‘You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”3 His wrote Him Kirtini, Him Tarangini, Yug Charan and Sahitya Devata and his most noted poems are Dip Se Dip Jale, Kaisa Chhand Banaa Deti hai and Pushp ki Abhilaashaa. He participated in Indian movements.

 

 

References:

 

1. VOL. 23 : 6 APRIL, 1921 - 21 JULY, 1921, Page- 414
2. VOL. 23 : 6 APRIL, 1921 - 21 JULY, 1921, Page-  417
3. Hindi Navajivan, 1-6-1924