Niranjan Singh Gill and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09404955338, 09415777229

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Niranjan Singh Gill and Mahatma Gandhi

 

The Sikh Conference held at Amritsar has resolved to raise a united voice as also to support the Congress. The Sikhs have elected Niranjan Singh Gill as their leader. I learnt the lesson of unity while I was out of India and I believe that whatever religion we may profess we are all Indians. I want to repeat what I had told the Sikhs at the time of the Nankana Saheb tragedy that the greatest bravery lies in non-violent Satyagraha. Experience has only confirmed this belief of mine. 1 Explaining further the object of his present mission, Gandhiji said that the task of rehabilitation of refugees had still to be undertaken and it remained an uphill one. He was glad that volunteers from far off places were coming forward to lend a helping hand and mentioned Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill and Sardar Jivan Singh, both of Azad Hind Fouj, who had met and expressed their desire to place their services at his disposal. Gandhiji said that both had met the Bengal Premier before coming to Noakhali and had been promised full support in their mission of assisting speedy rehabilitation. Introducing Sardar Jivan Singh to the prayer audience, Gandhiji said that detailed plans of their work had been worked out by Sardars Jivan Singh and Niranjan Singh Gill and would be placed before Bengal Premier. Gandhiji was glad that members of the small Sikh community in far off Punjab considered that the problem facing East Bengal was an all-India problem and that no part of the country could afford to remain indifferent to happenings in other parts.

This was a correct example which everyone should emulate. Gandhiji was particularly glad that these bold Sikh soldiers who joined the Azad Hind Fouj and fought had now come without even their kirpans to work non-violently for the promotion of communal harmony. This perhaps explained the futility of violence in contrast to the efficacy and potentiality of non-violence. 2 I think I can trust him. I had a wire from Sardar Niranjan Singh saying that he had not been able to win you over. But I did not understand what he actually meant. Tell him this if he is there and if you happen to meet him. And if you have been able to understand what he wants to ask me, let me know. 3 Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill has told me of all the talk he had with you. He says whilst you do not mind his men working in Noakhali you would doubt his bona fide until he with his men worked in Bihar just as assiduously as in Noakhali. In the circumstances I have told him that he should first go to Bihar and work there and in order to be able to do so effectively he should take from you a note of recommendation to the leader in Bihar of the League Party. Unless he is so armed, I have told him, his work might, from the League point of view, fall flat. I added that he should keep himself in touch with you regarding his work there. 4

Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill was with me yesterday having returned from Bihar. He has prepared a memorandum which I have glanced through. I suggested that he should submit it to you as it was he had not shown it to the Prime Minister of Bihar. I told him that the memorandum was incomplete without its being seen by the Prime Minister. He perceived the appositeness of my remark and said that he was going to send a copy to the Prime Minister. If he feels that any of his inferences require correction he would make the correction and pass it on to you. 5 The second stage of the pilgrimage ends in Haimchar on Monday, the 24th instant. It is Thakkar Bapa’s headquarters. I want to watch myself for a few days in Haimchar before resuming the third stage. It may also be that I might have to hurry to Bihar. Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill, who was in Bihar for three days, gave me the impressions of his tour and had strongly recommended that I should go to Bihar if only for a few days. I have put myself in communication with the Prime Minister of Bihar and await his reply. 6 Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill saw me yesterday and gave me a report which he has prepared with reference to his summary visit to Bihar. I suggested that he should send you a copy so as to enable you to correct any misstatement into which he might have been betrayed. I advised him too to send a copy to the Prime Minister of Bengal, advising him at the same time that he should mark the copy as confidential till it has been checked by you and your corrections, if any, had been accepted by him and the Memorandum accordingly corrected. I hope you have got the Memorandum. There is one thing in it which refers to me. Dr. Syed Mahmud and others would like me to visit Bihar. Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill endorses the suggestion.

Do you feel likewise? Please tell me unhesitatingly what you feel. Now that you have announced your Ministry’s decision to appoint an impartial enquiry commission as soon as possible I remind you of the proverb “he gives twice who gives in time”  Now about Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill. He has been to Bihar and has produced a report which somewhat reflects upon the Sinha Ministry. You should see him and his report. It has gone to Suhrawardy and Sinha under my advice. He and Sardar Jiwan Singh have not hit it off. The whole thing is bad. I. N. A. seems to have split up. Probably you know all this. 7 The memorandum of Sardar Niranjan Singh Gill about which I wrote to you on February 22, had predisposed me towards a temporary visit to Bihar. What decided me however was a long letter from Dr. Syed Mahmud who has sent it with his Private Secretary. In order to come to a final decision I sent a peremptory message yesterday through the good offices of Khan Sahib, the S. D. O. of Chandpur, asking whether the Bihar Chief Minister had any objection to my immediately proceeding to Patna. The reply may be received any minute. If I go I would like you to give me hints as to what I should see. The desire to go has arisen because suspicion has been created in my mind that all is not well in Bihar so far as the Hindu behaviour towards the Muslims of Bihar is concerned. The cause in either case, in Bihar or Bengal, is identical. 8 You did well in writing to me about the Harijans. Continue doing work of service in this way. It will be a great thing if the Deshseva Sena can be completely non-violent. 9

 

References:

 

1. Hindustan, 16-6-1946
2. Hindustan Standard, 20-12-1946
3. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel, December 25, 1946
4. Letter to H. S. Suhrawardy, January 28, 1947
5. Letter to H. S. Suhrawardy, February 22, 1947
6. Letter to Amrit Kaur, February 22, 1947
7. Letter to Shri Krishna Sinha February 22, 1947
8. Letter to H. S. Suhrawardy, March 1, 1947
9. Letter to Niranjan Singh Gill, After December 25, 1947