The present volume is the eighth in a series of ten volumes of the Selected Works of C. Rajagopalachari, being published in association with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.
This volume covers the period from April 1946 to December 1948, detailing Rajaji’s important role in the governance of the country, first as a Cabinet Minister, then as a Governor, and eventually as the first Indian Governor-General of India and also the last Governor-General.
This was also a transformative period in the history of India because of Independence and Partition.
The volume also covers subjects such as the deep impact of the tragic loss of Mahatma Gandhi, Rajaji’s vision for independent India, his correspondence with Lord Mountbatten, and negotiations with the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Rajaji believed that the youth were the principal force in shaping the country’s future. His addresses to the students and youth of the country, including those of the universities of Madras, Nagpur, Benares and Aligarh, emphasising this, form an important part of the volume.
Ravi K. Mishra is Deputy Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi.
Narendra Shukla is Head, Research and Publications Division, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi.
List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Preface
1. Letter to S. A. Brelvi 29 April 1946 2. Interview to the Associated Press of India 5 May 1946 3. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 6 May 1946 4. Letter to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 10 May 1946 5. Letter to Madhuri Behn Desai 13 May 1946 6. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 31 May 1946 7. Madras Election Form Should be Revised: 30 June 1946 Statement 8. Advice to Countrymen 9 July 1946 9. Tribute to Srinivasa Sastri 12 July 1946 10. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 25 July 1946 11. Prohibition Needed for Whole Province: Article 28 July 1946 12. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 29 July 1946 13. Jinnah’s Challenge Must be Accepted: 30 July 1946 Condemnation of League’s Policy 14. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 1 August 1946 15. Province-Wide Plan Feasible: Statement 3 August 1946 16. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 14 August 1946 17. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 28 August 1946 3 18. Letter to Mohan Lal Agarwala 13 September 1946 19. Letter to Buddhoolal Mehrotra 14 September 1946 20. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 17 September 1946 21. Speech on Industrialisation of India 17 September 1946 22. Letter to Ramarao Krishnarao Patil 19 September 1946 23. Letter to Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar 19 September 1946 24. Iron and Steel Shortage: Assurance to Consumers 19 September 1946 25. Letter to M. Raschid 24 September 1946 26. Letter to Don Stephen Senanayake 25 September 1946 27. Letter to George Rosario Motha 25 September 1946 28. Speech at the Oil Seeds Conference 26 September 1946 29. Letter to John Matthai 28 September 1946 30. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 29 September 1946 31. Letter to Mirza M. Ismail 30 September 1946 32. Letter to Rukmini Lakshmipathi 30 September 1946 33. Letter to M. Chalapathi Rau 3 October 1946 34. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 4 October 1946 35. Letter to G. E. B. Abell 7 October 1946 36. Letter to Mehar Chand Khanna 8 October 1946 37. Letter to M. G. Natesa Chettiar 9 October 1946 38. Statement to the Press 10 October 1946 39. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 12 October 1946 40. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 14 October 1946 41. Letter to Iven Mackay 14 October 1946 42. Letter to Stafford Cripps 16 October 1946 43. Letter to Liaquat Ali Khan 31 October 1946 44. Letter to Sampurnanand 4 November 1946 45. Letter to R. Hercod 4 November 1946 46. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 29 November 1946 47. Radio Talk Given on UNESCO 29 November 1946 48. Letter to N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar 30 November 1946 49. Letter to Mahatma Gandhi 3 December 1946 50. Letter to K. L. Shrimali 31 December 1946 51. Statement on Planning for the Future and 9 January 1947 Importance of Education 52. Convocation Address: Patna University 17 January 1947 53. Statement on Temple-Entry in South India 20 January 1947 and its Significance 54. Temple-Entry for Harijans: Message 24 January 1947 55. Independence in 1948: Statement 25 January 1947 56. Temple-Entry in South India: Appeal 26 January 1947 57. Appointment of a Committee to Define the 26 January 1947 Scope of the Union Subjects: Rajaji Explains Aim 58. Atomic Research: Warning 27 January 1947 59. Convocation Address: Kashi Vidyapith 28 January 1947 60. Reply in the Constituent Assembly on Indian 8 February 1947 Economy and Industry 61. Letter to Horace Gundry Alexander 9 February 1947 62. New Laboratories for Research: Call to Scientists 9 February 1947 63. Letter to K. S. Krishnan 21 February 1947 64. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 26 February 1947 65. Letter to Asoka Mehta 26 February 1947 66. Temple-Entry at Conjeeveram: Message 28 February 1947 67. Shortage of Commodities: Rajaji Urges 3 March 1947 Increased Production Need for Continuing Controls 68. Letter to Mahatma Gandhi 5 March 1947 69. Letter to Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar 14 March 1947 70. Letter to Vadilal Lallubhai 14 March 1947 71. Letter to John Matthai 17 March 1947 72. Telegram to O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar 24 March 1947 73. Letter to Shamsuddin Ahmed 12 April 1947 74. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 23 April 1947 75. India will be Great and Independent Country: 14 May 1947 Appeal for United Effort 76. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 17 May 1947 77. Letter to E. Stanley Jones 19 May 1947 78. Letter to Liaquat Ali Khan 21 May 1947 79. Letter to Baldev Singh 21 May 1947 80. Letter to Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar 22 May 1947 81. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 24 May 1947 82. Letter to O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar 25 May 1947 83. Telegram to G. A. Natesan 26 May 1947 84. Letter to Krishna Kumar Birla 27 May 1947 85. Letter to B. G. Kher 28 May 1947 86. Jinnah’s Claim Absurd and Fantastic: 27 May 1947 Interview to Hindustan Times 87. Letter to Liaquat Ali Khan 2 June 1947 88. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 6 June 1947 89. Letter to Stafford Cripps 8 June 1947 90. Letter to Sarojini Naidu 20 June 1947 91. Letter to Mohan Sinha Mehta 23 June 1947 92. Letter to Abbas Khaleeli 25 June 1947 93. Letter to Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar 25 June 1947 94. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 28 June 1947 95. Letter to Stafford Cripps 2 July 1947 96. Letter to P. Khalifullah 2 July 1947 97. Letter to William Philips 5 July 1947 98. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 24 July 1947 99. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 24 July 1947 100. Letter to C. H. Bhabha 5 August 1947 101. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 6 August 1947 102. Telegram to Vallabhbhai Patel 13 August 1947 103. Oath of Allegiance and of Office 15 August 1947 104. Letter to N. S. Vardachari 25 August 1947 105. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 27 August 1947 106. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 30 August 1947 107. Letter to Liaquat Ali Khan 31 August 1947 108. Letter to Jairamdas Doulatram 2 September 1947 109. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 4 September 1947 110. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 4 September 1947 111. Statement on Mahatma Gandhi’s Fast 4 September 1947 112. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 4 September 1947 113. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 9 September 1947 114. Letter to Kishorilal G. Mashruwalla 11 September 1947 115. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 12 September 1947 116. Letter to Dr Syed Mahmud 15 September 1947 117. Letter to Mahatma Gandhi 16 September 1947 118. Letter to Sarojini Naidu 21 September 1947 119. Letter to V. Narahari Rao 23 September 1947 120. Letter to Rukmini Devi Arundale 23 September 1947 121. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 23 September 1947 122. Letter to C. V. Rajan 23 September 1947 123. Letter to Terence Shone 23 September 1947 124. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 28 September 1947 125. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 1 October 1947 126. Convocation Address: Calcutta University 3 October 1947 127. Service of A. V. Raman in Public Health 14 October 1947 Education 128. Tribute to N. C. Kelkar 17 October 1947 129. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 18 October 1947 130. Letter to the Editor, Swatantra 18 October 1947 131. Telegram to Lord Mountbatten 28 October 1947 132. Letter to D. V. Sivarama Ross 31 October 1947 133. Letter to H. P. Mody 1 November 1947 134. Letter to Lal C. Verman 3 November 1947 135. Message on the Opening of the New Home 3 November 1947 of the Harijan Industrial School 136. Letter to Dr P. Subbarayan 5 November 1947 137. Telegram to Lord Mountbatten 29 November 1947 138. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 1 December 1947 139. Letter to P. J. Anantharaj 3 December 1947 140. Letter to John Francis Ashley Erskine 3 December 1947 141. Letter to Dr P. Subbarayan 27 December 1947 142. Convocation Address: Jadavpur College of 28 December 1947 Engineering and Technology 143. Weights and Measures [1947] 144. Annie Besant and the Revival of Religion in India [1947] 145. Letter to Prafulla Chandra Ghosh 3 January 1948 146. Peace and Toleration: Warning Against Loose 8 January 1948 Talk of War 147. Letter to Dr Kailas Nath Katju 12 January 1948 148. Appeal for Communal Amity 19 January 1948 149. Appeal to West Bengal 23 January 1948 150. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 25 January 1948 151. Letter to O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar 25 January 1948 152. Letter to Bidhan Chandra Roy 28 January 1948 153. Letter to L. M. Patil 28 January 1948 154. Letter to Nilima Mukerji 29 January 1948 155. Letter to A. V. Raman 30 January 1948 156. Message to South India 31 January 1948 157. No Going Back 4 February 1948 158. Gandhiji Called Away by God: Speech 5 February 1948 159. Letter to A. Jenkins 6 February 1948 160. Letter to Pyarelal 6 February 1948 161. Letter to O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar 11 February 1948 162. Letter to Devadas Gandhi 12 February 1948 163. Talk on the “Immersion Ceremony” 12 February 1948 164. Essence of Gandhiji’s Teachings: Homage 15 February 1948 to the Mahatma 165. Assessing Nation’s Progress: Relevance of 15 February 1948 Exhibitions 166. Modernising of Ayurveda: Advice to the 18 February 1948 Practitioners 167. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 19 February 1948 168. Letter to Wali Kamal Khan 20 February 1948 169. Letter to Chandrashankar Shukla 22 February 1948 170. Letter to P. Sankaran 27 February 1948 171. Letter to Madhuri Behn Desai 27 February 1948 172. Letter to Satyendra Narayan 27 February 1948 173. Mahatmaji’s Death: Talk on All India Radio 27 February 1948 174. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 28 February 1948 175. Letter to B. Gopala Reddy 28 February 1948 176. Progress in Ayurveda: Advice to Practitioners 28 February 1948 177. Letter to C. V. Rajagopalachari 2 March 1948 178. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 2 March 1948 179. Letter to T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar 3 March 1948 180. Letter to O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar 4 March 1948 181. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 4 March 1948 182. Letter to R. S. Dhotre 4 March 1948 183. Letter to Dr S. Radhakrishnan 6 March 1948 184. Letter to Devadas Gandhi 10 March 1948 185. Letter to Devadas Gandhi 11 March 1948 186. Letter to K. Balasubramania Ayyar 11 March 1948 187. Letter to T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar 14 March 1948 188. Letter to G. A. Natesan 15 March 1948 189. Letter to Pyarelal 15 March 1948 190. Message to Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day 17 March 1948 191. Letter to M. Satyanarayana 17 March 1948 192. Letter to Dr P. Subbarayan 18 March 1948 193. Convocation Address: Calcutta University 20 March 1948 194. Letter to Mira Behn 22 March 1948 195. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 24 March 1948 196. Letter to Henry Usborne 27 March 1948 197. Letter to Kasturi Srinivasan 27 March 1948 198. Replace Hatred by Goodwill: Exhortation 27 March 1948 199. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 28 March 1948 200. Letter to Dr P. Subbarayan 28 March 1948 201. Letter to Devadas Gandhi 29 March 1948 202. Circular Letter to the Governors of all 29 March 1948 the Provinces 203. Letter to Herbert Anderson 29 March 1948 204. Letter to V. Shankar 30 March 1948 205. Letter to Navaratna Rama Rao 1 April 1948 206. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 2 April 1948 207. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 2 April 1948 208. Letter to Kasturi Srinivasan 3 April 1948 209. Letter to N. S. Vardachari 4 April 1948 210. Foreword to the Book: In the Service of 5 April 1948 the Nation 211. Letter to Mira Behn 6 April 1948 212. Difficulties Will Be Overcome: Assurance 8 April 1948 213. Note by Rajaji 9 April 1948 214. Letter to A. V. Raman 9 April 1948 215. Letter to V. Venkateswara Sastrulu 12 April 1948 216. Letter to T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar 13 April 1948 217. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 15 April 1948 218. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 15 April 1948 219. Letter to C. R. Srinivasa Iyengar 16 April 1948 220. Letter to Archibald Nye 16 April 1948 221. India’s National Anthem 16 April 1948 222. Letter to A. V. Raman 16 April 1948 223. Letter to Henry Usborne 17 April 1948 224. Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi 18 April 1948 225. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 18 April 1948 226. Letter to Dr S. Radhakrishnan 19 April 1948 227. Letter to Pyarelal 20 April 1948 228. Letter to Pyarelal 21 April 1948 229. Letter to O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiar 21 April 1948 230. Letter to Tej Bahadur Sapru 22 April 1948 231. Letter to C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar 23 April 1948 232. Letter to Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar 26 April 1948 233. Letter to A. V. Raman 26 April 1948 234. Letter to R. Narasimhan 26 April 1948 235. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 29 April 1948 236. Message on Gandhiji April 1948 237. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 3 May 1948 238. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 3 May 1948 239. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 3 May 1948 240. Letter to Navaratna Rama Rao 3 May 1948 241. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 4 May 1948 242. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 4 May 1948 243. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 5 May 1948 244. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 5 May 1948 245. Reply to M. A. Jinnah 6 May 1948 246. Letter to Lord Linlithgow 6 May 1948 247. Letter to Tej Bahadur Sapru 6 May 1948 248. Letter to Tiger Varadachariar 8 May 1948 249. Letter to Arcot Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar 8 May 1948 250. Telegram to Jawaharlal Nehru 12 May 1948 251. Letter to Edwina Mountbatten 16 May 1948 252. Letter to Badruddin Faiz Tyabji 17 May 1948 253. Letter to H. S. Suhrawardy 17 May 1948 254. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 18 May 1948 255. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 18 May 1948 256. Letter to Edwina Mountbatten 20 May 1948 257. Letter to K. P. S. Menon 22 May 1948 258. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 22 May 1948 259. Indo-Nepal Relations: Urges Closer Contacts 25 May 1948 260. Fostering Unity in India: Advice 27 May 1948 261. Letter to Dr Rajendra Prasad 28 May 1948 262. Follow Gandhiji’s Ideals: Appeal to Bengalees 1 June 1948 263. Letter to S. Ramanathan 1 June 1948 264. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 6 June 1948 265. Letter to L. J. Goddard 7 June 1948 266. Letter to T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar 7 June 1948 267. Letter to Edwina Mountbatten 7 June 1948 268. Advice to the Countrymen on Indo-British 8 June 1948 Relations 269. Letter to Sardul Singh Caveeshar 9 June 1948 270. Role of Governors in Free India: 9 June 1948 Advice to Services 271. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 11 June 1948 272. Women’s Role in Free India: Advice 12 June 1948 273. Advice on the Future of Municipal 13 June 1948 Administration 274. Advice on Relief to Riot Victims 14 June 1948 275. Follow Gandhiji’s Principles: Appeal 14 June 1948 276. Hyderabad Problem: Appeal to Countrymen 16 June 1948 277. Indo-Pakistan Relations: Appeal to Build up 18 June 198 Frontiers of Co-operation 278. Appeal for Communal Unity in Bengal 18 June 1948 279. Letter to Madhuri Behn Desai 18 June 1948 280. Farewell Broadcast 19 June 1948 281. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 21 June 1948 282. Speech Delivered After the Swearing-In 21 June 1948 Ceremony 283. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 23 June 1948 284. Letter to Clement Richard Attlee 23 June 1948 285. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 3 July 1948 286. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 4 July 1948 287. Advice to Indians in Ceylon 7 July 1948 288. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 8 July 1948 289. Speech on Communal Amity 11 July 1948 290. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 15 July 1948 291. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 16 July 1948 292. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 17 July 1948 293. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 21 July 1948 294. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 31 July 1948 295. Letter to Clement Richard Attlee 31 July 1948 296. Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru 6 August 1948 297. States in the New Set-up: Lapse of Paramountcy 21 August 1948 298. Speech at Madras 23 August 1948 299. Convocation Address: Madras University 24 August 1948 300. Co-operate with the Government: Appeal 25 August 1948 and Farewell Message to Madras 301. Journalism as an Art: Advice to Pressmen 26 August 1948 302. Advice to Students on the Importance 26 August 1948 of Character 303. Letter to the Nizam of Hyderabad 31 August 1948 304. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 8 September 1948 305. Speech on the Need for Communal Harmony 10 September 1948 306. Muslims Support India’s Policy: Reply to 12 September 1948 the Nizam 307. Tribute to Late Mr Jinnah 15 September 1948 308. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 16 September 1948 309. Letter to Lord Mountbatten 17 September 1948 310. En Clair Telegram to the Nizam of Hyderabad 18 September 1948 311. Thanksgiving Day: Successful Conclusion of 26 September 1948 Operations in Hyderabad 312. Follow the Ideals of Gandhiji: Appeal to 30 September 1948 the Nation 313. Message to the Ministers for Prohibition 2 October 1948 314. India’s High Destiny: Speech 6 October 1948 315. Instruction in Schools: Choice of Medium 9 October 1948 Compulsion Not Desirable 316. Address to the Military Academy 9 October 1948 317. Assurance for Equal Treatment to All Religions 14 October 1948 318. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 16 October 1948 319. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 19 October 1948 320. Eschew Hatred: Advice to Students 21 October 1948 321. Statement on the National Outlook and 23 October 1948 Achievements of the Gaekwar Dynasty 322. Appeal to the Princes to Help the Popular 25 October 1948 Ministers 323. Instruments of Popular Joy: Dipavali Message 28 October 1948 324. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 29 October 1948 325. Revival of Art: Exhortation 6 November 1948 326. Promotion of Harmony: Address to Rotarians 11 November 1948 327. An Instrument of Progress: Role of Religion 13 November 1948 328. Letter to Vallabhbhai Patel 15 November 1948 329. Tribute to the Fortitude of Punjabis 17 November 1948 330. Advice to Students 17 November 1948 331. Letter to Khasa Subba Rau 20 November 1948 332. Speech at Banaras Hindu University 2 December 1948 333. Interview to the Associated Press of India 8 December 1948 334. Convocation Address: Aligarh Muslim University 15 December 1948 335. Speech at Aligarh University Students’ Union 15 December 1948
Appendices
Appendix I 1. Resolution on Setting up of the Union Power Committee 25 January 1947
Appendix II 1. Joint Letter to Archibald Percival Wavell 5 February 1947
Appendix III: Reference Items 1. Text of Resolution 26 January 1947 2. Nobel Peace Prize for Gandhiji 27 February 1947 3. Cloth Control [1947] 4. Letter from M. Subbaraya Aiyar 17 May 1947 5. Cloth and Yarn Control [1947] 6. Letter from the Chief Justice, Calcutta 3 September 1947 High Court 7. Letter from Jawaharlal Nehru 30 March 1948 8. Letter from K. Venkataraman 2 April 1948 9. Message by Rajaji 11 April 1948 10. Letter from P. S. Mathur 28 April 1948
Appendix IV: Miscellaneous Items 1. Constitution of Ad Hoc Committee on the 23 June 1947 National Flag 2. Minutes of the First Meeting of the Ad Hoc 10 July 1947 Committee on the National Flag
Chronology (April 1946–December 1948) Index