Historical Figures

103. Sardar Patel also expressed his displeasure by writing a letter to Nehru!

On 23 December 1947, Sardar Patel wrote a letter directly to Nehru saying that Iyengar's visit to Ajmer was astonishing and shocking. There are only two meanings of this journey. First, the Prime Minister was dissatisfied with the statement made by the Home Minister regarding Ajmer. Secondly, he was dissatisfied with the action taken by the local administration of Ajmer. Therefore, the Prime Minister sent his Principal Private Secretary on a visit to Ajmer to seek independent opinion. The Chief Commissioner is either under the Minister or under the Secretary of the Department concerned. Praising Chief Commissioner Shankar Prasad, Patel wrote that he was the U.N. P.'s most competent officer whose efficiency, honesty and impartiality cannot be challenged. This visit of Iyengar has saddened Shankar Prasad and tarnished his image. A campaign was launched by Kaul and Bhargava against the Chief Commissioner. By this visit Iyengar would have got the correct information about Kaul and Bhargava. Therefore, it should be expected that this visit to Ajmer will be the last of this kind.

Sardar Patel's letter was certainly an attack on Jawaharlal Nehru for interfering in his work and also an open challenge not to repeat it in future. It was not easy for Jawaharlal to bear this challenge and challenge. Jawaharlal sent a reply to Patel on the same day in which he wrote that the visit was of a personal nature in these circumstances. The purpose of this visit was not to give any judgment on any officer or the work done by him. This was done to contact the public, especially the victims, to win their trust and remove fear from their hearts. Nehru agreed that Shankar Prasad is a good and fair officer but it is beyond comprehension how the Prime Minister sent a person to Ajmer to dent his reputation or image! In any given situation, the impact on the public is important, not the reaction of an officer. Nehru wrote that when there is panic in the hearts of the people and psychological conditions have arisen, then how can only pure administration work! This can lead to a major accident. The reputation of an officer or our own reputation is a second issue if other larger issues are at stake. If we behave properly with the subjects, then our prestige will be created by itself. Same is the case with officers.