FEROZE
ALLAHABADI !
Just
finished with the book ‘Feroze –The forgotten Gandhi’ by Bertil Falk a Swedish
writer. I was always keen to know more about Feroze as he has
emerged as a much sympathetic character over the years; as someone who did not
get his due; as someone who was victimised by the Nehru family. As I read
information on him in the various references and articles my interest grew.
When this bound book appeared I quickly purchased it and read it within
reasonable time ( I am a slow reader).
It is a fairly OK account of Feroze by the author
largely relying on his many years of intermittent interaction with those who
were close or known to Feroze. Some newspaper research. However to a Feroze
watcher it may leave unsatiated. None the less
certain important information emerges which may be interesting to many
and particularly to Allahabadis.
Birth of Feroze is mired in controversy as the writer with some
good research / interviews brings out that he was a love child of Mr Kakkar ( Father of the famous
Allahabad Lawyer Shyam Nath Kakkar, -Solicitor
General of India)) and Parsi Surgeon Ms
Shirin Commissariat who was unmarried. Well ! that makes Feroze half Khatri;
if true. And Rajiv, Sanjay, Priyanka and Rahul Gandhis have in their DNA Khatri
Characteristics! It is no where stated that Feroze was aware of this ; Was He?
If yes his restlessness and complexities could be attributed to his birth
ambiguity.
Feroze was a weak child and did have some
heart ailment as a child. However he was an active child full of energy and
pranks. As student he was mediocre. He graduated from Ewing Christian College
Allahabad. He was known to be charitable , largehearted from the beginning as he would gift his
expensive foreign clothes brought for him by his Aunt to poor children.
Whenever he went out on vacation/tours he would return back almost empty handed
as he would handover his belongings to the needy. This characteristic was his hallmark right through his political life. Gregarious (
Dost Parast ), talkative ( sometimes loose talk), easy-going person. He cut his political teeth during the
civil disobedience movement, prior to that too he was arrested for
participating in Anti Simon commission
agitation but was released after warning as his Aunt was a known person. He
continued with his indulgence in anti British agitations prevalent at that
time. His entry into Congrees fold was also by chance. He was sitting on the
perimeter wall of Ewing Christian College when Congress women wing led by Kamla
Nehru ( wife of Jawaharlal Nehru) arrived on the scene . It was a sunny
afternoon and Kamla the leader of the group suddenly fainted.Feroze who was
observing this group from distance in amusement rushed to the scene and offered
help. The next day he went to Anand Bhawan ( the Nehru Residence ) to apologise
that he was taking them lightly and met Kamla Nehru. Soon he was helping her in
her organization. We must know that it was freedom struggle. The Congress
Headquarters was at Swaraj Bhawan , next to Anand Bhawan, and Anaad Bhawan was
Buzzing with activity day and night with the comings and goings of people.
The
relationship between Feroze and Kamla is also a high point in the book. They
were close owing to being comrades in freedom struggle. But Feroze was deeply
devoted to her is established from the fact that he nursed her during her fatal
sickness (she died of TB) when very few were by her side and her husband was
busy in his political activities or in jail.Being an able organiser he was also
sought after. Nehru too has mentioned to Minoo Masani that Feroze was
infatuated of Kamala, but perhaps he did not give much seriousness to their
relationship. Some important workers of Congress who occupied high office after
Independence mischievously put posters remarking about Feroze –Kamala
relationship, but Nehru for whatever reason did not go against them.
Feroze went to jail on many occasions during
civil disobedience and Quit India movement. Keshev Dev Malviya, Lal Bahadur
Shastri were his colleagues during those days .K D Malviya knew Feroze as Boy
Scout where he was his senior.He gives vey positive account of him. Feroze was
active in rural areas of Allahabad and was a grass root worker. What is
interesting is that he was not a stereotype Parsi, but a very much Allahabadi
and Ahiyapuri
( an area of central Allahabad
known for high pitched political activity, where Nehru was born and Pandit
Malviya resided) to the core Kamala Prased Mohiley an important leader of
Allahabad and P D Tandon have stated that he spoke hindi with a typical
Ahiyapuri accent, always.
Feroze’s
marriage to Indira is also an interesting episode in both their lives.
Kamla it is reported by M O Mathai was against the marriage . Feroze had proposed to Indira when she was
barely 17 , the proposal was shot down . But he was persistent despite the fact
that Indira was having an affair with a German. Feroze followed Indira to
England where she went for higher studies . He managed finance through his Aunt
and obtained admission in London School of Economics through the contacts of
Nehru. Sadly he did not complete his Degree , but was active in Congress
Foreign office under Krishna Menon who brought out a pamphlet which was published
by Feroze. Therefore even though he did not complete his degree he contributed
to freedom struggle and his work was appreciated. During this time he was
friends with Nikhil Chakraverty ( the
famous editor of ‘The Mainstream’)and T N Kaul
and other left leaning students and imbibed leftist orientation. He
wooed Indira persistently and would visit her on weekends . Their relationship
bloomed here and by the end phase of their stay they were living together.
Nehru agreed to their marriage despite reservation and after some initial
hesitation the Parsi community too agreed . However the Conservative Hindus of
Allahabad had opposition but Nehru did not give much heed to them.
The
marriage ceremony is described in great detail through many witnesses.
Feroze is dressed in traditional shervani and cap and looked handsome. Indira
wore a khadi saree woven by Mahatma Gandhi. She looks pretty. It is a unique
vedic ritual and the priest intended to standardise the ceremony and seek
recognition . Nehru agrees reluctantly and goes through the ceremony dutifully.
It was Feroze who enjoyed most of ceremony ,winking and smiling at his friends.
His relatives too are present. He adorns the Parsee Kushti ( sacred thread) as deference to his mother and aunt. The
ceremony is simple without much pomp as respect to the critical phase in Indian
History and the turn of power which was awaited. The couple proceed to Kashmir
for long honeymoon under guardianship of Sheikh Abdullah who was a close friend
of Nehru at that time.
He is made the Managing Director of ‘The
National Herald’ .The news paper launched by Pandit Nehru from Lucknow. He is
not successful here and the paper continues to run in loss despite the able
editorship of Chalapati Rau. Chalapati Rao has mixed opinion of Feroze. However
later Feroze is successful at the Management of ‘The Indian Express’. He is separated from his
wife and children as Indira is managing the affairs at ‘Teen Murti’ the
official residence of Nehru. Feroze is not happy with the situation as he is a
family man and resents the absence of it in Lucknow. He has numerous extra
maritial affairs, one with a Muslim lady which seriously threatened his
marriage but Rafi Ahmed Kidwai ( a cabinet minister and close colleague of
Nehru, who was close to Feroze too ) saves the embarrassment to Nehru and pursues the girl’s parents to
end the matter. Feroze comes out as a womaniser . This the writer states
emphatically in the beginning of the book and establishes it during the course.
This perhaps is one strong reason of their separation even though they remained
in touch. Feroze when shifted to Delhi had his own MP’s residence but as a
routine had breakfast with Nehrus.
Feroze was lucky to be part of the Constituent
assembly, by virtue of his close relationship with Pandit Pant. He contested
his first election from Rai Barelli in 1952 and won with a huge majority owing
to his persistent field work and maintaining the’ common touch’. He nursed his constituency
and later was successful in establishing the Degree College, and other
educational institutes, Industries etc. His good work enabled him to be elected
again in 1957. He started as a backbencher in Parliament but made a mark in
three important matters . First the press freedom. Till that time in fifties
the newspaper could not publish criticism reported in parliament through the
parliament as it was known to be the privilege of the parliamentarians . He
ensured that the bill was passed by which all print media , radio were free to
report the entire parliamentary proceedings . With this he became the darling
of the media. The second was the Nationalization of Insurance Industry/ Life
Insurance corporation is the contribution of Feroze. The third was his
reporting and debating of ‘Mundra case’, where it was established by a one man
enquiry headed by M C Chagla that there was complacency on part of the finance
minister by which the Life insurance corporation rendered loss by purchasing
below par Mundra shares . The finance minister Krishnamachari had to resign
owing moral responsibility. It did not sully Nehru but he did not like it.
After his first heart attack Feroze is advised
to go slow but by then he seemed to have decided to throw caution to the wind.
He stopped drinking but continued to smoke. The second heart attack ended his
life at the young age of 48.
The
complexity of Feroze is not dealt in detail . The writer intends to pitch him
against Nehru and Indira. The instance of Kerala assembly dissolution is quoted
as example when Feroze called Indira a
Fascist. But what the writer forgets that at time ‘Fascist’ was a common term
and anybody with a streak or minor tendency to be authoritarian was dubbed as
‘Fascist’. Even Nehru was called Fascist by his opponents.
After reading the book one is left a little
dissatisfied as the queer lifestyle of Feroze his rise and fall was not
analysed. Was his tainted descent contributory to his waywardness? Did separation
from his family and devoid of love of children responsible ? It has emerged
that he was a doting father. He loved
his children but expected them to work with their hands . He was technically
sound and could repair radio, cars etc. He spent quality time with his boys
assembling toys and making things by hand. Did the womanising tendency in Feroze ,which was even apparent during the
courtship stage drifted Indira away . It has been stated by Nikhil Chakravarty
that during Feroze’s English days he would visit Indira every weekend , but
also had an English girlfriend! He further states that when Feroze’s body lied
in State at ‘Teen Murti’ and Indira was sitting among the mourners the
girlfriends of Feroze arrived to pay respect and howled in the presence of
Indira who remained silent and stiff.
His life could be summed up as a person who
contributed in freedom struggle , was a good organiser and maintained touch
with common man , was sensitive to corruption, was a good parliamentarian and
did not remain in the shadows of his Father in law. Was a kind hearted person ,
generous , large hearted with a hearty laugh. His negatives were his wayward
habits, specially womanising. He surely benefitted from his relationship with
Nehru, his election victory cannot be totally his . we should not forget that
Nehru was loved by the masses and they would have voted for his son in Law. He
was not a good son in Law . He should have held his Father-in-laws hand .
Before reporting in parliament the many matters he should have discussed it
with him and found equally worthy solution rather that sensationalising issues.
He was being revengeful! In Parliament! Nehru sent him to London School Of
Economics an opportunity which he did not utilise fully .
What interests me is his loneliness and
complexity. His being an essential Allahabadi- left of centre, sometimes casual, good hearted, lacking ambition, inclusive ;which could make
into an interesting Dramatic Cinema!
