Memories 1950s: Starting A New 'Swatantralata' Party - 1!
In
the late 1950s I was a student of C.M.C. in Ludhiana, Punjab. As a reluctant future doctor I had time in plenty for things other than studies. Our C.M.C. dental surgeon was a West Indian of Indian origin. I went to him a couple of times for dental work. Dr Gayadeen did an excellent job on some tiny cavities in my teeth. And at each visit he waxed eloquent on Swatantra, a new political party...though he called it Swatantralata' Party. The founder of this liberal, secular political party
was Mr C.
Rajagopalachari or 'Rajaji', the man to whom Lord Mountbatten, the
British Governor-General of India, had handed over power when India
became free. Rajaji had started this liberal-secular party, discarding
the socialism of the Congress led by Pandit Nehru...and, of course, with the spiritual guidance of Gandhiji. When I went home to Bombay for summer holidays, I saw in town at Kala Ghoda, so-called
after a black horse statue there - a sign-board of the new Swatantra ..At the Kala Ghoda
office I met Mr Minoo Masani and told him I wished to start the party in
Ludhiana, Punjab. He said the party's Punjab head was Raja Bhalinder
Singh of the Patiala royal family. (The Raja later headed India's
Olympic
Committee.) My CMC friend called Iqbal and a local tea-stall
owner joined the project. We contacted the Raja. He came to Ludhiana and we met him in a
restaurant to plan the new party inauguration on the Daresi
Maidan grounds. And we plastered posters around town inviting the public to
attend this gala occasion.. *
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