GANDHI ERA
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(IN THE ABOVE PHOTOS FROM LEFT RAVISHANKER RAVAL AND ON THE RIGHT HIS PAINTING OF HISTORICAL 'GANDHI TRIAL OF 1922')
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Gandhian period have become historical. You will find very few people in India who had seen, stayed and worked with Gandhi. I have very dizzy picture of Gandhi when I saw him personally first and the last time between 1939 -1940 as a child on Valsad Railway station. He was passing through Valsad, South Gujarat. It was night train. He was in Third class compartment then in the train. One of my close relatives put me on his shoulders so that I can have his glimpses in the vast ocean of masses. The river of masses ran towards the train on its arrival. It was the most memorable moments in my life. I am trying to recollect what had seen then in few lines.
“The mass ran towards the train as it arrived
They were forcing themselves to inter the coach
But suddenly one laughing face came out of window
It was a shining face with red Tilak on his forehead
He was smiling and waving the people both hands with
As he knew that love of those people was his strength.
Then people loudly roared ‘ Gandhiji ki Jai’
He simply reciprocated with big smile thereon. “
Bharat Desai
I give here below article title ‘HUNTING THE LION’ written by Ravishanker Raval regarding 1922, Historical Trial of Gandhi. It is translated by his son Dr Kanak Raval from his Gujarati book. He has mentioned the names of prominent persons of Ahmadabad then i.e.Ambalal Sarabhai and Sarladevi Sarabhai, who were the close family members of late Vikram Sarabai, a prominent scientist of India and who was also founder of space research and missiles technology in India. Late kalaguru Ravishanker Raval was the well renowned Artist and Painter of India. He had sketched the picture of trial then. The picture is reproduced above.
Bharat Desai
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“PREFACE
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An eyewitness record of 1922 trial of Mahatma Gandhiji
Author: Late “Kalaguru” Ravishankar Raval (1892-1977)* -adapted in English by Dr. Kanak Raval, Portland, OR, USA from the original Gujarati text.
This is adapted from the original text in Gujarati published in “Gujaratma Kalana Pagaran”-an autobiography of Shri Ravishankar Raval.
In 1922, the British Raj sued Mahatma Gandhiji for sedition. History has recorded it as “The Great Trial” and it is well documented elsewhere. Amongst the few chosen ones in the audience, my father, Ravishankar Raval had witnessed that closed doors trial. Sometime in 1950’s he documented the whole event in his autobiography. What is interesting is that he recreated the only picture of the trial (shown on the left) as the press photographers were strictly prohibited from covering the event.
This oil painting of the court scene was based on the original pencil sketch done surreptitiously by him under the very eyes of the court.
Gandhi’s Trial, 1922 ©Ravishkar M. Raval
Here follows Ravishankar Raval’s own account of the Gandhi Trial of 1922 in his own words.
DR KANAK R RAVAL
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Hunting the Lion
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Now the Raj had resolved to crush the freedom movement completely. On March 10, 1922, Gandhiji and Shankarlal Banker as an editor-producer of NAV JIVAN-YOUNG INDIA were accused for treason and arrested.
On March 11, Saradar Vallabhbhai Patel wrote under the title ‘Hunting the Lion’:
“British Raj has finally dared to imprison the supreme leader of India for his novel and miraculous experiment in the history of the world for liberty and protection of Dharma (Justice).But sooner or later Raj will surrender to the will power of this great man”
Gandhiji and Banker did not submit any appeal in their defense so magistrate Brown intended to file a bill of indictment with the court of inquiry. The case was to be conducted in a room of the newly built Circuit House at Ahmadabad. As per the advice of Gandhiji, the local Congress leaders directed the populace to stay away from that area. Even then, the authorities declared the daylong curfew in the city of Ahmadabad and the security forces heavily guarded the Circuit House. Only the individuals with special permits were allowed to enter the premises.
Lucky Me!
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It was my connection with Shri.Ambalal Sarabhai’s special school for the Sarabhai children that I had the good fortune to attend firsthand the historic trial. Ambalalbhai had a good connection with the District Collector Mr.Chadfield so he procured passes for his whole family including us the group of teachers to attend the trial. We entered the courtroom from the backside of the Circuit House and occupied the row of the vacant chairs at the back of the room.Mr.Standing the Principal of the Sarabhai School set next to me. Only Ambalalbhai and his wife Sarala Devi sat in the front row. A table and chair were placed on the other side of the long room.
Exactly at 11:45 am, Police Superintendent Mr.Hili escorted Gandhiji and Shankalal Banker in a special one First Class carriage pulled by a steam engine from the Sabarmati Jail up to the railway crossing and then onward in a car. Everyone in the court rose to his or her feet out of respect as Gandhiji entered the courtroom. Gandhiji was dressed in his proverbial loincloth but his face projected a saintly aura.
As the clock struck 12 noon, Mr. C. N. Broomfield, I. C. S., District and Sessions Judge appointed specially by the Bombay Presidency entered the courtroom and took his seat behind the table. Immediately, the District Magistrate read aloud the indictment. He defined the charges of causing civil unrest and sedition and asked Gandhiji,
“Are you accepting the charges as stated or do you wish to have the court proceedings against you?”
Gandhiji stood up and stated in a steady tone in the quiet room“I accept the accusation”.
Shankarlal Banker also did the same thing. The Bombay Govmernment as the prosecution attorney sent the Advocate General Mr. Armstrong.
He stated:
“Due process of law should be carried out not for proving the crime but to determine the magnitude of penalty”.
Having heard his arguments, the judge did not change his decision of not conducting the trial further and declared:
“Only item left now is to announce the punishment but I am prepared to listen if the defendant has something to say about the punishment”.
No Camera!
At that moment, I got the inspiration!
I mused,
“There is no cameraman present to capture this historic event!
There is strict police security.”
I looked around. A couple of reporters were taking notes. My friend Mr. Standing had jotted down few points.
I asked myself,
”Am I just going to nurse these memorable moments? What good are my sketching skills as an artist?”
I immediately took out my permanent companion -a small pocket sketchbook. Hiding the sketchbook by one hand to keep unseen by others, I neatly sketched down the facial features of Gandhiji and his wife KasturBaa. I sketched out the surrounding court scenario and the important characters of this high drama.
I was mentally in a high state of excitement and slightly worried that police may confiscate my sketchbook!
However, the trial did not continue longer and the presiding judge had already asked Gandhiji if he wished to make a statement.
The Defendant’s Response
In response, Gandhiji expressed his wish to read out his statement. There was pin drop silence in the courtroom. That long confession is now a well-known historical document. I am just quoting some of them here:
“Even when I am released I would repeat whatever I have done”
“I am here, therefore, to invite and submit cheerfully to the highest penalty that can be inflicted upon me for what in law is a deliberate crime, and what appears to me to be the highest duty of a citizen.”
“I do not have any enmity with any official or an administrator so I cannot have anything against the punishment. But to bear enmity to the disservice that the British Raj has meted out to India compared to other rulers is a virtue for me.”
Gandhiji’s confession was the severest accusation against the British Raj. Thousands of years ago, virtuous Socrates had welcomed the cup of poison as a punishment. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on cross for holding on to his own life philosophy.
On completion of Gandhiji’s statement, the Judge sighted the court trial of Lokmanya Tilak as precedence and based on the same ruling announced six years of imprisonment to Gandhiji and added,
“Nobody would be happier than me the day the Government releases you from the prison”.
Gandhiji accepted the judgment.
As soon as the legal proceedings were over, all the officials left. Ashram members and the other well-wishers paid their respects to Gandhiji and returned home. The same waiting train took Gandhiji away to Yaravada Central Prison near Pune, Maharashtra. City of Ahmadabad was left under a cover of sadness!
My diary of that day noted:
“British Raj has meted out six years of imprisonment to Gandhiji, the Soul Incarnate of India. Broomfield and General Armstrong adoring the throne of Justice looked like Lilliputians in presence of a Man Lion. It appears that God has created this situation to be a ray of hope for Mother India. Destiny is recreating a new history for India that had become an object of pity and curiosity by the world for thousands of years. This one man’s high character will remain as the foundation stone of character for future men and women of India. Known historical ideals remain pale before this man. How fortunate I am to see alive this unique example of humanity.
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