Jawaharlal Nehru’s interlude at Jaitu and Nabha-fun and suffering!

Chaman Lal*

Punjab had been in turmoil since 13th April 1919 Jalianwala Bagh massacre at
Amritsar. It had shaken the nation and the world at that time. But the subsequent years were
of no peace either. In 1920 a big Gurdwara reform movement was launched by Sikhs
through Akali party, which came into existence for this purpose in that very year end. At that
time Dera culture, as one can see today in Haryana and Punjab, was prevalent in Punjab
Gurdwaras, which were controlled by Udasi Mahants. Faithful Sikhs were upset at their non
religious conduct. Gurdwaras were captured by these faithful Sikhs under the aegis of Akali
party or Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. Their movement was so peaceful that
Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Congress party in general was quite impressed and
were appreciative of the movement.

First such major movement called ‘Morcha’ was launched at Nankana Sahib, birth place of
Guru Nanak, the Gurdwara there was under the control of Mahant Narain Das. Sikh jathas
were going to Nankana Sahib every day, which used to cross from Bhagat Singh’s village
Chak No. 105, Lyallpur Bange, about 45 kilometres away. Bhagat Singh at the age of 13+
years used to serve the crossing jathas with food. On 20th February 1921, inside Nankana
Sahib Gurdwara a faithful Sikh Lachhman Singh was burnt alive while more than hundred
others were massacred by Mahant’s guards. There were Morchas in Guru Ka Bagh near
Amritsar in 1922 and at Jaitu in 1923, where Jawaharlal Nehru went along with K.
Santhanam and Acharya A T Gidwani on 21st September 1923 to observe this peaceful
Morcha by Sikhs.

At Jaitu Gurdwara Gangsar Sahib was taken over by Akali supported faithful
Sikhs. Jaitu, a small town of now about forty thousand population, which fell under Nabha
state at that time, was ruled by Raja Ripudaman Singh, who was a nationalist and supportive
of Gurdwara reforms, he had worn even black turban as protest to support reform
movement, as was done by young Bhagat Singh during Nankana Sahib Morcha. Upset at
Raja Ripudaman Singh’s nationalist conduct, British colonial govt. forced him to abdicate in
his minor son Pratap Singh’s favour in order to control the state through a British
administrator. Akalis launched a Morcha in favour of reinstatement of Raja Ripudaman
Singh, who was exiled to Dehradun. The king was deposed on 9th July 1923 and in August
Morcha at Jaitu started. Akhand paths (Continuous recital) of Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh
scripture) began, which was interrupted by British police on 14th September, followed by
large number of arrests. Situation became very tense and Nehru reading about in Delhi
decided to come down to Jaitu. As per K. Santhanam’s memoirs, Jawaharlal Nehru, K
Santhanam and Acharya Gidwani all came by same train in different but third class
compartments to Mukatsar, skipping Jaitu station, because they could be arrested on arrival
at Jaitu railway station, which was directly connected by train to Delhi. Mukatsar was not part
of Nabha state, all three were welcomed by Akali activists and taken on horse backs to Jaitu,
some miles away. At the entrance of Jaitu, they were confronted by state police and told that
they will be arrested if they enter Jaitu town boundaries. They were already inside Jaitu, so
they were arrested, handcuffed-Nehru and Santhanam in one handcuff and Gidwani with a
policeman in another handcuff. At Jaitu police station, they were lodged in a small cell till
evening, when after filing of an FIR, they were sent to Nabha by night train without opening
their handcuffs. They reached Nabha by early morning of 22nd September and were put in a
cell at district Jail. K. Santhanam in his memoir-‘Handcuffed with Nehru’ has graphically
described the conditions of their arrest:

“As soon as we arrived at the place of Satyagraha, we were greeted by a police

officer who served an order upon Jawaharlal asking him and his two friends to quit the State
immediately. We told him that we had not come to participate in the Satyagraha and after
seeing it for some time we would be going away in a day or two. But the officer demanded
whether we were prepared to quit by the next train from Jaitu to Nabha and from thence to
our place.

We refused and we were immediately arrested. As a safety precaution, I was

handcuffed with Jawaharlal and Gidwani was handcuffed with a policemen and we were put
in a miserable branch line train and taken to Nabha where we were lodged in a separate and
secluded part of the jail which was constructed with mud walls. The room itself was 20 feet
by 12 feet and both walls and roof were built with mud and the flooring also was of mud.

The other gate was permanently locked and even the sentries were not allowed to
speak to us. At stated times, food consisting of chappathis and dhall was put in our cell and
no arrangements were made for our bath. Our clothing also was not given to us. Mud was
falling from the roof all the time.

Jawaharlal was highly irritated at this treatment and he found vent to his irritation
by sweeping the floor every half hour and trying to keep the room clean. Gidwani and myself
were more amused than angry.”
(http://www.yabaluri.org/triveni/cdweb/handcuffedwithjawaharlalapr96.htm)

Jawaharlal Nehru, who published his ‘Autobiography’ in 1936 and revised in 1942 wrote a
chapter-‘An Interlude at Nabha’ in the book. Nehru had also wrote graphic account of that
experience:

“We were kept the whole day in the lock up and in the evening we were marched to the
station. Santanum and I were handcuffed together, his left wrist to my right one and a chain
attached to the handcuff was held by the policeman leading to Gidwani, also handcuffed and
chained brought up the rear. This march of our down the streets of Jaitu town reminded me
forcibly of a dog being led on by a chain. We felt somewhat irritated to begin with, but the
humour of the situation dawned upon us and on the whole we enjoyed the experience. We
did not enjoy the night that followed. This was partly spent in crowded third class
compartment in slow moving train, with I think, a change at midnight, and partly in a lock up
at Nabha. All this time, till the forenoon of next day, when we were finally delivered up at
Nabha Gaol, the joint handcuff and the heavy chain kept us company. Neither of us could
move at all without the other’s cooperation. To be handcuffed to another day and for a whole
night and part of a day is not an experience I would like to repeat.” (An Autobiography,
Jawaharlal Nehru. Allied edition 1961, pages 110-111)

But their harrowing tale had just begun. Nabha jail gave them nightmares. In Nehru’s
own words-“In Nabha Gaol we were all three kept in a most unwholesome and insanitary
cell. It was small and dump, with a low ceiling which we could almost touch. At night we slept
on the floor, when I would wake up with a start, full of horror, to find that a rat or a mouse
had just passed over my face.”(Same, page 111)
 They were not produced before a magistrate for 2-3 days and when they were finally
produced ‘Gilbertian proceedings’ (In Nehru’s words) went on for many days. The judge was
uneducated as per Nehru, who neither knew English or even Urdu, the court language.
Whatever applications Nehru and his comrades gave, the judge did not pass any order on
them. When he would next day come with some noting or order, Nehru thought it was written
by someone else in advice from British administrator, who was controlling the state. The
case was dragging for many days and getting no news of Jawaharlal for many days, his
father Motilal Nehru had to approach Viceroy about it. He was initially not even allowed to
meet them by state's British administrator, later when he met also, he could not render much
help, as Nehru and friends were not defending themselves in the case, which was their
political policy in such cases.

Nehru and friends were thinking that they were being tried for violating the state orders
not to enter the town, for which they could not be sentenced to jail for more than six months.
Suddenly one evening they were kept late in the court till 7 p.m, when it was revealed that
they were being tried for conspiracy too, for which they could be sentenced to two years jail
term. For instituting conspiracy case Nabha state needed fourth person, so an unknown Sikh
in Nehru’s words, was added to these three accused. At that point of time, lawyer in Nehru
woke up and he was stirred-in Nehru’s own words, ‘The case was a totally false one, but
decency required some formalities should be observed’!(Same, page 112)

Nehru underlines the peculiar facets of judicial system in feudal states at this juncture.
Conspiracy case was tried by another judge, who as per Nehru was ‘more educated and
intelligent’! Nehru and his friends were totally fed up with the judicial process and did not
want to take part in the proceedings, however seeing the feudal state oppressive machinery,
they could not remain strict to their resolve. They asked for an outside lawyer, it was denied
to them. They gave statement listing all the facts, which was completely ignored. They were
brought to court every day, which was a ‘temporary escape for them from the foul cell in
gaol’! (Page 112). In the meantime they were approached by Nabha’s British administrator to
‘express regret and give an undertaking to leave Nabha’ to get released! Nehru demanded
an apology from administrator for what they were doing to them, rather than express regrets!

After about a fortnight, the trials came to an end. First magistrate brought a bulky
judgement written in Urdu, which was not given or read to them, only informed that they
have been given maximum sentence of six months in that case of violation of orders.
Second judgement in conspiracy case was also pronounced same day, sentencing them to
eighteen months or two years! No copy of the judgement was given to them despite demand
for filing a review petition.

At this juncture Jawaharlal Nehru made some pertinent observation of feudal state’s
functioning! He observed that magistrate was treated as dummy by police and often
disobeyed. Magistrate was afraid of both police and in high profile case like of Nehru, from
accused side also! While Pandit Motilal Nehru could do nothing to help them, he deputed
young lawyer at that time, later cabinet minister in Nehru’s government-Kapil Dev Malviya(K
D Malviya), who was tried to be robbed of his papers in the court by police as per Nehru’s
account! Jawaharlal Nehru observed that feudal state’s collaboration with British colonial
government resulted in acquiring the evils of both feudalism and colonialism, making it more
tyrannical and autocratic. The worst part of this tyranny came out in case of ‘unknown Sikh’,
which Nehru later came to know that ‘he was a ‘Komagatamaru’ ship related person, who
came out of long imprisonment in that case. Komagatamaru ship’s return to India was
marked by massacre at Budge Budge Ghat in Calcutta on 29th September 1914, whose
centenary is being observed these days officially and unofficially in Punjab and Kolkata. The
name of man perhaps was still not known to Nehru, but even after Nehru-Gidwani-
Santhanam release, as their sentence was suspended same evening of the judgement, by
the administrator and their externment order from the state was passed, Komagatamaru
related prisoner had to spend two years of extra jail sentence for Nehru-Gidwani-
Santhanam’s entry to Nabha state! Though Nehru did not forget him after release and he
followed up his case, which as per Nehru was further taken over by Gurdwara Prabhandak
committee.

The fall out of Nabha episode was that all three brought typhus germ from jail and all had
to go through a bout of typhoid fever after their return. Nehru wanted to get the sentence
quashed by challenging it, as a lawyer he knew, it could be used against them at any later
point, if they wished to enter Punjab. And it did happen so, as Acharya Gidwani was invited
by Gurdwara committee few months later, when actually in the same Morcha which
continued and on 21st February 1924, was fired upon at Jaitu, in which according to Sikhs,
more than hundred person were killed, but official records count 19, whose names are on
display at Tibbi Sahib Gurdwara in Jaitu. Acharya Gidwani tried to help the wounded of
police firing, but was pounced upon by state police. Gidwani was arrested in earlier
suspended sentence and was to suffer for almost a year at the hands of Nabha state police,
before his release could be secured after his broken health! In Nehru’s words-‘Gidwani’s
arrest and confinement seems to me a monstrous abuse of executive authority’ (Page 115).
Nehru wrote in protest to same earlier British ICS administrator about this treatment of a
man giving succour to the wounded, who shamelessly defended his action, but without
providing Nehru the copy of order, which he demanded for legal recourse. Here Nehru is at
his philosophical best, when he self critically examines his conduct. Nehru says that he
wanted to go to Nabha and seek same treatment as meted out to Gidwani by power
arrogated British administrator, as ‘loyalty to a colleague seemed to demand it’. However he
did not go at the dissuasion of many friends. Nehru in introspection of his conduct admits
honestly-‘I took shelter behind the advice of friends and made of it as a pretext to cover my
own weakness. For after all it was my own weakness and disinclination to go to Nabha Gaol
again that kept me away, and I have always felt a little ashamed of thus deserting a
colleague. As often with us all, discretion was preferred to valour.’ (Same page 116-
concluding sentence of a touching memoir)

Condition of Jaitu and Nabha monuments

Since Jaitu had been centre of Praja Mandal movement and produced freedom
fighters like Seth Ramnath, even today 90+ years freedom fighter Master Karta Ram is on
the roads to demand preservation of Jaitu police station cell as monument, where Nehru was
kept for few hours, before being sent to state headquarter Nabha. Incidentally Rajiv Gandhi
and Rahul Gandhi visited Jaitu, where Nehru spent only few hours, but not Nabha, where he
had to spend two weeks in worst jail conditions. No government of free India made any
attempt to erect a memorial at these places. At Jaitu police station copy of FIR is displayed,
but at Nabha, even the cell, where Nehru-Gidwani-Santhanam had to spend two weeks, no
more exists as the district jail was demolished either before 1947 or after. One plaque is on
display in different jail, now called high security jail of Punjab, which records the period spent
in Nabha jail by three prisoners-from 22nd September 1923 to 4th October 1923. A
demolished structure of cell exists in Hira Park Nabha, where Punjab Congress Chief
Minister Beant Singh got a statue of Jawaharlal Nehru installed in 1992 and a children’s park
constructed around. However nothing was done to maintain the demolished cell, despite
most of the time Nabha has elected Congress MLA in assembly. Nabha falls in Patiala
constituency from where, more times than others, Patiala ‘Maharaja’ and ‘Maharanis’ from
Congress party, had been elected as MP, yet none paid any attention to Nabha Nehru
monuments. Only on this 14th November to mark 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru,
Aam Aadmi Party MP from Patiala, Dr. Dharamveer Gandhi visited the place and announced
three lakh rupees grant from his MP fund for renovation and upkeep of this monument.

* Chaman Lal is retired Professor from JNU, presently with Central University of Punjab at
Bathinda. His latest publications include 'Understanding Bhagat Singh' and Shaheed Bhagat
Singh:Dastavezon ke Aaine Mein in Urdu from Publication Division, Govt. of India. He can
be contacted at-prof.chaman@gmail.com Mob.096464945