Bhulabhai Desai (October 13, 1877 - May 6, 1946) was an Indian freedom fighter and acclaimed lawyer. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person He is well-remembered for his defense of the three Indian National Army soldiers accused of treason during World War II, and for attempting to negotiate a secret power-sharing agreement with Liaquat Ali Khan of the Muslim League. The Indian National Army ( INA) or Azad Hind Fauj ( Hindi: आज़ाद हिन्द फ़ौज was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For other people with the same or similar name see Liaqat Ali (disambiguation Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan (accurate transliteration Liāqat Alī Khān The All India Muslim League ( Urdu: آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ Bengali:?????? ??? founded at Dhaka in 1906 was a political party in British
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Early life
Bhulabhai Desai was born in Valsad, Gujarat. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Valsad, also known as Bulsar, is a city and a Municipality in the Valsad district Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Initially schooled by his maternal uncle, Bhulabhai further studied at the Avabai School in Valsad and the Bharada High School in Bombay, from where he matriculated in 1895, standing first in his school. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial He married Ichchhaben while still in school. They had one son, Dhirubhai, but Ichchhabhen died of cancer in 1923. He then joined the Elphinstone College in Bombay from where he graduated in high standing in English literature and history. Elphinstone College is an institution of higher education affiliated to the University of Mumbai. The term English literature refers to Literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by Writers not necessarily from History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology He won the Wordsworth Prize and a scholarship for standing first in History and Political Economy. He did his M.A. in English from the University of Bombay. A Master of Arts ( Latin: Magister Artium) is a Postgraduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large The University of Mumbai (मुंबई विद्यापीठ(formerly University of Bombay) is a University situated in Maharashtra state of Bhulabhai was appointed Professor of English and History in the Gujarat College, Ahmedabad. While teaching he also studied law. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Desai enrolled as an advocate at the Bombay High Court in 1905, and became one of the city's and later the nation's leading lawyers. History & Premises The Bombay High Court (मुंबई उच्च न्यायालय was inaugurated on August 14, 1862.
Political career
Bhulabhai began his political career with joining Annie Besant's All India Home Rule League. Annie Wood Besant (ˈbɛsənt Clapham London October 1 1847 &ndash September 20 1933 in Adyar, India) was a prominent Theosophist, The All India Home Rule League was a national political organization founded in 1916 to lead the national demand for self-government termed Home Rule, and to obtain He had joined the Indian Liberal Party, supportive of British influences, but came out in opposition of the all-European Simon Commission formed in 1928 by the British to formulate constitutional reforms in India. The Liberal Party of India was a political organization espousing liberal, pro- British points of view in the politics of India under the British The Indian Statutory Commission was a group of seven British Members of Parliament that had been dispatched to India in 1927 to study constitutional reform His connection with the Indian National Congress began when he represented the farmers of Gujarat in the inquiry by the British Government following the Bardoli Satyagraha in 1928. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 in the state of Gujarat, India during the period of the British Raj, was a major episode of Civil disobedience The satyagraha was a campaign by the farmers of Gujarat protesting oppressive taxation policies in a time of famine, under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Vallabhbhai Patel (વલ્લભભાઈ પટેલ IPA:) (31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950 was a political and social leader of India who played Bhulabhai formidably represented the farmers' case, and was important to the eventual success of the struggle.
Desai formally joined the Congress in 1930. Convinced about the effectiveness of boycott of foreign goods, he formed the Swadeshi Sabha and persuaded 80 textile mills to join in, with the aim of building a boycott by Indian companies of foreign goods. The Sabha was declared illegal and he was arrested in 1932 for his activities. While in jail, Bhulabhai Desai was constantly ill. On his release on health grounds, he went to Europe for treatment. When the Congress Working Committee was reorganized, at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's insistence Desai was included in the committee. The executive committee of the Congress Party in India typically consisting of fifteen members elected from the All India Congress Committee or AICC is known as the Congress
In November 1934, Desai was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly from Gujarat. The Government of India Act 1935, which allowed provincial autonomy, raised the question whether the Congress should participate in the legislatures. The Government of India Act 1935 ( 26 Geo 5 & 1 Edw 8 c 2) was the last pre-independence constitution of the British Raj. Bhulabhai among others supported Congress participation, pointing out the greater autonomy and political rights granted to Indians. When the Congress entered the Central Assembly, he was elected the leader of all elected Congressman, thus becoming the majority leader. He built much respect and standing by forcefully leading the first elected representation of the Congress.
At the onset of World War II, the Congress opposed the arbitrary inclusion of India and Indian soldiers in the war effort. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Bhulabhai Desai considered it important to use the Central Assembly to clarify the Congress attitude to the world. Bhulabhai addressed the House on November 19, 1940, making a strong plea which read ". Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. . . unless it is India's war, it is impossible that you will get India's support. " Participating in the satyagraha initiated by Mohandas Gandhi, he was arrested on December 10, under the Defense of India Act and sent to Yeravada jail. Satyagraha ( Sanskrit: सत्याग्रह satyāgraha) is a philosophy and practice of Nonviolent resistance developed by Mohandas Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V He was released from prison in September 1941 on grounds of poor health, which also affected his participation in the Quit India movement. The Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan or the August Movement) was a Civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in
Desai-Liaquat pact
While Mohandas Gandhi and the entire Congress Working Committee had been arrested during the Quit India movement, from 1942 to 1945, Desai was one of few Congress leaders free. While pressing demands for the immediate release of political prisoners, Desai began secretive talks with Liaquat Ali Khan, the second-most important leader of the Muslim League. For other people with the same or similar name see Liaqat Ali (disambiguation Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan (accurate transliteration Liāqat Alī Khān The All India Muslim League ( Urdu: آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ Bengali:?????? ??? founded at Dhaka in 1906 was a political party in British It was their intention to negotiate an agreement for a future coalition government, which would enable a united choice for Hindus and Muslims for the independent Government of India. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion In this deal, Liaquat gave up the demand for a separate Muslim state in turn for parity of Muslims-to-Hindus in the council of ministers. Conceding the League as the representative of Muslims and giving a minority community equal place with the majority Hindus, Desai attempted to construct an ideal Indian alliance that would hasten India's path for freedom while ending the Quit India struggle. While Desai was working without the knowledge of Gandhi, Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru or any other Congress leader, Khan had kept the deal a secret from his superior, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party Muhammad Ali Jinnah Urdu: (December 25 1876 – September 11 1948 was a Pakistani politician and leader of the All India Muslim League who founded Pakistan
When a press report leaked the prospective deal in 1945, the respective parties were alarmed. While Desai presented full information to Gandhi, Jinnah and the League outrightly rejected any agreements, and Liaquat Ali Khan denied that such a pact was being negotiated. Desai's assertion that a deal had been reached was ridiculed by the League, while Congress leaders were angry at him for conducting such negotiations without informing them. Bhulabhai Desai would lead a major effort in March 1945 to get the House to defeat the unpopular war budget, but he had lost political standing in his own party owing to the fallout of the Desai-Liaquat pact. He was not given a ticket to contest elections for the Constituent Assembly of India on grounds of his ill-health, but also due to feelings in the Congress that Desai had been advancing his own power and popularity while the Congress leadership was imprisoned. The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and served as its first Parliament as an independent nation
INA soldiers trial
- See also: INA Defence Committee
When three captured Indian National Army (INA) officers, Shahnawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were put on trial for treason, the Congress formed a Defence committee composed of 17 advocates including Bhulabhai Desai. The INA trials or the Red Fort Trials refer to the Courts martial of a number of officers of the Indian National Army between November 1945 and May 1946 The INA Defence Committee, later the INA Defence and Relief Committee, was a committee established by the Indian National Congress in 1945 to defend Shah Nawaz Khan may refer to Shah Nawaz Khan (Chief Justice, Pakistani judge Shah Nawaz Khan (general, Indian army officer and politician Colonel Prem Kumar Sahgal was an officer of the Indian National Army who as the commander of the 2nd Division led the 2nd Infantry regiment at Popa against Messervy Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon ( 18 March 1914 - 6 February 2006) popularly known as Col The court-martial hearing began in October 1945 at the Red Fort. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a Military court. These military courts can determine Punishments for members of the Military subject This article is about the Red Fort in Delhi India The Agra Fort is also known as the "Red Fort" Bhulabhai was the leading counsel for the defense. Undeterred by poor health, Bhulabhai made an emphatic and passionate argument in defense of the charged soldiers. He worked for three months at a stretch. He based his arguments on the principles of international law, arguing that the accused were entitled to take up arms to liberate their country under the order of the Provisional Government which Subhas Bose had established and which had the recognition of a few sovereign governments, and that the Indian Penal Code did not apply to their case. International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards This article describes the organisation formed during World War II in Singapore Subhas Chandra Bose (সুভাষ চন্দ্র বসু (born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945 Indian Penal Code (IPC Hindi: भारतीय दण्ड संहिता provides a Penal code for all of India including Jammu and Kashmir The judge nevertheless pronounced the three officers guilty and sentenced them to transportation for life.
Passing
Bhulabhai Desai died on May 6, 1946. His immense wealth led to the creation of the Bhulabhai Memorial Institute in Bombay. M. C. Setalwad authored his biography, Bhulabhai Desai. *Bhulabhai Desai Road in Mumbai is named after him. Bhulabhai Desai Road, better known as Breach Candy or Warden Road is a niche up-market residential and semi-commercial locality of South Mumbai.
References
- Rajmohan Gandhi, Patel: A Life (1992)
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