Soon after independence, the State of Saurashtra was
established by unifying over two hundred Princely States and its first
government under the leadership of Shri. Uchharangray Dhebar was formed. However
it was not long before there was discontent among the people of Saurashtra against
some of the government polices. The following are two out of the three main
protests/struggles in Saurashtra against the first independent government of
the region as written in the book [in Gujarati], ‘Saurashtra No Itihas, Part-2, 1948 to
1956’, by Professor Dr. S. V. Jani. The translation of select excerpts from the
chapter – Saurashtra Sarkar same Prarambhik Padkaro- Praja Andolano (Early challenges
faced by Saurashtra government and people’s struggles) from Gujarati has been
done by me.
“...After the state was carved out in the year 1948, the
responsibility of its development was handed over to its Chief Minister Shri
Dhebar and his colleagues...Before the establishment of the new state he [Dhebarbhai]
had successfully carried out the struggle to free the people crushed by the feudal
rule of different princely states...in spite of all this, Dhebarbhai’s ministry
in its early years had to face three people’s struggles...
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| Shri U.N.Dhebar, President, All India Congress Party greeting Mr. Nobusuke Kishi the Japanese Prime Minister at the Banquet held in the latter’s honour by the Prime Minister of India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on May 23, 1957. Source of caption and photo: http://photodivision.gov.in/IntroPhotodetails.asp?thisPage=1244 |
“Before the unification of Saurashtra, the different princely
states had adopted the policy of raising the education standard... [princely
states] had also increased the facilities in education...most of the states had
free primary education but secondary education was not free in all the [princely]
states... Before unification and independence, different [princely] states were
running English medium secondary schools. In many of the states, there were no
fees at all in these schools, in some states there was a very nominal fee and
in some states there was comparatively more fees...with the unification of
Saurashtra it was necessary to keep a uniform fee structure...In the state
assembly in the year 1950...the education minister Balvantbhai Mehta said that,
‘... there are no fees in half of Saurashtra and one can study free of cost in
the high schools, in the other half, the
fees are very nominal in the high schools and in the third part, the fees are a
little more, this kind of standard in the middle school cannot be allowed to
persist in today’s Saurashtra.’ Initially Shri Balvantbhai had suggested an
increase in annual fee by fifty paisa to be increased subsequently to one rupee fifty paisa
in three stages...with the increase in fees...The students were
unhappy with this decision...anti government elements, anti-social elements
supported the feeling of the students and instigated them due to which the
students started a fierce struggle...students resorted to public meetings,
demonstrations, stone throwing and destruction of public property...as the
atmosphere became tense, to disperse crowds, police had to resort to lathi
[baton] charge and even firing. One student died in the firing...looking at the
intensity of the struggle...Dhebarbhai thought
that if there is so much opposition among the people, till the time that
people understand [the need to increase fees], the [government ] should wait
[to increase the fees]... he urgently
called the meeting of the cabinet and discussed the issue of withdrawing the
hike in the fees...However Balvantbhai Mehta was not willing to let go...he
resigned as the minister...the cabinet decided to take back the hike in
fees...Within just two and half years of the establishment of Saurashtra state,
the government had to step back due to the struggle by the students...”
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| U.N. Dheberbhai (4th from right), the first chief minister of Saurashtra - Photo source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._N._Dhebar |
2.
Movement
of the business class against sales tax:
“After
independence, in a newly formed state of Saurashtra... the people’s leaders
were committed to bring about all round development...To bring about
development quickly...all states had to follow the five year plan for their
development...the central government was to give rupees six crores for this to
Saurashtra...the remaining funds had to be raised by the state government...for
this, Saurashtra was ready to raise funds through sales tax as was being done
in the other states...for all round development of the state, it was necessary
that people belonging to all the classes in the state sacrifice a
bit...therefore the state had decided to levy sales tax...this tax was to come
into force from 1st December 1952...most of the items on which sales
tax was to be levied were not of much use to the common people...except that
clothes, sugar and oil were not exempted from the sales tax...and yet there was
opposition to this and the merchants started a fierce struggle against increase
in sales tax which became violet and formidable/fierce. They expressed their
protest through public meetings, demonstrations, rallies, mashal julus [torch
rallies], and strikes. Later this movement from the control of the merchants
went into the hands of the politicians and anti government elements. ..in order
to fight against the imposition of sales tax there was a struggle committee
which had under the banner of the movement against sales tax given
encouragement to antisocial behaviour . At many places violent attacks, damage
to property, stone throwing etc was undertaken...later the struggle against
sales tax got converted into a struggle against the government itself. The
leadership of this movement went to the socialists, communal elements,
capitalists and reactionary elements. Jana Sangh, RSS, Hindu Sabha, Communists
party, socialists, farmers’ organisation and merchants had joined this
movement...many leaders were arrested, one merchant in Bhavnagar was killed in
police firing...one lady who had started a fast against the increase of sales
tax died, later under the communist leader Niruben Patel there was slogan
shouting...while the anti sales struggle was going on, at that time the chief
minister Dhebarbhai had gone for change of air and rest to Urlikanchan near
Pune...however he had to leave his treatment midway and return... he met the
jailed representatives of the merchants...edible oil, shoes, chappals,
medical equipment, etc were exempted totally from sales tax...on many other items
sales tax was reduced...therefore by bringing a way out he [Dhebarbhai] was
successful in getting the struggle/movement withdrawn...”
The third struggle titled – “Struggle against land reforms by
kinsmen of the rulers and outlawry”, will be covered in the next post.
