Seperation of India Paper 1.pdf

P.C. Mukerji: (1884-1982). An Early Naturalized US Indian American Citizen’s Concerns on Independence for India: (1905 to 1982): His Thoughts. By: Akkaraju Sarma **, MD., FAAFP. [email protected] It will be useful for me to present this subject in a sequential fashion. We are generally apprising the issues of Colonial Composite India prior to Independence on Aug 15, 1947. As Jawaharlal Nehru used tryst with destiny is a very apt statement. There were millions of Citizens in India that fought valiantly for 300 plus years to get rid of colonialism. There indeed were Overseas Indians, having emigrated under a variety of trying scenarios that helped in this liberation. Just to mention a few scenarios, many came in large numbers as indentured laborers and civil employees to oversee needs of these indentured laborers. Add the Indian students that went overseas not only to study but fight for liberty and remained overseas (not wanting to come back to Colonial rule) and becoming citizens there (under trying circumstances to attain that status). We are beginning to document and see the plights of these students attaining U.S. citizenship. Amongst them some of them are beacons of light in the long process of shedding the shackles of the colonial rulers and join land of the free . This piece of writing is on Sri. Prafulla C. Mukerji (PCM) who along with others like Sri.Traknath Das (TD) who had done so much (in USA) to help the liberation of )ndia from Colonial Shackles. PCM earned a nickname Biplabi [in Bengali means A Revolutionary]. 1870-1903: PCM was born in Aug 25, 1884 in Dhubri village in Bikrampur district within Assam. Dacca, Capital of Bangladesh not too far away. Mukerjis belonged to an orthodox Brahmin family. There were a few such families in Bikrampur. His parents were progressive, Brahmo Samajists, who started the first girls’ school at Bikrampur where two boy’s schools existed ’s . PCM Graduated HS in 1900. Then moved to Kolkata to join Metropolitan Institution, later called Vidya Sagar College, all part of Calcutta University. PCM completed successfully the First Arts orogram there. PCM’s father Died . Looking back chronologically, 1870’s were his parents’ time. They contributed so much to the community. PCM proudly mentioned time and again of how progressive they were in those conservative times and within their communities. Early ’s: It is hard to pick any year as a landmark year to note, as most, if not all had an impact on issues. To begin, in 1904 Lord Curzon, then Viceroy of India declared Bengal will be partitioned into two, West Bengal and East Bengal. The effective implementation date being October 16, 1905. Again in 1904, the Superintendent of Schools in Calcutta, Mr. Risley issued a circular prohibited all students from protesting against bifurcation. )t’s direct impact was, around 500+ students dropped out of colleges and joined movement to protest for freedom not only for the country but also not to be restricted from political activities. Student protests began with boycott British goods and started peacefully. Some student protests were violent (bombings) and some students were hanged after a brief trial by gallows. Protests in Bengal: to ’ : Protests by all citizens began in Bengal that was lead by Surendranath Banerjee, a leading nationalist. Soon, joining him was Krishna Kumar Mitra, Supt. of City College of Calcutta University. Latter also edited Sanjibani , a print media addressing issues of relevance and for all seeking freedom from colonialism. Sanjibani was a source for such information and related activities. Soon followed the arrests of Aurobindo Ghosh, Aswini Dutta and Bipin Chandra Paul, all were detained in Agra Port (in 1904-’ . Funds were sparse in those times and in 1904, Ramakanta Roy played a key role managed to collect Rupees 100,000 that also became a Nucleus for Jadavpur University. 1905: Protests: This year the student participation increased in numbers. Around 50-60 students travelled to Benares and participated in the Indian Congress Convention. G.K.Gokhale addressed the meeting. S.N.Banerjee introduced Boycott Resolution (seconded by B.G.Tilak) boycotting British goods. Due to their jobs and positions many government employees stayed out these protests and not necessarily to be construed as no allegiance to the cause. Formally were non-committal but in their hearts surely had sympathies for the efforts... A multi-religious dinner @ City College in Kolkata was arranged in 1905 to which the print media was invited. Over 1000 attended. Moslem participation minimal. Print media like Sanjbani, Bengali, and The Statesman supported this event warmly. Others print media, Hitabdi and Banglabashi opposed this by interpreting this as breaking Hindu Society. 1905 Swadeshi Movement. Oct 15, 1905 was a key date. Many citizens and students participated and protested chanting Bande Mataram at various locations in Kolkata and some were at the various cotton mills in the areas. October 16, 1905 was Bifurcation of Bengal Event Date . At the many protest locations, factories, after a slow start many employees joined. A related issue was, many employees brought their children to work and in order for them to be quiet, were given opium to calm them. This resulted in children (early) multi-organ fatal damages to very small children. Oct 16 1905, was also declared as National Day of Mourning and was a great success. 1905 Aurobindo Ghosh came to Calcutta from Baroda (where he was Dewan) and he started journal Bande Mataram . This was an All India movement that started gaining strengths in this time and it became a mainstream movement. Also to be noted, the Swadeshi movement gained more strengths, more so after Mahatma Gandhi took to the cause after Second World War (1939-’ . Having seen these inhumanities, PCM took a vow ) must work to creates a society where man’s inhumanity to man must stop . That he did well. 1906 (May) Student Group: A Time to investigate other opportunities PCM and three other friends left India to USA and to explore overseas contacts to hasten case for )ndia’s freedom. They did not want to go to United Kingdom. They were magnetized with U.S.A. with Thomas Jefferson’s clarion call of give me liberty or give me death . It inspired them. All four were qualified and graduated intermediate level of College Studies. They raised Rs.15, 000 (then equivalent to $ 5000.00) for their voyage and studies. In that time Swami Nirmalananda of Vedanta Society had a great influence on them. Nirmalanda said While British had boasted of bringing peace to )ndia, they have led millions to the peace of the grave . The four were looking for approaches to get India, its freedom from Colonialism. The U.S. visa requirements in 1905 were simple as possession of a passport deemed as required and no visa necessary. Additionally, a health certificate indicating that individuals do not have any contagious disease. Each traveler had to have $ 50.00 cash on arrival. PCM and 3 friends had only $100.00 (between them) and immigration officer waived this requirement based on recommendation letters (they carried) and universities they were heading. Anushilan Samiti a magazine with work group was organized that time. U.S.A. Initial Years: First Decade 1905-1915) The group was composed of the following with a small part of what happened after graduation in USA. Heramba Gupta (Columbia University Graduated 1912); Dhiren Gupta (Harvard University Graduated Metallurgy, went back to India worked in Tata Steel); Prafulla C Mukerji ( University of Pittsburgh, Graduated Metallurgy 1911) spent all years in USA helping in many social causes; Dhiren Sen, (Graduated. Technical School. He joined Tea firm in Charleston SC, then moved Texas, finally escaped to Mexico to avoid arrest and deportation, being not white per immigration status. 1905: First Days in USA: In 1905 they arrived in NYC. Having no money and no options for any jobs, they met Otto G. Britech just by chance who took an interest and offered them jobs as observers in a foundry for trivial pocket money. That was break and they worked hard when job in Harrison N.J. opened up with salary of 8 USD a week, it was a great relief. Frugal life and savings, elevation of salary to 15 USD was blessing that propelled them to academic pursuits. Their overseas voyage was by ship. They stayed in England for two weeks. They met Sir Henry Cotton, Member of Parliament, who was then of National Congress; besides was a Former Chief Commissioner of Assam, now retired living in England. They also met Madam Cama, founder of Friends of Freedom for )ndia Society . In the Meanwhile: Developments in India. 1906. In India things were moving forwards very rapidly. The four students continued to keep in touch by snail mail. In 1906 Swaraj Movement was moving forwards although the mission of Swaraj was defined only in 1929. Tarak Nath had correspondence; four page Newsletter Free (industan . Article on Opium Trade. Factory workers and their children given opium to sleep while parents worked. Health consequences. 1912 Tilak Swaraj Fund (B.G.Tilak) to benefit families of Swaraj fighters in jail. Efforts in USA for India’s Independence: First World War: USA vis-à-vis India Independence: When the first WW began President Woodrow Wilson declared no foreign national should depart from USA, as alien’s allegiance is suspect. This in a direct way helped many including the four students who left India in 1905. PCM could stay in USA. . Gov’t of )ndia Gazette declared about persons including PCM will not be permitted to land in India. Not possible. )n students started Friends of freedom for )ndia Society Sailendra Nath Ghose. All working for Friends of Freedom for )ndia Society were arrested and tried. That we violated American Neutrality. Flimsy caveat being they supported German victory so that )ndia could be free . They were tried and jailed. PCM spent four days and balance was treated as suspended sentence. PCM spent Foley Square Prison in NYC for 4 days. The position presented in defense was that the war was between two imperialist nations [Germany and Allies] and has no reason to support one against the other … PCM’s defense stood well, which in short, A victory of neither will not guarantee freedom for )ndia and that PCM was no danger to US interests. In (1916) PCM while at University Pittsburgh. Lived on Negley Ave, Pittsburgh where Dr. Taraknath lived there for a shor7 time. Tarak Nath Das (1884-1958) had a warrant for Violation of American Neutrality. In 1916. Was sentenced for 2 years spent 22 months in jail, Leavenworth Prison plus one week in Monterey prison. He was released. As not guilty. Lawyer Rooney (his Offices were in Foley Square. NY) defended Taraknath Das 1916. Taraknath Das had lived in Ansonia Hotel. NYC. Later, after his doctorate was on American University Faculty. In 1914 War started ending in 1918. TD set up (1914) Bulletin of Free Hindustan quarterly. PCM and TD were Members of Friends of India Society 1914 or 1915. Pathway to U.S. Citizenship: PCM in 1918 Applied for U.S. Citizenship. 1924 was accorded U.S. Citizenship, having Conformed to citizenship laws [= white ethnic category]. 1924 Supreme Court Decision Citizenship. US Immigration Laws then only persons of white (Caucasian) and of the black race were eligible for citizenship. Others not. PCM claimed white and US Dist. Court in Western Pa. granted PCM citizenship in 1924. (owever. A Bhagat Singh applied citizenship in that rejected, being not white though high caste Hindu. PCM was called by District Court of Western PA, Pittsburgh asked PCM to show up and citizenship be rescinded. Appeal to Senator Reed of Pennsylvania: Many Indians pooled efforts and Senator Reed of Pa. was approached, who introduced a bill that Supreme Court decision will not apply those already naturalized citizens of USA. The bill got tabled due to opposition of other lawmakers and unions. At that time the law was (in 1924) American Exclusion Bill. Indians, Chinese Japanese could not become immigrants. At the same time, Sekharam Ganesh Pandit, an attorney practicing in California (a naturalized citizen for since 1919 by then for over five years filed case under Res Judicata – no appeal was filed in the last 3 years against his status, there is no legal right to reopen the case now. The district court agreed in California. This benefitted Indian Citizens (75 East and Midwest) and 45 in West. Heramba Gupta was tried in Federal Court in Chicago1922 when Judge K.M. Landis shelved the case without affecting citizenship status. The question had always been who is a white . (ow defined and who fits into the category? Decades of (1926-’55) 1947 and Later Years: )ndia’s Freedom Activities: )ndia League transitioned into (in1930- ’ to Friends of India Society, Chicago was closed voluntarily in 1947. India League of America (NYC 1947) supplanted it with Editors : Anup Singh and Syed Hussein (Latter from Allahabad Tribune) leading the publication. Friends of India Society to Some other associations functioning for the cause in this time were, Committee of International Federation of Indian Students –as a worldwide group come under one umbrella. Others similar organizations active here were India Institute of Deutsch Akademi (Dr.Thierfelder), plus others in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin, and Geneva. A Later organization tracking )ndia’s interests India League (1945-1959) functioning well with its President was really an impromptu ambassador. US Political Judgments on Indian Independence. In the mainstream populations PCM had noted that, Methodists, Quakers, Jewish groups, Unitarians, Catholics, German and Irish were sympathetic i.e. for Independence for India. While, some Congressional leaders, senators /congressmen sympathetic (Lafollette [WI], Borah [ID], Norris & Bryan [NE], Blaine [MD], Stone [MI], Copeland [NY], Cong. Berger, Lindberg), Eugene Dubois, and Norman Thomas. Amongst them were constitutionalists (keep a dominion status) vs. Nationalists (complete independence). Majority, rest of them in congress felt was nothing should be done which any way weaken a capitalist monarchy of Great Britain. Even within the U.S. administration was pro independence was Vice President Henry Wallace (1941-’ , after a visiting India, presented his case for full independence to President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-’ who showed considerable irritation and remarked that he did not want to hear those questions again... President Roosevelt sent, later, a roving ambassador Nelson Johnson, who reported to Roosevelt (who shelved the idea and the report) that Drew Pearson (journalist) got a copy and published with the conclusion it would be very helpful if Great Britain declared India would have self-government at the end of World War )) . This conclusion angered President Roosevelt with prevailing feeling that GB must win war to make world safer for democracy . Key factor was not to jeopardize U.S.’s National Interests . However, in USA, the book Dr John (aynes (olms. )ndia in Bondage had very good readership. The Quakers were interested in Gandhi’s work for many decades. ** Akkaraju Sarma, MD, PhD, FAAFP. and Mrs.Akkaraju Kameswari Are US Citizens and OCI Card Holders. Residents in Philadelphia since1970, resident in NYC 1965-’ . He has been deeply involved in South Asian Community Affairs, NMDP drives, helping pro-bono health care in appropriate cases. He chairs the Health and Human Services Committee of Bharatiya Temple (www.b-temple.org). Can be reached by email at [email protected] 215-914-0236 home. 215-5307438 cell. My P.C.Mukerji Interview. Date June 28, 1977.