bhai pratap dialdas

8/12/2019 Bhai Pratap Dialdas

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Bhai Pratap DialdasUntold Story of the suffering ofgreat freedom fighter

Bhai Pratap Dialdas was the founder of Gandhidham

Township which became home for Sindhi Refugee after Indo-

Pak partition. This is the event of suffering of the great

freedom fighter, it is sorrow that even such great freedom

fighter and social reformer are blamed and had to suffer lot.

Old age persons of Adipur narrate that Bhai Pratap had never

been in good mood after that event, previously he used totake round of whole Township in his car and there after he

remained in his house most of the time. Probably this shock

had taken his life as he didnt live longer after this incident.

This I got from the web site and wished to share with all.

dgramchandani

6/24/2014


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Bhai Pratap Dialdas

Untold Story of the suffering of great freedom fighter

In mid 1960s in Bombay, a prominent Sindhi freedom fighter BhaiPratap Singh was engaged in a flourishing import trade. Since thedays of the freedom struggle Bhai Pratap Singh had close linkswith the towering Congress personalities then - Pandit Nehru,Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

He had settled down in Bombay after the partition and had

worked hard to provide a home to Sindhis in Gandhidham whowere forced to leave behind home and hearth in Pakistan.

During one of the import transactions, a complaint was lodgedagainst him for misuse of the goods imported. An investigationwas launched against Bhai Pratap. With his resources, BhaiPratap was eager to have the best lawyer fighting defending him.Bhai Pratap was acquainted with Ram Jethmalani through hisson-in-law Balu Patwardhan. Ram Jethmalani was a promising

young name in the legal arena then and was called upon tohandle the case.

But the case was a little complicated and on second thoughts BhaiPratap thought it prudent to engage someone more seasoned inthe legal games. An older and better known lawyer was broughtin to replace Ram.

But to Bhai Pratap's dismay, the experienced lawyer could not

prove Bhai Pratap's innocence. Bhai Pratap was convicted andsentenced to 18 months of rigorous imprisonment.

His higher appeal spoilt the case even further. The sentence wasenhanced to another five years!


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Finally Bhai Pratap, with his contacts with Pandit Nehru filed for a

mercy petition before the then Maharashtra governor in 1962

Vijay Lakshmi Pandit.

Probably because he knew Pandit Nehru so well, his petition wasclosely attended to and scrutinised. The practice otherwise was to

dump such applications in the wastebasket.

Two secretaries BB Paymaster and RL Dalal were assigned the

task of going through the files. After a thorough examination it

was discovered that Bhai Pratap was innocent.

He had been unjustly convicted. The clinching evidence which

could prove his innocence had been held back by the public

prosecutor.

Now that he had been proved innocent, he deserved a pardon

from the governor. Here was the hitch.

During the same period there was another case of Mr. Nanavati.

On November 24, 1961 the 34-year-old Commander KawasManeckshaw Nanavati was handed a life sentence for the murder

of Prem Ahuja, his wife Sylvia's seducer. It was the end of theroad for the brilliant Navy commander. His job was taken away.For the young 28-year old Sylvia and her three children,uncertainty stretched.But the mercurial life of the Commander was yet to unspool aneven more strange drama. And for Sylvia, India had yet to unfoldthe defining chapter in her life

In a reversal, Ram Jethmalani who had remained in the

background and helped the prosecution to nail Nanavati wouldnow come to the forefront and essay a role which perhaps evenhe had not anticipated.

Two diverse threads would be woven to yield the fabric offreedom.


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Interest in the Nanavati case had not waned. The government

was under immense pressure to pardon Nanavati.

A large segment of people especially those from the Parsi

community felt that Nanavati did not deserve such a harsh

judgement. He was not a hardened, habitual criminal. His track

record in the services was impeccable. He had already served

some years in jail.

Earlier even in the Sessions Court, Justice RB Mehta had

observed that a nominal sentence would meet the ends of justice.

The Supreme court had held that Nanavati's life and career hadbeen irreversibly blighted by Prem Ahuja. And the provocation to

Nanavati was grave. But he had committed a murder and hence

the sentence.

The case had also turned into a Sindhi vs Parsi battle. Ram

Jethmalani a Sindhi was on Ahuja's side and the Parsi lawyer Karl

Khandalavala, the entire communist bloc led by the highly

influential and politically well-connected Blitz baron RussyKaranjia, the influential Parsi Panchayat on Nanavati's side.

The government was in a catch-22 situation. If it was to release

Bhai Pratap Singh, the Parsi community would be antagonised.

And pardoning Nanavati would mean antagonizing the Sindhi

community as Prem Ahuja was a Sindhi.

Someone acceptable to both the communities who could ensure

the release of both without antagonising either was needed.

The year was 1962. One fine day, Ram Jethmalani opened the

door to unusual visitors at his Panchshila apartment. Rajni Patel,

the defence lawyer in the Nanavati case (now a hardcore

congressman) and the lovely Sylvia Nanavati!


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Ram was taken back. He had no inkling of the behind the scenes

story. His mind worked furiously to establish the reason behind

the visit.

Rajni Patel came straight to the point. He had come with apropositon a government proposition.

The government was prepared to pardon Bhai Pratap and

Nanavati both.

But Nanavati's pardon had to be done without angering the Sindhi

community. And if Mamie Ahuja said that she had no objection to

the pardon, then the rest was easy.

After all she was the victims sister and if she forgave the

murderer then nothing else mattered much.

And here is where Ram had to play the crucial role, Rajni stated.

Ram knew Mamie well. Mamie had chosen him to keep a watching

brief on the case so that Nanavati was convicted.

And now Ram had to convince her to give in writing that she had

no objection to Nanavati's release.

Ram conceded. He spoke to Mamie and was able to convince her

that she had no objection to the pardon

On the same day, Bhai Pratap and Nanavati were pardoned.

Says Ram Jethmalani: "The case was a turning point in my

career. Since then there has been no looking back for me."

It was also the turning point for the Nanavati's. After the release,

they left Indian shores never to return and never to be heard of.


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bhai pratap dialdas

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