NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Bhulabhai Desai

Bhulabhai Desai (b. October 13, 1877 - d. May 6, 1946) was an Indian freedom fighter and acclaimed lawyer. He is well-remembered for his defense of the three INA 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. October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years). ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... A lawyer is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution. ... Combatants Allies: â€¢ Soviet Union, â€¢ UK & Commonwealth, â€¢ USA, â€¢ France/Free France, â€¢ China, â€¢ Poland, â€¢ ...and others Axis: â€¢ Germany, â€¢ Japan, â€¢ Italy, â€¢ ...and others Casualties Military dead: 18 million Civilian dead: 33 million Full list Military dead: 7 million Civilian dead: 4 million Full list World War II, also known as the Second World... Liaquat Ali Khan Liaquat Ali Khan Nawabzaada Khan Liaquat Ali Khan (October 1, 1896 â€“ October 16, 1951) was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. ... Aga Khan III, founder of the Muslim League The All India Muslim League was a political party in British India and was the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state from British India on the Indian subcontinent. ...

Early life

Bhulabhai Desai was born in Valsad, Gujarat. 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. 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. 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. Bhulabhai was appointed Professor of English and History in the Gujarat College, Ahmedabad. While teaching he also studied Law. 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. Valsad also called Bulsar, and Mango city Situated at southeastern Gujarat state, west-central India. ... Gujarat or Guzarat (Gu: , Hi: ; , IPA ; also spelled Gujrat and sometimes (incorrectly) Gujarath) contained many of the former Princely states of India, and is the second-most industrialized state in the Republic of India after Maharashtra. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... The matriculation ceremony at Oxford Matriculation refers to the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by acquiring the required prior qualifications. ... Elphinstone College is one of the academically highest-ranking ones in the University of Mumbai system. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: History For other senses of this word, see history (disambiguation). ... The University of Mumbai is one of the outstanding universities of India. ... Law (from the Old Norse lagu) in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, intended to provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments of/for those who do... The Bombay High Court was inaugurated on August 14, 1862. ...

Political career

Bhulabhai began his political career with joining Annie Besant's All India Home Rule League. 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. 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. 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. Bhulabhai formidably represented the farmer's case, and was important to the eventual success of the struggle. Annie Besant Plaque on house in Colby Road, London SE19 where Annie Besant lived in 1874. ... The All India Home Rule Leagues was a national political organization founded in 1916 to lead the national demand for self-government, termed Home Rule to the British Raj in India. ... The Liberal Party of India was an organization espousing the liberal, pro-British point of view in the politics of India under the British Raj. ... 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 in that colony. ... Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party or Congress (I), abbreviated INC) is a major political party in India. ... Gujarat or Guzarat (Gu: , Hi: ; , IPA ; also spelled Gujrat and sometimes (incorrectly) Gujarath) contained many of the former Princely states of India, and is the second-most industrialized state in the Republic of India after Maharashtra. ... The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1925 in the state of Gujarat, India during the British Raj was a major episode of civil disobedience and revolt in the Indian Independence Movement. ... Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is credited by contemporary historians as being single-handedly responsible for overseeing the political integration of India. ...

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 Working Committee or CWC. It is headed by the Working President. ...

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. 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. 24. ...

At the onset of World War II, the Congress opposed the arbitrary inclusion of India and Indian soldiers into the war effort. Bhulabhai Desai considered it important to use the Central Assembly to clarify to the world about the Congress attitude. Bhulabhai addressed the House on November 19, 1940, making a strong plea which read "...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, 1940, under the Defense of India Act and sent to Yeravada jail. He was released from prison in September 1941 on grounds of poor health, which also affected his participation in the Quit India movement. Combatants Allies: â€¢ Soviet Union, â€¢ UK & Commonwealth, â€¢ USA, â€¢ France/Free France, â€¢ China, â€¢ Poland, â€¢ ...and others Axis: â€¢ Germany, â€¢ Japan, â€¢ Italy, â€¢ ...and others Casualties Military dead: 18 million Civilian dead: 33 million Full list Military dead: 7 million Civilian dead: 4 million Full list World War II, also known as the Second World... Satyagraha is the philosophy of nonviolent resistance most famously employed by Mohandas Gandhi in forcing an end to the British Raj and also against apartheid in South Africa. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... The Quit India Movement was a call for immediate independence for India issued by MK Gandhi on August 8, 1942. ...

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. 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. 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. Conceeding 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. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to world attention. ... 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 Working Committee or CWC. It is headed by the Working President. ... Liaquat Ali Khan Liaquat Ali Khan Nawabzaada Khan Liaquat Ali Khan (October 1, 1896 â€“ October 16, 1951) was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. ... Aga Khan III, founder of the Muslim League The All India Muslim League was a political party in British India and was the driving force behind the creation of Pakistan as a Muslim state from British India on the Indian subcontinent. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Look up Parity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Parity is a concept of equality of status or functional equivalence. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (à¤œà¤µà¤¾à¤¹à¤°à¤²à¤¾à¤² à¤¨à¥‡à¤¹à¤°à¥‚, JavÄharlÄl NehrÅ«) (November 14, 1889 â€“ May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Scholar, Teacher) Nehru, was an important leader of the Indian Independence Movement and the Indian National Congress, and became the first Prime Minister of India when India won its independence on August 15, 1947. ... Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah (referred to in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam, or Great Leader, which is a legally defined title) (December 25, 1876 - September 11, 1948) was an Indian Muslim nationalist, who led the movement demanding a separate homeland for Muslims in...

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

When three captured Indian National Army (INA) officers, Shah Nawaz Khan, P. K. Sehgal and G. S. Dhillon were put on trial for treason, the Congress formed a Defence committee comprised of 17 advocates including Bhulabhai Desai. The court-martial hearing began in October 1945 at 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. The judge nevertheless pronounced the three officers guilty and sentenced them to transportation for life. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... There used to be a redirect from the Red Fort in Delhi to Agra Fort in Agra. ... International law, is the body of law that regulates the activities of entities possessing international personality. Traditionally, that meant the conduct and relationships of states. ... Flag of the Provisional Government of Free India. ... ... Indian Penal Code (IPC) provides a penal code for all of India excluding Jammu and Kashmir. ...

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.

References

Categories: Indian independence movement | Indian freedom fighters | 1877 births | 1946 deaths | People of Gujarat Image File history File links The flag of India used in 1931. ... Image File history File links Gandhi_Salt_March. ... The Indian Independence Movement was a series of revolutions empowered by the people of India put forth to battle the British Empire for complete political independence, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857, reaching its climax with Mahatma Gandhis Quit India Movement (1942-1945), and Subhash Chandra Boses Indian... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3496x2418, 835 KB) en: Gandhi during the Salt March, March 1930. ... European colonies in India were set up by several European nations beginning at the end of the 15th century. ... East India Company was the name of several historic European companies chartered with the monopoly of trading with Asia for their respective countries. ... The Battle of Plassey was a battle that took place on June 23, 1757, near Palashi (à¦ªà¦²à¦¾à¦¶à§€ in Bengali) (anglicised to Plassey), a small village on the Bhagirathi River (a distributary of the Ganga) located about 150 km north of Kolkata, and south of town of Murshidabad (then capital of the... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... British India (otherwise known as The British Raj) was a historical period during which most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, were under the colonial authority of the British Empire (Undivided India). ... French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India. ... Portuguese India (Port. ... Map of India. ... Self rule is the term used to described a people or group being able to exercise all of the necessary functions of power without intervention from any authority which they cannot themselves alter. ... Gandhism (or Gandhi-ism) is an informal reference to the vision, core inspirations, principles, beliefs and philosophy of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement. ... Satyagraha is the philosophy of nonviolent resistance most famously employed by Mohandas Gandhi in forcing an end to the British Raj and also against apartheid in South Africa. ... Hindu nationalism is the political and cultural expression, histriographical and political theories of Indian nationalism distinctive to Hindu society in India, which asserts being Hindu as not merely a religious identity, but a national identity. ... Indian Muslim nationalism refers to the political and cultural expression of nationalism, founded upon the religious tenets and identity of Islam, of the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. ... Swadeshi is the Indian term for the boycott of British goods. ... Socialism is an ideology of a social and economic system in which the means of production are collectively owned and administered by all of society. ... 1857â€“1858 was a period of armed uprising as well as rebellions in mostly northern and central India against British occupation of the subcontinent. ... The Indian Independence Movement was a series of revolutions empowered by the people of India put forth to battle the British Empire for complete political independence, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857, reaching its climax with Mahatma Gandhis Quit India Movement (1942-1945), and Subhash Chandra Boses Indian... Revolutionary movement for Indian independence is often a less-highlighted aspect of Indian independence movement - the underground revolutionary factions. ... The first Satyagraha revolutions inspired by Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Independence Movement occurred in Kheda district of Gujarat and the Champaran district of Bihar between the years of 1918 and 1919. ... The Amritsar massacre The Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, was named after the place (Jallianwala Bagh, in Amritsar), where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army (Pathan, Baluch and Gurkha) soldiers opened fire on an unarmed innocent gathering, killing at least 397 men, women and children... The Non-Cooperation Movement is a collection of techniques used by a subjugated population to achieve freedom from their oppressors. ... The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1925 in the state of Gujarat, India during the British Raj was a major episode of civil disobedience and revolt in the Indian Independence Movement. ... 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 in that colony. ... The Nehru Report (1928) was a memorandum outlining a proposed new Dominion (see dominion status) constitution for India. ... Scenes on the eve of the Salt Satyagraha, Gandhis famous 240 mile march on foot to the sea at Dandi. ... 24. ... Sir Stafford Cripps Mission was an attempt in late March of 1942 by the British War Cabinet to secure Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II. Led by Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, the majority Indian National Congress and its supporters were engaged in a program of... The Quit India Movement was a call for immediate independence for India issued by MK Gandhi on August 8, 1942. ... The Bombay Mutiny was the mutiny of the Royal Indian Navy in Bombay (Mumbai) harbour on 21 February 1946. ... The flag adopted in 1931 and used by the Provisional Government of Free India during the Second World War. ... The Ghadar Party was a Sikh party formed in the United States in 1910? with the aim to liberate India from British rule. ... Home Rule flag The Home Rule Movement was formed by Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak with the aim of seeking a Dominion status within the British Empire to the Indian Empire in 1917. ... The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an auxiliary force to the Imperial Japanese Army in its southern mainland campaign during the Second World War. ... Flag of the Provisional Government of Free India. ... Swaraj Party, a political party of colonial India, was organized in 1923 by Deshbandhu Chitaranjan Das (1870-1925) and Motilal Nehru (1861-1931), to participate in legislative councils. ... Anushilan Samiti was one of the secret revolutionary organisations operating in Bengal in the first quarter of the 20th century. ... For the Hindi movie of the same name, see The Rising (Indian film) Mangal Pandey (d. ... Rani Lakshmi Bai, the queen of Jhansi, a Maratha-ruled princely state of northern India, was one of the great nationalist heroes of the Revolt of 1857, and a symbol of resistance to British rule in India. ... Lokmanya Tilak Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, social reformer and freedom fighter who was the first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. ... Gopal Krishna Gokhale (à¤—à¥‹à¤ªà¤¾à¤² à¤•à¥ƒà¤·à¥â€à¤£ à¤—à¥‹à¤–à¤²à¥‡) was born on May 9, 1866, in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Devanagari: à¤®à¥‹à¤¹à¤¨à¤¦à¤¾à¤¸ à¤•à¤°à¤®à¤šà¤¨à¥à¤¦ à¤—à¤¾à¤‚à¤§à¥€; Gujarati: àª®à«‹àª¹àª¨àª¦àª¾àª¸ àª•àª°àª®àªšàª‚àª¦ àª—àª¾àª‚àª§à«€; October 2, 1869 â€“ January 30, 1948) was a prominent political leader of India and its struggle for independence from the British Empire. ... Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (October 31, 1875–December 15, 1950), popularly referred to as Sardar Patel, was an Indian statesman, an important leader of the Indian National Congress and the deputy Prime Minister in the first cabinet of Independent India. ... ... Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (also known as Bacha Khan) (1890 - January 20, 1988) was a Pathan political and spiritual leader known for his nonviolent opposition to British rule during the final years of the Empire on the Indian sub-continent. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (à¤œà¤µà¤¾à¤¹à¤°à¤²à¤¾à¤² à¤¨à¥‡à¤¹à¤°à¥‚, JavÄharlÄl NehrÅ«) (November 14, 1889 â€“ May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Scholar, Teacher) Nehru, was an important leader of the Indian Independence Movement and the Indian National Congress, and became the first Prime Minister of India when India won its independence on August 15, 1947. ... Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888 - August 1958) was a freedom fighter in Indias struggle for Independence from Britain. ... Chandrasekhar Azad Chandrasekhar Azad (July 23, 1906 â€“ February 27, 1931) was a great Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary thinker. ... Rajaji Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari (December 1878 - December 25, 1972), known as or Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, writer, statesman and a Hindu spiritualist. ... Dr. Rajendra Prasad (December 3, 1884â€“February 28, 1963) was the first President of India. ... Bhagat Singh Bhagat Singh (September 27, 1907 â€“ March 23, 1931) was an Indian revolutionary, considered to be one of the most famous martyrs of the Indian freedom struggle. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sir James Outram Sir James Outram (January 29, 1803-March 11, 1863), English general, and one of the heroes of the Indian Mutiny, was the son of Benjamin Outram of Butterley Hall, Derbyshire, civil engineer. ... James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess and 10th Earl of Dalhousie (April 22, 1812–December 19, 1860) was a British statesman, and a colonial administrator in India. ... Cover of Time Magazine 12 April 1926 The Right Honourable Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, KG, OM, GCSI, GCIE, PC (16 April 1881â€“23 December 1959), known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a British... Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow (24 September 1887 - 5 January 1952) was a British statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943. ... Field Marshal The Right Honourable Sir Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (May 5, 1883 - May 24, 1950) GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British Field Marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory... The Right Honourable Sir Richard Stafford Cripps (April 24, 1889 - April 21, 1952), British Labour politician, was born in London, the son of a Conservative member of the House of Commons who late in life, as Lord Parmoor, joined the Labour Party. ... Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO (25 June 1900 â€“ 27 August 1979) was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. ... The British Cabinet Mission of 1946 to India aimed to discuss and finalize plans for the transfer of power from the British Raj to Indian leadership, providing India with independence under Dominion status in the Commonwealth of Nations. ... 1. ... Britains holdings on the Indian subcontinent were granted independence in 1947 and 1948, becoming four new independent states: India, Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Pakistan (including East Pakistan, modern-day Bangladesh). ... India under British Raj in 1922, prior to its partition and integration after independence. ...

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