The Satyamurti Letters: The Indian Freedom Struggle Through the Eyes of a Parliamentarian (Volume II)

The Satyamurti Letters, collected in two volumes, spans Satyamurti’s career as a State MLA in Madras and later in the Delhi Central Assembly, where he rose to the position of Deputy Leader of the Congress Party.The Satyamurti Letters, Volume II documents the period from 1937 to 1942 through the exchange of letters, telegrams and notes between Satyamurti and other political luminaries of the time — Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rejendra Prasad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad, James Grigg, N.N. Sarkar and many others. Interesting letters include Satyamurti’s letter to Mahatma Gandhi voicing fears of linguistic Chauvinism and the need for establishing parliamentary canons about the Speaker’s neutrality; Satyamurti’s letter dated 23 April 1938 exhibiting remarkable prescience about Jinnah’s moves; correspondence with Subhas Chandra Bose where the charge of treason against Satyamurti for having attended a lunch with P.E. James causes a ‘tiff’ between the two; and many others that reflect the general mood of uncertainty, contradiction and Intra-Party Friction. The letters of the final chapter expose the Congress Party’s inability to evolve a coherent and rational strategy in an unprecedented World War situation, where many of the leaders seem confused and, at times, contradictory. With the Congress drifting into its ‘Quit India’ mood, this volume ends on a poignant note with mass imprisonment, immense suffering and the ultimate sacrifice of men like Satyamurti. This invaluable collection of letters, telegrams and documents throws considerable light on the styles and strategies of the most famous political figures of the period. It can be best described as a collection of historical snapshots and will be a treasure for historians, history students, and all lovers of this particular time in India’s history.