Chapter 229 – A chance to take advantage of the fire

Who would choose to be the second when they can be the boss? Those who say that their countries have no ambitions for the world are generally only doing so because of their national power, and just because they can’t be globally ambitious doesn’t mean they really aren’t.

Applied to the internal relationship between Patel and Nehru in the Congress party, this is particularly evident.

When it came to Nehru’s rise to power, perhaps Gandhi did feel old, perhaps Gandhi had seen that autonomy was still overwhelmingly dominant in the Congress, perhaps Gandhi did feel that elders past their prime should fully support the young man to preside over the work, and he repeatedly proposed in Congress meetings that the Congress should have Nehru as party president.

Though he was well aware that Nehru had been educated in England and did not know much about India, and that his advocacy of immediate independence showed an element of fantasy, Gandhi knew the young man for his work ethic, his affection for his country and for the people, and for the many times he had passed through the fire of the gaol.

Despite the young man’s lack of understanding and enthusiasm for Gandhi’s Tubal movement, and their major differences on important issues, Gandhi’s mind was made up.

Gandhi’s proposal for Nehru to become the president of the Congress Party was approved, but many in the Congress Party could not understand and accept it. Gandhi patiently explained to them.

He said, “There is no need to worry about transferring power to young people; it is only terrible that a useless man like me should still hold power. Some people think he is too agitated, but I think he has the impulses of a warrior and the prudence of a statesman. The country is safe by handing over power to him.”

The reason why Nehru has a higher status than Patel within the Congress party today has a huge bearing on Gandhi’s support back then. Does Patel obey? Outwardly obedient, behind the scenes who knows?

Alan Wilson also knows more, in fact, in India just after independence, some people also think that Patel and Nehru under the administration of India, is a kind of two-headed politics. But well, Patel’s problem was the same as Ali Jinnah’s, who died almost just a few years after India’s independence.

Unlike the ailing Arijana, Patel could not see the problem, at least on the surface, and perhaps he didn’t even think he had a problem, and was now thinking of competing with Nehru for a bit.

This telegram from London has just given Patel a chance to appear on the international stage and it would be a shame to miss it.

“I still have to go back and think about it.” Although Patel had already decided in his heart to embark on the trip to London, though having undergone years of British education, he still verbalized that he should think about it.

But if anyone made him really consider it seriously, then it would undoubtedly be his enemies.

“Then the PMLN is next.” Seeing Patel leave the Governor’s Mansion, Alan Wilson chanted and had to repeat what he had just done, only with a different target.

Sending the nuisance away was able to relieve the pressure that British India was now facing.

In fact, the situation faced this time, let Allen Wilson remembered decades ago another famine, the same two consecutive years of drought, the same modus operandi.

In 1876, because of the drought caused the Deccan plateau crop failure, southern and southwestern India are affected by this, the next year the scope of the famine expanded, the affected area of 700,000 square kilometers.

During this period, the local viceroy exported a record six and a quarter million tons of wheat to Britain, and also held a grand banquet for 60,000 people to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria, moreover, it weakened India’s economic power to a certain extent, and this famine resulted in about fifty-five million people being affected, and five and a half million people lost their lives.

There are some advantages now, such as the fact that British India now possesses a full 200,000 tons of wheat, although it is slightly more than a drop in the bucket to cope with a population that has now long since doubled several times over.

But it can’t be discounted that times have always brought about some changes, and this is an era of globalization. Maybe the Indians begging with their rice bowls will actually get some countries to donate money and goods.

If the Americans can send some kind words, then before the independence of British India, Alan Wilson does not mind, still in the hands of British India’s some natural resources, at a reasonable price to sell to the United States business.

Who let him naturally good heart, can not see the people starving scene it.

Congress party internal discussion, Allen Wilson naturally is impossible to know, but he knows what Gandhi is doing recently, playing the career of saints, then again Gandhi also shaped decades of saints image, on how to pinpoint familiar.

By this time Gandhi was in his seventies, unimpressive in appearance, always bare-chested and tied with an earth-woven loincloth, and his regal and dignified demeanor, his grace of humility displayed with ease, formed his power and authority so that others were compelled to show respect and admiration for him.

His serene and deep gaze was always able to make a profound observation of things, and his clear and kind voice always made people feel refreshed and resonated. No matter how many people were in his audience, they could relate to Gandhi.

But this time Gandhi had to return to the Congress, just as Alan Wilson was lobbying the PMLN as he had been doing, because Patel and Nehru, differed in their views about the London trip.

Given Nehru’s and Patel’s position in the Congress Party, there was almost no one to mediate between these two once they had a disagreement, and there was only one person who had that kind of prestige, and that was Gandhi, who had already begun his tour.

For two of the party’s most powerful leaders of the year, there was a dispute and Gandhi had to rush back at once.

Regarding the London tour, Nehru thought that it was another imperialist conspiracy, that it would be no different from the previous round tables, and that non-violent non-cooperation should be adopted by rejecting this London tour.

But Patel had a different view on this and felt that after the World War, India was ripe for independence.

This trip to London, which was already different in circumstances from the original Round Table Conference, was a good opportunity for the British, and the world at large, to listen to India’s voice, and the opportunity could not be missed.

“Over the years, the British have proved that they will not let go.” Nehru was adamant, “We have to understand that this struggle is long term and cannot be taken lightly.”

“Our struggle has been going on for decades, starting after the First World War and now after the Second World War, where it has been easy. On the contrary, this is a good opportunity.” Patel stood his ground in Gandhi’s face and said, “This is the last obstacle, if we punch through, we will give hundreds of millions of people in the subcontinent their freedom back. To be an honorable Indian and not to appear before the world as a colony of the British Empire.”

“I don’t think a trip to a city 10,000 miles away is any more important than resisting in the subcontinent.” Nehru let out a laugh and said, “What’s the point of going to the international community, wagging your tail?”

“Mr. Gandhi, I find it hard to imagine that this is Nehru speaking.” Patel turned to Gandhi and said, “I have decided to leave right away so that Londoners hear the voice of Indians and understand that the colonial era is over.”

Gandhi was silent, having understood that Patel was bound to go, and nodded helplessly, “Well, I am not stopping anyone, I hope that your trip to London goes well and that you are able to get the conditions you want for India.”

Soon the Viceroy’s office received an affirmative answer from Patel, and in the midst of Sir Barron’s office, Alan Wilson broke the news to his top lieutenant, “It can be a relief to have this Congress Conservative out of India, and it would be nice if there were some kind of mishap halfway across the country.”

“Don’t be impulsive!” Sir Barron shook his head as soon as he heard that, “That would be a little too obvious, and he can’t do much, what Patel considers his so-called own power is only useful in this subcontinent, and as soon as he leaves the subcontinent by even a foot, he is nothing.”

Seeing Alan Wilson nod, Sir Barron spoke up and asked, “How is the response to the drought coming along?”

“It depends on how big the drought is, it’s really impossible to estimate, if the drought only affects a place as big as Hyderabad, it’s not really a big deal. Any bigger then that?” Alan Wilson said with full concern, “No news has come back from the Punjab, although the local climate is not good, but it has become the most stable source of food in British India, but to use the local food to start the disaster relief, the pacifists there are in the overwhelming majority, and the rest are Sikhs, which may cause some problems. ”

“Then there is no problem.” Sir Barron breathed a sigh of relief, the problems of the Pacifists or the Sikhs, that was an internal conflict in the subcontinent, as long as it had nothing to do with the British.

In fact, the Viceroyalty has always been efficient, depending on what it is faced with, the Indian Famine of 1876, the subcontinent starved to death five and a half million people, the Viceroyalty is not still with great efficiency, to the mainland to send six and a quarter million tons of wheat?

After the Congress and the PMLN had successively expressed their willingness to make a trip to London, Sir Barron sent the news to the mainland, and Alan Wilson immediately arranged the itinerary for the two delegations to come on board.

On the other hand, Tupang, which had been looked at differently, was not given the opportunity to participate in the round table as it had been in the previous one.

This kind of not useful to show face opportunity, do not go to participate, have this effort, why not enhance the strength of Tupang, this is more important than anything else.

After a month, it will be clear how big the famine will spread. Alan Wilson, who had been worrying about the country and the people, couldn’t sleep at night, easing the tension in Vivienne’s body.

Allen Wilson, who was holding an afterthought cigarette, had an empty head, and Vivien Leigh reached out and took half of the cigarette and took two puffs as well, “What’s wrong? You are not always full of confidence?”

“This kind of thing which has what full of confidence, in exchange for the usual not to be robbed while the fire is good.” Alan Wilson said this pause, in fact, this is really an opportunity to take advantage of the fire, especially for Portugal.