[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

In this letter dated 8 March 1969, C. Rajagopalachari writes to M. R. Masani after seeing that Masani had congratulated Dharma Vira. Rajagopalachari asks Masani to read an enclosed text he had written the previous day and sent to the press for Swarajya. The enclosure, headed “MAIL READER,” addresses the constitutional controversy surrounding the Governor of West Bengal’s address to the state legislature after the Communist-led ministry came to power.

Key points

• Rajagopalachari’s covering letter acknowledges Masani’s public congratulation of Dharma Vira and encloses a press article.
• The enclosed article questions the constitutional basis for a Governor adopting, without alteration, the entire draft address prepared by the Council of Ministers.
• It argues that a Governor’s address should state the policy of the new ministry rather than repeat ministers’ views formed before the election.
• The article distinguishes the Governor’s responsibility for constitutional government and public order from the ministry’s responsibility for government policy.
• Rajagopalachari criticizes the Congress defeat in Bengal while expressing hope that the new ministry will support industry, agriculture, and social harmony.
• The final page warns that permitting Governors to depart from established conventions could damage parliamentary democracy.