Letter to C Rajagopalachari

Summary

This composite correspondence unit contains two letters sent to M. R. Masani in November 1961. In a brief letter dated 11 November, C. Rajagopalachari says he is impressed by Maksud pore’s letter while reiterating his “intuitive prejudice” against Janki Nandan Singh. The longer letter, dated 9 November and written on Maksudpur Raj House letterhead, addresses the internal crisis of the Swatantra Party in Bihar before the forthcoming general elections.

The Raja of Maksudpur argues that the Munshi Award and subsequent Central Parliamentary Committee directives have damaged the party’s prospects by mishandling the allocation of endorsed seats. He presents the dispute as both an organisational and electoral problem, emphasising the political importance of caste alignments among Bhumihar Brahmins, Rajputs, Muslims, Kayasthas, and the Depressed Classes. He criticises the exclusion of candidates and districts he considers electorally viable, warns that the party may be branded anti-Muslim and anti-Bhumihar, and asks Masani to restore a more rational distribution of seats. The letter also defends Raja Bahadur as the party’s indispensable mass leader in Bihar, attacks Janki Nandan Singh’s conduct and alleged factional manoeuvring, and requests a confidential inquiry. The rendered pages show the complete 11-page scan, including the envelope, but the sender’s personal name is not clearly printed.

Key points

• The scan combines a one-page letter from C. Rajagopalachari dated 11 November 1961 with a separate nine-page letter from the Raja of Maksudpur dated 9 November 1961, plus an envelope.
• Rajagopalachari expresses admiration for Masani’s letter while maintaining an intuitive prejudice against Janki Nandan Singh.
• The Raja of Maksudpur argues that the Munshi Award and Central Parliamentary Committee directives have weakened the Swatantra Party in Bihar before the general elections.
• The longer letter focuses on the allocation of endorsed seats and claims that the approved distribution neglects electorally promising districts and communities.
• The writer treats caste representation as an unavoidable factor in Bihar politics, while specifically discussing Bhumihar Brahmin, Rajput, Muslim, Kayastha, and Depressed Class constituencies.
• The letter warns that the party risks being portrayed as anti-Muslim and anti-Bhumihar because of its candidate selections.
• The writer defends the Raja Bahadur of Maksudpur as essential to the party’s Bihar organisation and asks Masani to reconsider the decisions or send a confidential emissary to investigate.
• The scan does not clearly print the personal name of the second sender, identified only as the Raja of Maksudpur.