[Letter to Abdul Ganidhar]

Summary

This two-page correspondence file records an exchange dated 18 November 1963 concerning the inquiry into Punjab Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon. In the copied telegram, Abdul Ganidar urges C. Rajagopalachari to appear before the Commission in Delhi on 23 November, arguing that his intervention would defend democracy, unite opposition resources, and draw national attention to the proceedings. The telegram also invokes Jawaharlal Nehru’s appearance in the INA trial as a precedent for using a public legal appearance to expose alleged abuses by a ruling establishment.

Key points

• The letter is from C. Rajagopalachari to Abdul Ganidar and is dated 18 November 1963.
• Rajagopalachari acknowledges the warmth of Ganidar’s telegram but says he does not see what evidence he could provide or with what propriety he could appear before the Commission.
• The copied telegram concerns the inquiry into Kairon and its opening on 23 November.
• Ganidar presents the inquiry as an opportunity to defend democracy and coordinate the efforts and resources of the Kairon Congress and the Nehru United Front.
• The telegram asks Rajagopalachari to appear before the Commission and give wider national attention to the cause.
• Jawaharlal Nehru’s appearance in the INA trial is cited as an example of a public intervention that could expose alleged excesses by a ruling clique.
• The document is a brief archival record of political strategy, public accountability, and disagreement over the propriety of intervention in a commission of inquiry.