New Delhi: Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar and historian Ramchandra Guha Thursday engaged in a war of words after the former tweeted about a new biography of V.P. Menon which asserts that Jawaharlal Nehru had excluded Sardar Vallabhai Patel from the first cabinet.
“Learnt from the book that Nehru did not want Patel in the Cabinet in 1947 and omitted him from the initial Cabinet list. Clearly, a subject for much debate. Noted that the author stood her ground on this revelation,” Jaishankar wrote in the Twitter post.
Learnt from the book that Nehru did not want Patel in the Cabinet in 1947 and omitted him from the initial Cabinet list. Clearly, a subject for much debate. Noted that the author stood her ground on this revelation. pic.twitter.com/FelAMUZxFL
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 12, 2020
Terming the assertion a myth, Guha cited professor Srinath Raghavan’s article which traces the chain of events that had occurred over the formation of the first cabinet in order to contradict Basu’s argument.
“Besides, promoting fake news about, and false rivalries between, the builders of modern India is not the job of the Foreign Minister. He should leave this to the BJP’s IT Cell,” Guha wrote hitting out at Jaishankar.
This is a myth, that has been comprehensively demolished by Professor Srinath Raghavan in The Print.
Besides, promoting fake news about, and false rivalries between, the builders of modern India is not the job of the Foreign Minister. He should leave this to the BJP’s IT Cell. https://t.co/krAVzmaFkL— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) February 13, 2020
Jaishankar responded to Guha’s criticism with an acerbic tweet saying that “some foreign Ministers do read books”.
“Maybe a good habit for some Professors too. In that case, strongly recommend the one I released yesterday.”
Some Foreign Ministers do read books. May be a good habit for some Professors too. In that case, strongly recommend the one I released yesterday. https://t.co/d2Iq4jafsR
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 13, 2020
Guha retorted by saying that since Jaishankar had a Ph D from JNU he must surely have read the published correspondence of Nehru and Patel which documents how Nehru wanted Patel as the “strongest pillar” of his first Cabinet.
Sir, since you have a Ph D from JNU you must surely have read more books than me. Among them must have been the published correspondence of Nehru and Patel which documents how Nehru wanted Patel as the “strongest pillar” of his first Cabinet. Do consult those books again. https://t.co/butT0uqA3c
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) February 13, 2020
Where the controversy began
Narayani Basu in her book The Unsung Architect of Modern India argues that Nehru had excluded Patel from the list of people he had chosen for the first Cabinet. Basu cites an interview which Menon had given to H.V. Hodson in which he confirmed the claim.
Basu then goes on to say that it was only after Menon approached India’s last viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten and warned him about the “war of succession” that Nehru’s decision would spark, that Patel’s name was included.
The assertion has caused quite a hubbub as several Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, who tweeted images of Nehru’s letter to Mountbatten in which Patel’s name was listed, jumping into the fray.
In light of the fake news doing the rounds that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru did not want Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in his cabinet, sharing a series of letters & documents.
Here's the truth:
1. Nehru letter to Mountbatten of July 19th 1947 with Patel right on top of new cabinet list pic.twitter.com/j5pe2GGvAA— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 13, 2020
Also read: Rajmohan Gandhi disputes Modi blaming Nehru for Partition, end Shaheen Bagh protest, says HT
Jaishankar’ S incompetence is too glaring & conspicuous to be missed
All wannabe celebrities should study carefully the methods employed by Shri Guha to get regularly his 15 minutes of fame. The other two to watch are Shri Chidambaram and Shri Yogendra Yadav.
What Nehru chamchas flaunt is Nehru Chacha’s list of Cabinet Ministers.
What Narayani Basu has written is about what went behind the scene.
PEA Sanjeev Sanyal is small potatoes. However, EAM and his father are both part of a Nehruvian value system which acknowledged their intellect and worth, rewarded them richly. So this denigration of PM Nehru, following a script of fake news that is the preserve of the IT cell, reflects very poorly.
In his enthusiasm to propitiate the powers and masters of the present Jayasankar should have considered the fact that he was a professional diplomat once. He is demeaning himself by this uttarances