Meet the people’s prince

Prince of Gujarat by Rajmohan Gandhi. Aleph. Pages 265. Rs 500

Much has been written about Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel as the great sons of Gujarat but Gopaldas Desai remains to be the unsung hero. Rajmohan Gandhi has dug up hidden facts to narrate the story of this rebellious darbar. There are not many sources to recreate the life of Gopaldas as he left little in the form of letters or papers. Lack of documentation made writing of the biography a difficult task for the author. Booklets, accounts by Kalyanji Mehta, texts by Rambhai Amin, personal interviews with family and acquaintances helped generate matter to reconstruct the life of this magnificent personality.

The word darbar means prince and Gopaldas was the Patidar darbar of Vaso, Dhasa and Rai-Sankli. This strong-minded Patel was radical in his views and often joined his ‘praja’ in dandiya raas. He stood for the rights of Dalits and declared that if he ever had a daughter he would marry her to a Dalit. A contemporary of Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel, this Patidar had his estate confiscated by the Colonial masters because of his political beliefs. This book is about the history of the Kathiawar peninsula and closely follows Gandhi’s Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience and Quit India Movement.

Gopaldas found a supportive companion in his wife Bhaktilaxmi, who matched each step with her husband. Forced to relinquish their estates and titles, the couple lived a Spartan existence considering Gandhi as their leader. He was an egalitarian at the time when the royalty humiliated the proletariat. His socialist and progressive attitude made him a figure to reckon with.

A man of iron resolve, the story of Gopaldas needed to be told. The writer has done a great job in presenting a picture of (the) 19 th century Gujarat. Gopladas broke many written and unwritten rules. The Patidars of Vaso had declared that they would never take a bride from Virasad. Gopaldas defied this boycott and married Bhaktiluxmi. The writer presents the social, political, economic and cultural history of Gujarat. Several anecdotal accounts have been used by the writer to build narrative of the book. The young ruler made great efforts to get close to his subjects and be a part of their joys and sorrows.He played traditional games like chopat and pachisi with them.

He triggered a social revolution under his leadership. Panchayati Raj came early to Dhasa. He received sparks of patriotism from Aurobindo Ghosh and Lokmanya Tilak. He understood the value of education and established schools all over his territory with emphasis on adult education. Among the progressive steps taken by him was the establishment of a public library. Though he rubbed shoulders with Gandhi and Patel, the darbar remained obscure. He was also a satyagrahi to the core, who insisted on wearing khadi and using only Swadeshi goods. He encouraged his subjects to follow his example.

Gopaldas supported Gandhi on his stand to cooperate with the British during the Second World War. He actively participated in the Quit India Movement, which strengthened the Congress party’s image. He worked hard for the unification of Saurashtra. Gopaldas was chosen to represent the subjects of Gaekwad of Baroda in the Constituent Assembly and his long confiscated estates were also returned to him. He mentored many who later rose to high positions. But he himself was not given any political portfolio and he was too much of a gentleman to demand for one.

Though there was a lack of documentation, the writer has been able to retrace the life history of Gopaldas Desai vividly through a few photographs, narratives and letters that survived, making this a commendable work of literature.