Chapter III: The Mahatma and the General
16th of August – 31st of December 1936
16th of August, just before sunrise.
General Lakshmi Saghal was moved profoundly by Madame Cama’s funeral yesterday. Gandhi’s words had made her rethink the choices she had made in her life. Her entire military career had been at the side of Field Marshall Bose. Until yesterday, there was no doubt that her loyalty was with him. But now, she started doubting every word the Field Marshall had ever said to her. Was it all a big lie to get her to his side? Was the Field Marshall preparing for a devastating civil war in case Gandhi won the upcoming presidential election? If that was the case, then Lakshmi had to tell Gandhi about this. That’s why just before sunrise on the 16th of August, the young female general of the Commune army stood at Mahadev Desai’s door. When Mahadev opened the door, he was scared at first. Was this the day Bose sent someone to get rid of him in order to get to Gandhi? Lakshmi pushed Mahadev inside and started talking: “Your name is Mahadev Desai, right? Gandhi’s secretary? I have an important message for your employer. It is a matter of life and death.” “And why would I believe you?” Mahadev asked. “Look, we don’t have time for this. I must inform the Mahatma of what is happening in the army”, General Saghal said. “Tell me, I’ll pass it on to my employer if I deem it worthy enough”, Mahadev replied. “Fine, that’s what I was counting on. Field Marshall Bose is preparing for a civil war. If he doesn’t get the support of the Indian National Congress in the upcoming elections, he will start one. Gandhi must be prepared. I’m afraid he stands no chance if he pursues his peaceful way. Mahadev, I know you are concerned with his safety all the time. Listen to me, you know I speak the truth”, Lakshmi said. “Alright, you have my attention,” Mahadev replied, “What more can you tell my about Bose’s plans?” “He’s collecting a massive amount of weapons at the border with the Dominion. He plans to incite his rebellion there. At his current strength, he has half of the Commune’s army behind him. But I know how to decrease those number”, General Saghal said. “Tell me, how do you plan to do that?” Mahadev asked, slightly worried about what this revelation meant for the Commune. “Most of the soldiers don’t want a civil war, it’s mostly the generals loyal to Bose who want to keep you from getting to power. What we need to do is station our most valuable and loyal troops in defensive positions and put a general in command who is loyal to Gandhi”, the General said with a subtle tone in her voice. Mahadev picked up on the subtlety and replied: “I assume that you refer to yourself when talking about this loyal general.” “At the moment, I’m the only general Gandhi can trust. None of the others have to you to talk about this, have they? Think about that, I’m the only one”, Saghal said. “I’ll think about it, and I’ll let the Mahatma know about this. He’ll be the better judge for this”, Mahadev said, while leading the General back out the door of his house.
16th of August, around noon.
Mahadev was still a bit shaky after what had happened in the morning. But nevertheless, Gandhi had to be informed, even if the General was lying, or worse, sent by Bose himself. The Mahatma was spinning some cloth on his porch when his secretary arrived at his residence. “It’s time I had some new clothes, isn’t it?” the Mahatma asked, “I mean, a little bit of change can’t be that bad, can it?” Mahadev ignored Gandhi’s question and went straight to business: “Bapu, something has come to my attention. Early this morning General Saghal payed me a visit. She has shared with me some information that, if true, is quite troubling.” Gandhi had stopped spinning by now and was paying full attention to his secretary: “Mahadev, I’m listening. What could be so troubling that you’re shaking all over?” Mahadev hadn’t even realized that he was doing that and said: “According to the General, Field Marshall Bose is preparing for a rebellion in case you win the presidency. She talked about a massive amount of weapons being stored at the border.” Gandhi’s eyes turned towards the courtyard, where children were playing some kind of game. “We must not allow the Commune to be torn apart by civil war. Did the General give any reason why she shared this with you?” Gandhi asked. “She said she can prevent Bose from getting too strong. She estimates that currently half of the forces are in his control. If she could take personal command of the troops, she promises to half Bose’s numbers and giving us the upper hand”, Mahadev explained. “And why would we do that?” Gandhi asked. “She said that she is the only general you can trust”, Mahadev replied. Gandhi thought for a moment, going through everything he knew about the young female general. “If what she says is true, she has risked her own career by coming to you. Bose would certainly get her killed if he found out. If she’s telling the truth, she must be really scared right now. I will have her followed to see if her behaviour corresponds with someone who is scared. Then I will make my decision”, Gandhi said. Mahadev agreed that this was the best way to move forward and left Gandhi and his spinning wheel to make the arrangements.
7th of September, late in the evening.
Gandhi, accompanied by his secretary Mahadev Desai and his friend Rabindranath Tagore, stood at the door of General Lakshmi Saghal. The past few weeks, the Mahatma’s loyal eyes and ears on the street had followed her, gathering information on her behaviour. She had no meetings with Bose outside of the usual military schedule and she regularly asked for reports on the western border behind Bose’s back. Gandhi and Tagore deemed this behaviour as proof of her truthfulness. So one day, Mahadev decided to arrange a meeting between the Mahatma and the General. The Mahatma insisted that Tagore and Mahadev come along. That brought them to this moment. Mahadev was a bit nervous, remembering his last encounter with the General. The Mahatma was his usual self, calm and confident. Tagore was lost in thoughts, probably thinking about a poetic way to introduce himself to the General. Lakshmi let the three men enter into her reasonably sized house. She made some tea and started talking business: “Mahatma, I am honoured with your presence. Your speech at Madame Cama’s funeral touched something in me. I started doubting Bose’s every word. Just after the funeral, I checked the logistics of the Commune’s army and they didn’t make sense. Weapons were disappearing from the record. At that moment I realized that Bose was preparing for a coup or a rebellion of some kind. I had to inform you of this and that is why I went to visit Mahadev the next day.” “Tell me General, how do you propose to halt Bose’s plan?” Tagore asked. “Bose’s strength is based on how many soldiers are willing to die for his cause. Our strength will be based on how many soldiers are not willing to die in a civil war and how many soldiers are willing to defend the ideals of the Mahatma with their lives. If you think about it, we actually have the numeral advantage. The problem is that currently, many soldiers are under Bose’s direct command. They would rather follow his commands than be court-martialled. But once you are President, Mahatma, you can remove him from his position and put someone there that can convince enough soldiers not to join Bose.” “And of course you are referring to yourself”, Tagore assumed. “It would only be fair to give the General this position after what she has risked to help us”, the Mahatma said. “Are you sure about this?” Tagore asked Gandhi. “Mahadev was right about bringing this issue to me. A warned man is worth two. Now, we should not ask ourselves whether General Saghal should lead the Commune’s forces or not. We should rather seek a way to reduce casualties in this upcoming war as much as possible. The less lives are lost, the more believable our cause of non-violence is to the rest of the world”, Gandhi replied. “I agree with the Mahatma. If we trust you, General Saghal, you must promise us that you will see to a minimal amount of casualties in the coming conflict”, Mahadev said. The General, the Mahatma, the Poet and the Secretary continued to discuss how to act in the face of rebellion. In the end it was decided; the General would lead under the banner of non-violence and effectively halt Bose’s uprising before it had even started.
3rd of October, in the evening.
“So is it true then? Is the war over?” Gandhi asked Mahadev, referring to the conflict in China. A month ago, one would think that the Ma Clique was lost, driven back to the most southern area of the Gobi Desert. Their supplies would not have lasted any longer in the hostile environment. But on the 10th of September, Qing China chose to intervene on behalf of the Ma Clique. The Emperor of China was supported by Russia, a strong sign to both Mongolia and Tibet that no-one had the right to redraw borders in East Asia without asking either Russia or China. Soon, it became obvious to Mongolia that they were outflanked by the Chinese army. In a matter of days, the Great Khan sounded the retreat. With pressure being relieved in the north, the Ma Clique could now focus all its manpower against Tibet, and soon, they were fighting at the foot of the Himalayas. The Great Khan knew he could no longer win this war. Qing China simply had way more access to goods and military equipment than Mongolia and Tibet combined. “Yes, it’s true,” Mahadev answered, “I’ve received a telegram from our ambassador in the Legation Cities. He informs me that China has entered a cease-fire with Mongolia and Tibet. At the same time, our spies across the Himalaya’s have told the National Congress that China will probably annex the Ma Clique soon.” “It was to be expected,” the Mahatma said, “The return of the Qing dynasty is indissolubly connected to the waning power of the Germans in the region. I expect that Japan will soon challenge the Qing for control in the region. I do hope that whatever happens in the region will not affect India too much. International instability is the last thing we need. Now if you’ll excuse me, my friend, I must prepare myself to bath in the holy Ganges river.” “At this time? A bit unusual isn’t it?” Mahadev asked. “It’s always calm at this time of the day. It helps me clearing my mind”, Gandhi said. As Gandhi left, so did Mahadev, off to resume working on Gandhi’s election campaign.
Qing China after the Mongolia-Tibet-Ma Clique War, due to interference by Japan, Qing China wasn’t able to demand Inner Mongolia, previously Chinese territory.
7th of October, in the afternoon.
Mahadev and Gandhi went to visit Tagore once again. Apart from discussing Bose’s coming uprising, the Mahatma, the Poet and the Secretary discussed the politics of the Dominion. The way Jinnah’s social democrats handled the Indian economy would impact how a unified India would handle its economy once East and West were united. Black Monday didn’t impact India directly, but that didn’t take away the fact that the effects could be felt on export sales and that the Indian economy was already a mess. Today, a broad coalition of social democrats and social liberals implemented the Indian Economy Act, turning the Dominion into a single market. After Mahadev explained the outlines of the Act, the Mahatma shared his vision: “I have doubts about the benefits of a uniformed economic legislation. After all, the local needs must dictate the economy, not the international fluctuations of capitalism.” Tagore was more in favour of the Act: “I can imagine that the establishment of government offices to review the state of the economy will also benefit the local level, if of course they are put to good use. If these government offices are used to impose national legislation, they will not be beneficial. Their true value lies within the ability to bring local needs to the attention of the national government.” “I agree, but I must add that these offices will all come to the same conclusion,” Gandhi argued, “namely that the soul of India is her villages and that agriculture is the biggest and most important sector in the economy.” Mahadev picked in on this issue: “Bapu, I know your biggest selling point is your support for agricultural communities, but you must also take into account the countless pockets of industry dotted across the Indian subcontinent. Some within our own National Congress want to develop the industry rather than the countryside, we have to at least listen to their proposals.” “And we will,” Gandhi said, “At the current level, our industry isn’t developed enough to provide for everyone’s needs. Think of it, an improved industry could provide farmers with the means to modernize and increase production. Now, the real danger is to not go to far in increasing production. We must always produce just enough for everyone’s need, not for anyone’s greed. True wealth lies in self-sufficiency, not in what a country exports to foreign countries. Look at for example the United States. Before the Great Depression, one could arguably say that the US was the biggest exporter. But nevertheless, the gap between the rich and the poor increased day by day. And now we’ve come to the point where another American Civil War might be coming.” By mentioning a possible future civil war in America, Gandhi unintentionally triggered a debate between Tagore and Mahadev about the upcoming US presidential elections. Gandhi took mental notes on their comments, while the Poet and the Secretary talked for the rest of the afternoon.
17th of October, around noon.
The Mahatma was visiting Jawaharlal Nehru and his family, mainly to discuss the coming elections and a possible alliance between Gandhi’s Agrarians and Nehru’s more moderate group of trade unionists. While strolling through the big garden of Nehru’s estate, an elephant had entered through one of the more tree covered areas. The majestic beast had no idea it was in the presence of the two great men, but the elephant itself did not go unnoticed by the Mahatma. Gandhi had a tremendous respect for all living creatures. Each and every one occupied a special place within the realm of God. So did the elephant. Someone like Nehru, who cared about the beauty of his garden, would rather see the elephant gone, but Gandhi pointed out the inherent beauty the elephant added to the garden. This was a moment to cherish, but alas it did not last for long. A young boy soon came out of the path of trampled shrubbery which the creature had created. The elephant was apparently a runaway from a local lumber mill, now to be taken away by the
mahout. Just as the boy disappeared again behind the big shape of the elephant, Nehru’s daughter, Indira, approached the two men with a telegram. “Father, this message arrived for you. It is from our consul in Burma”, the young girl said. Nehru first read the telegram himself before sharing the content with the Mahatma: “It says here that a large crowd of young people are rioting and protesting at the Rangoon University. Probably because they have no say in Burma’s politics because of the corruption and autocratic rule of the Konbaung dynasty. The foreign policy of the Commune is beginning to pay off.” Gandhi knew quite a lot about Burma and the importance of its rice fields. As famines were very common in India, who knows one might occur within the next ten years, the importance of the Burmese rice paddies would prove themselves valuable once again. “These students simply need to find a way to cooperate with the discontent workers at the oil fields and a government change could happen, maybe even leading to a socialist regime”, the Mahatma said. “The current Burmese government won’t be happy with the Commune though”, Indira, Nehru’s daughter, said. “Indira, this is a topic which you shouldn’t talk about”, Nehru said to his daughter. “It’s alright, my friend. Your daughter is the future of India. It’s a good trait to show interest in politics and current events, it’s a sign of intellect. You should encourage rather than discourage such things in your children”, Gandhi said. The three continued to discuss things, Indira closely listening to every word the Mahatma said.
16th of December, late at night.
Mahadev entered Gandhi’s residence in Calcutta with good news. “Bapu, I have some good news from the Dominion.” Gandhi was slightly surprised by Mahadev’s sudden appearance in his house. “Tell me, my friend, what did Jinnah do this time?” Gandhi asked. “Today, they enacted the Indian Industry Act. It might sound like the next legislation in line concerning their industry, but this time it’s different. Do you remember those lobbying labour activists and trade unionists I told you about? Well, their concern about the Indian Economy Act was picked up by Jinnah and his social democrats and they’re taking protective measures in favour of these workers”, Mahadev explained. “That is good news indeed,” Gandhi said, “Although Jinnah probably enacted this to steer the trade unions away from syndicalism. Nevertheless, it makes a good step towards ending class struggles. Now, my friend if you’ll excuse me, you’ve come at quite a late time. I was actually just about to end the day and go to sleep. If you wish to, we can resume this conversation tomorrow morning.” And with that, the two men each went their own way, one going to sleep and one going to set another foot in the nightlife of Calcutta.
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NOTES
1) Ingame, if you take the 'Path of Peace' and try to reunite India peacefully, Bose's Maximists rise up and you end up in a civil war. General Saghal, along with other Maximist generals, get deleted and join the other side. I liked the idea of a strong female general for this AAR, so what I did was change it up a little bit. Lakshmi Saghal, in this AAR, will not join Bose but will fight on Gandhi's side.
2) Indira Nehru, or more famously known as Indira Gandhi, daughter of Nehru, in OTL became premier of India. So when Gandhi said to Nehru that his daughter is the future of India, you can take that quite literally.
3) Of course the mod doesn't include a way for Qing China to annex the Ma Clique in the manner that was described here, but a resurgent Qing dynasty is far more interesting regarding the Chinese-Japanese dynamics which will happen later in this timeline.