A mission of learning

In January 1944, five Indian Industrialists, including JRD Tata and GD Birla, and three Tata technocrats, had published the Bombay Plan – the first-ever plan for the long-term economic development of post-Independence India. The plan had stung the British, because it proved that Indians were capable of planning for their own country’s future. 

Now, these Industrial leaders were eagerly looking forward to Indian freedom, and to actively contributing to the economic development of the country, post the end of World War II. In fact, Indian Industry had also contributed handsomely towards the Allied War efforts, over the past several years. Now the Allies, including the British, were on the verge of defeating the Axis, led by Adolf Hitler. 

Perhaps in recognition of this contribution, the British Government of India announced, in October 1944, an Industrial Mission to the USA and UK. The Mission would occur sometime in 1945, and would comprise of some of India’s most famous Industrialists, who would bear their own expenses throughout the trip. The objective was to study how industry had successfully organized itself, as well as technical advancements, in these two developed nations. The Government announcement added – “The knowledge and ideas which they (the Indian Industrialists) will bring back with them will be of great value in the further industrialization of the country, after the war.”

Many authors of the Bombay Plan, including JRD Tata, GD Birla and Kasturbhai Lalbhai, were invited on this mission to the west, as were several other famous Indian businessmen. Coordinating on behalf of the Government of India was H.M. Patel, ICS, the then Secretary of Industry and Civil Supplies (he would later become Finance Minister of India, in the Janata Government regime). Detailed arrangements with various overseas Companies and factories were put in place, over several months of planning, and the delegation was eventually all set to leave India in the second week of May, 1945.

However, just a few days before they embarked on their flight, an unanticipated development occurred. Mahatma Gandhi issued a strong statement opposing the Industrial Mission. On 6th May, 1945, he issued a statement to the press, from Mahabaleshwar. This statement was reported by the Bombay Chronicle newspaper the very next day, under the sensational headline – “Gandhiji’s Bombshell for Industrialists” :

“Ask them to wait till leaders are free. Freedom will come only after big business forego crumbs from Indo-British loot … All the big interests proclaim with one voice that India wants nothing less than her own elected National Government to shape her own destiny free of all control, British or other. This independence will not come for the asking…The so-called unofficial deputation which will go to England and America dare not proceed, whether for inspection of for entering into a shameful deal, so long as the moving spirits of the Congress Working Committee are being detained without any trial for the sole crime of sincerely striving for India’s Independence without shedding a drop of blood, save their own.”

Clearly, the Mahatma was totally and rightly preoccupied with thoughts of his colleagues fighting for freedom, who had been unjustly imprisoned by the British. It is also not clear from historical evidence whether Gandhiji had with him all facts about the delegation before issuing his statement, in particular the fact that this was only a learning mission, and not meant for signing any business deals with the UK or USA. On the other hand, for the Industrialists, the future economic development of their country was an equal priority, and this mission was a stepping stone towards that goal.

JRD and GD Birla were shocked and shaken by Gandhiji’s statement. GD Birla, who knew Gandhiji very well, sent him a telegram on 7th May : “I am very much pained and I refuse to believe that you could have given a public expression of distrust in the bonafides of myself, Tata and Kasturbhai, whom you have so well known…your statement sure to be construed as strong denunciation of our motives whereas you usually refrain from expressing any opinion when you do not know full facts…”

On 8th May, 1945, JRD Tata issued a communique to the press, clarifying the purpose of the delegation, which, he highlighted, was in fact patriotic, and “to gain such knowledge and experience which would enable us to play a better part in India’s economic development”. He also clarified that there would be no “shameful deals”.   He went on to say that India could not afford to stand still (on the economic front) while other nations, great and small, were forging ahead.   

Then, on 9th May, he also wrote to Gandhiji, expressing himself candidly through a personal letter.

“My dear Gandhiji,

You must have seen my statement to the press on the communique you issued a couple of days ago, on the subject of our forthcoming visit to England and America.

I cannot tell you how hurt I was by the views you expressed about our trip, and the strong language you used.

What made it worse was that I, or some other member of the Group, was not given an opportunity of removing the misapprehensions which you evidently entertained, about the purpose of our trip. In the circumstances, I was driven to issue my statement to the press, in order to make my position clear.

I am leaving on Friday morning and expect to return some time in August, when I hope I shall have an opportunity of discussing the matter with you.

With kind regards and sincere wishes,

Yours sincerely,

J.R.D. Tata”

Gandhiji must have read these candid messages, and must have reflected on them deeply. He may have come to the considered conclusion that this Industrial Mission to the West was indeed in the country’s interests, because it would enable these Industrialists to bring best practices back to India, and prepare their Industrial Houses for post-Independence development. 

It is great tribute to the Mahatma that he then decided to respond quickly and personally, both to GD Birla and JRD Tata, indicating to them, in his own nuanced manner, that he was comfortable with the purpose of the delegation. To JRD Tata, he sent a handwritten note from Mahabaleshwar, dated 20th May 1945.

“Bhai Jehangirji (this is in the Gujarati script, rest of the letter in English),

I have your angry note, if you can ever write anything angry.

If you have all gone not to commit yourselves to anything, my note protects you. My answer is to the hypothetical question. If the hypothesis is wrong, naturally the answer is wrong, and is therefore protective of you all. There was no question of my referring to any of you, as I was dealing with an assumption. I hope I am clear.

M.K. Gandhi”

What a brilliantly crafted piece of communication, given the context. Gandhiji was a master communicator, whether it was to the people of India at large, or to the country’s leading industrialists. His reassuring note set matters to rest, immediately.

The Industrial Mission, including JRD Tata and GD Birla, went ahead, and was a great success. The delegates visited factories in England and America, keeping to strenuous day-long schedules for several weeks, and learnt about modern machinery. On their return to India, they issued a detailed report, which concluded as follows – “We have returned from our trip enriched with first hand knowledge…and better informed appreciation of the significance, scope, needs and complexities of modern industry.”

The delegation also underlined their realization of the importance of massive scientific research and education, for the progress of the nation. I think this realization may well have contributed to JRD Tata redoubling his focus on the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), which had opened its doors earlier that year, and which went on to become the cradle of atomic energy research in India. Perhaps it was also one key factor that influenced G.D. Birla in his decision to establish a modern engineering college, which later became BITS, Pilani – one of the country’s finest.  

Thus, the creation of the Bombay Plan in 1944, followed by the Industrial Mission to the West in 1945, played a key role in sharpening the thoughts of major Indian Industrialists about what lay ahead, and how best they could contribute to national economic progress. They were patriots at heart, and as Industrialists they also knew that they had to play a key role in the rapid economic growth of their beloved nation - essential to lift India from the poverty and distress caused by colonial rule. Therefore, they also took the additional effort to immediately address the occasional misunderstanding that is inevitably part of any political-economic landscape, particularly during emotionally charged times. 

Indeed, an invaluable mission of learning.  (Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons.)

(Note : The author acknowledges due credit to the Tata Central Archives for providing him the letters written by JRD Tata and by Mahatma Gandhi, which are quoted above.  Image : Tata Monthly Bulletin, August 1947, Courtesy : Tata Central Archives.)