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35

My Work as Minister—(Continued)

Indianization of departments—Mr. Surendranath Mullick—relations with the Medical Department—Medical schools—a familiar method of attacking Ministers—the 1922 floods in Bengal.

The policy that I followed as Minister of Local Self-government was the steady and progressive Indianization of the departments under my charge. I placed efficiency in the forefront of my administrative ideals. Other things being equal the Indian was to be preferred. I could do little in this respect; but the policy was there, definitely recognized and steadily followed whenever there was an opportunity. At times there were difficulties, and even opposition, but, with the support of the Governor, I was able to overcome them. The most striking case of the kind was the appointment of Mr. S. N. Mullick as Chairman of the Corporation. In 1921, on Mr. Payne, the permanent Chairman of the Corporation, taking leave, I appointed Mr. J. N. Gupta to officiate for him. Mr. Gupta was at the time Commissioner of the Burdwan Division, and in that capacity had done excellent service. The point to be noted is that this was the first time an Indian member of the Civil Service was appointed to this high office.

But a still more notable departure was made when, Mr. Gupta having taken leave for reasons of health, I had to find his successor. I left the ordinary groove and offered the appointment to Mr. Surendranath Mullick, who was a non-official and an elected member of the Corporation, as also of the Legislative Council. There was opposition offered from two different standpoints. Mr. Surendranath Mullick had from his place in the Legislative Council often opposed the Government. Would not the offer made to him be taken as a bribe? To that my reply was, 'Don't they do such things in England, which furnishes us with the models of conduct in these matters? Of course they do.' The answer was quite enough for me, but perhaps not for my objector. But that did not trouble me.

The next objection raised was that Mr. Surendranath Mullick, distinguished as he was as a lawyer and a debater, was unfamiliar with the details of municipal administration and the inner workings of the municipal machinery. To this I said, 'What did Mr. Lloyd George know about the English financial system when he became

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