गांधीहत्येच्या खटल्यात एक महत्वाचा मुद्दा होता तो म्हणजे पाकिस्तानला खजिन्यातील हिस्सा म्हणून 55 कोटी रुपये देणे. भारताचा १/३ भाग पाकिस्तानला दिल्यावर, खजिन्यातला हिस्सा सुद्धा दिला पाहिजे असं मत पाकिस्तानचे नेते मांडत होते.. यावेळी भारताचे पोलादी पुरुष सरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल यांनी एक प्रेस नोट दिनांक 12 जानेवारी 1948 रोजी काढली त्यात त्यांनी असे म्हणले आहे की, " It was found that feverish attempts were being made by the Pakistan Government to secure the payment of Rs. 55 crores which it had been agreed to allocate to Pakistan out of the cash balances. We resisted these attempts." म्हणजेच सरकारचा 55 कोटी देण्याला विरोध होता.
पटेल पुढे म्हणतात की, "The Pakistan Finance Minister claims the amount of Rs. 55 crores as belonging to Pakistan. He has apparently overlooked the fact that on the 14th August 1947, after the Partition Council had decided to allocate the working balance ofRs. 20 crores to the Pakistan Government, the then undivided Government of India issued an order in the following terms to the Reserve Bank: PLEASE TRANSFER TWENTY, HALF OF FORTY CRORES, FROM CENTRAL CLOSING CASH BALANCE ON THE 14TH INSTANT TO PAKISTAN AND BALANCE TO INDIAN DOMINION AS OPENING BALANCE ON THE 15TH.
"A copy of this telegram was endorsed to the Pakistan wing of the then Finance Department, and no objection was, or has been, raised to this accounting. It follows from this that so far as the bank accounts are concerned, there is no balance of the old undivided Government to be operated upon; the money stands in the name of the Indian Dominion and it is only on the authority of the Indian Dominion that any share can be allocated to the Government of Pakistan. The relevant portion of the Partition Council minutes also runs thus: “In addition to the 20 crores, already made over to Pakistan, 55 crores will be allocated to Pakistan in full and final settlement of its claim for a share of the undivided Government’s cash balance and of the cash balance investment account.” It is clear, therefore, that nothing belongs to Pakistan until the Government of India transfer the amount to its account."
थोडक्यात काय तर पाकिस्तानला 20 कोटी रुपये आधीच देऊन झाले होते आणि आता उरलेले 55 कोटी देणे हे भारत सरकारच्या हातात होते.. ते द्यायचे का नाही हा पूर्णतः भारत सरकारच्या निर्णय होता.
थोडक्यात 12 जानेवारी पर्यंत पाकिस्तानला 55 कोटी देण्यास भारत सरकार तयार नव्हते.. याची कारणे अनेक आहेत जी सरदार पटेल यांनी दिली आहेत.. पुढे 16 जानेवारी रोजी भारत सरकारने हिंदुस्थान टाइम्सला एक प्रेस रिलीज काढला त्यात स्पष्ट म्हणले गेले की,"The Government have decided to implement immediately the financial agreement with Pakistan in regard to the cash balances. The amount due to Pakistan on the basis of the agreement, i. e., Rs. 55 crores, minus the expenditure incurred by the Government of India since August 15 on Pakistan account will, therefore, be paid to the Government of Pakistan. The decision is the Government contribution, to the best of its ability, to the non-violent and noble effort made by Gandhiji in accordance with the glorious traditions of this great country, for peace and goodwill."
सहा दिवसातच भारत सरकारच्या निर्णय कसा काय बदलला गेला याचे कारण यात दिले आहे.. गांधीजींचे अनेक समर्थक म्हणतात 55 कोटींसाठी गांधीजींनी उपोषण नाही केले, माझ्यामते भारत सरकारनेच दिलेल्या प्रेस रिलीज मध्ये याचे उत्तर आहे..
संदर्भ - The collected works of Mahatma Gandhi Volume 98 page no. 460-466
© 2017, Shantanu Paranjape
