Roses in December by M.C Chagla: Epilogue | Important Questions

The book “Roses in December” was authored by Mahomedali Currim Chagla (1900–1981), former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and a diplomat. The book is a narrative of his life and experiences, encompassing his distinguished legal and diplomatic career.

Short Answer Questions

Q. When was the autobiography of Mr. Chagla published?

Ans. In 1973, the autobiography of Mr. Chagla was published.

Q. What was the objection of M.C. Chagla to not write the epilogue?

Ans. Mr. Chagla was pressed for a long time by his friends to write an Epilogue. But he resisted their advice and request because he felt that his book had a certain unity and coherence, which he did not want to disturb.

Q. When was the National Emergency declared?

Ans. 26th June, 1975.

Q. Which was the brutal and ignominious period in the history of India?

Ans. David Selbourne, an Oxford professor, in his book “An Eye to India, the Unmasking of a Tyranny”, has rightly described the 20 long months, an ignominious emergency period in the history of the India.

Q. Who insisted Mr. Chagla to write their emergency incident in their epilogue?

Ans. Mr. Chagla’s old friend H.M. Seervai, the ex-Advocate-General of Bombay, insisted him to write about his part in the Emergency because it had become a part of history.

Q. What news did Sikri tell Mr. Chagla?

Ans. Justice Sikri gave Chagla the news that Justice A. N. Ray had been appointed Chief Justice of India, superseding Shelat, Hegde, and Grover.

Q. Which Articles got suspended during the emergency?

Ans. Article 14, 21 and 22 were suspended during the emergency.

Q. Which two incidents gave real fear to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi?

Ans. The fateful day of 12th June 1975 when Justice Sinha held her guilty of corrupt practice and results of the Gujarat elections were declared, and the Janta Party was found to be in a working majority. These two events gave her a real fright.

Q. When the all India civil liberty conference was held?

Ans. On 18th October, 1975, the all India civil liberty conference was held.

Q. Who was the architect for the victory of the Janta party?

Ans. Jayprakash was the architect for the victory of the Janta party.

Q. When did Mrs. Gandhi ordered general elections?

Ans. In January 1977, Mrs. Gandhi ordered general elections.

Q. Full form of MISA?

Ans. The Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was a controversial law passed by the Indian parliament in 1971, giving the administration of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Indian law enforcement agencies very broad powers.

Long Answer Questions

Q. Who was Niren De?

Ans. Niren De was a friend of Chagla. Chagla remarked that in public affairs, friendship too, tmust give way to an objective judgement of a friend’s actions. The Attorney-General represents the Government but he owes a duty not only to his client but also to the Court. He has to guide the Court and see that it does not-come to a wrong decision even if it is in favour of his client. But Niren De argued only from his brief and sometimes advanced the most preposterous propositions. Compare this with the role played by Setalvad as Attorney-General.

The great reputation that the Supreme Court enjoyed before the advent of Ray was due as must to the ability of the Chief Justice as to the sterling independence of Setalvad who would never accept a proposition, even if it came from the Bench and was in favour of Government, if he thought that the proposition was unsustainable in law.

Q. Who accepted/enjoyed the emergency?

Ans. Certain notable exceptions, the ones who enjoyed the Emergency – the most contemptible were the intelligentsia and the industrialists. The failure of the intelligentsia to stand up to the Government was the biggest blot in the history of those 20 months. Artists, writers and actors climbed on the band waggon of Mrs. Gandhi and lustily cheered the slogan “India was Indira and Indira was India. Even academicians, professors, Vice-Chancellors welcomed the Emergency as a quick and effective solution to student trouble.

The Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University actually introduced Indira’s 20-point programme as a subject in the curriculum of the Law College. The industrialists, of course, thought of their profits and were grateful to Government for permitting them to make a quick buck with no questions asked, provided, they subscribed to the Party funds which they did with lavish generosity.

Q. What were the two interesting meeting of Mr. Chagla in the Shivaji Park?

Ans. After the election, Chagla attended two interesting meetings at Shivaji Park. He had never spoken there before and to look down from the platform at over more than a lac of disciplined audience was a sight to behold for him. The first meeting was to congratulate and garland the successful candidates. It was an unexpected honour for Chagla to be invited to that meeting and share the honour with those who had triumphantly carried the flag of the Janata Party to victory. The speakers were kind enough to say that he had made a contribution to the victory.

The second meeting over which he presided was to welcome the R.S.S. leader Deoras. Chagla shared the prejudice of many others about the activities and philosophy of the R.S.S. He was impressed by the speech of Deoras, his evident sincerity and his desire to make R.S.S. into a national body, taking its part in the mainstream of public life.

Q. Explain the contribution of Jayaprakash during the emergency?

Ans. Chagla mentioned how Jayaprakash told him that Mrs. Gandhi would not detain him; the international repercussions would be very bad. Chagla exclaimed that she did not care what the world thought about the Emergency. Jayaprakash said that in Chagla’s case, he had not been an agitator. Chagla had held high office in the judiciary and in the diplomatic and political fields, and the arrest of a man like him would be more prejudicial to her than otherwise. If a man like Chagla violently opposed her policies there must be something wrong with those policies.

The release of Jayaprakash had changed the whole situation. When Chagla read about his release he thought it was his death warrant. Mrs. Gandhi would never released him unless she had been advised that he would not live long, and she did not want his death on her hands. J.P. was released with his health shattered, his kidney’s which were in perfect condition were irretrievably damaged and after his release he had to spend a tough time in hospital, before he started taking part in public affairs.

A meeting of the Citizens for Democracy was organised on 19^th and 20^th June 1976. J.P. attended on the second day. He emphasised that C.F.D. was not a political party and its function was to educate the people in the value and conventions of democracy, and also that a united democratic opposition was obviously better for the maintenance of democracy than a fragmented opposition.

After the election, Chagla was requested by Panditrao Kulkarni, an industrialist of Maharashtra, to present Jayaprakash with a purse of Rs. 1 lac to be used by him at his discretion. Kulkarni is a model industrialist. He told Chagla that he never had a strike in his factory, he was paid much better wages to his workers than were paid in any comparable factory and instead of the higher wages deflating his profits he was making more profits than those who thought that profitability depended on starving your workers.

It is an indisputable fact that J.P. was the architect of the Janata Party victory. He was responsible for the merger of the different constituents of that party and during the elections he asked the people to vote on a clear-cut issue dictatorship versus democracy and the people, illiterate and poor though they might be, knew the difference between the two and overwhelmingly voted for the latter. The result of the election was unique in the history of parliamentary democracy.

Parties have been defeated and there have been changes of Government. But this was not merely an election. It was a revolution a peaceful and non-violent one and through the ballot box. The people rose in their indignation and anger against the misdeeds of the Congress Government and swept aside the powers of corruption, tyranny and injustice. It was a people’s victory and not that of politicians.

Q. Explain the broadcasts given by Mr. Chagla?

Ans. When the Vice-President, Shri B.D. Jatti, refused to sign the proclamation dissolving the assemblies in which the Janata Party had won the national election, a constitutional crisis of the gravest character developed. There was an urgent message from Delhi that Chagla should be asked to broadcast on the implications of this refusal and the Bombay Director rushed to his flat and asked him to come to the studio to record the talk. Chagla had no time to write a script and he had to speak extempore. He emphasised the fact that if Shri Jatti valued his conscience more than the Constitution, as an honourable man he should resign. He could not be removed except by impeachment and the Janata Party did not have the necessary majority for this purpose. Thus there would be a complete impasse if Jatti refused to resign the broadcast was to be at 9:15 p.m. Spotlight is usually on the air at 7:30 p.m. Jatti signed the proclamation and the crisis ended. The A.I.R from Delhi profusely apologized for cancelling Chagla’s broadcast as it felt that no useful purpose would be served in view of the turn of events that had taken place. Chagla told them that jatti’s signing the proclamation was much more important than my broadcast and no apology was called for.

The second broadcast Chagla was asked to make was when Mrs. Gandhi was arrested. This time he was given sufficient notice, he could therefore prepare a script though in considerable hurry. When Chagla went to the studio, he joked with the Director that he hoped this broadcast would not be also cancelled, as it might be, if Mrs. Gandhi was released. And lo! and behold, Mrs. Gandhi was released. Chagla said to himself, “Spotlight did not suit me and in future I should think twice before accepting this particular assignment.” But fortunately this broadcast was not cancelled notwithstanding Mrs. Gandhi’s release and it went on the air. The reason was that it contained several observations about Mrs. Gandhi which had relevance beyond her arrest.

The third broadcast again on ‘Spotlight’ also faced some trouble. Delhi wanted to know Chagla’s views on the proposals made by the Cabinet Sub-Committee with regard to Emergency. It could not be broadcast on the night for which it was scheduled. As an apologetic Director of A.I.R. explained to Chagla that they had just received a dispatch from their correspondent in Moscow and as the Prime Minister was returning the next day from that city, unless it was put on the air it would become stale, whereas there was no particular urgency about his views on the constitutional amendment. Chagla accepted the validity of the explanation and had no objection to the broadcast being put off.

The only inconvenience was that some of Chagla’s friends knew about this broadcast and when they listened, heard all about Moscow and Morarji’s visit, they could not understand what the Emergency had to do with it.

Q. Explain the condition of India when the Janta party won the election?

Ans. There was a great deal of disenchantment and disillusion with the Janata Party. The greatest achievement of the Party, the restoration of freedom and democracy, receded into the background and people are asked, “what democracy is going to do for them.” There was also a feeling that there was no clear indication of the direction which the Party will take in its economic and social policies. Different ministers were speaking with different voices. There was also no real merger of the constituent parties which merged in the Janata Party. Mere political merger was not enough.

There had to be an emotional one and the scandalous scramble for tickets to the assembly elections show that the parties were still jockeying for position. There was also deep resentment at the manner in which Mrs. Gandhi has been treated. People didn’t why she was allowed to be at large. Why civilities were shown to her. Why the high and mighty paid social calls on her. Why she was allowed to stay on in the Prime Minister’s house. Why she was allowed to select one of the best houses in Delhi when she left her old residence. Why she was allowed to go about the country making speeches denouncing and defaming the Janata Party. This treatment should had been contrasted with what the Chinese did to Mao’s widow – a power in the land – the day after his death.

There is no doubt Mrs. Gandhi was the arch-criminal who was responsible for the suffering, the misery, the injustice that was caused to the people by reason of the powers she acquired under the Emergency which was illegally and unconstitutionally imposed upon the country.

The 20 months of terror and unbridled oppression during the most shameful period in our history all stem from the Emergency. Till date, Mrs. Gandhi never admitted her crime in promulgating the Emergency nor she expressed her regret to the people for what they suffered. On the contrary she tried to justify the Emergency and the good it has done to the people. If she was honest, she would have gone round the country in sack cloth and ashes and with folded hands asking the forgiveness of the people.

Q. Justify the title of this autobiography?

Ans. The title Roses in December is taken from a beautiful quote by J.M. Barrie: "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." For M.C. Chagla, "December" refers to the late stage of his life, and the "roses" are the precious memories he can look back on. He feels that even though he is in the winter of his life, these memories of his hard work, his time on the bench, and his service to the country stay fresh and fragrant like roses. It’s a way of saying that a life spent with purpose provides comfort and happiness even when one grows old and is no longer in power.

In the epilogue, Chagla looks back on his long career not with pride or ego, but with a lot of honesty and a bit of sadness. He reflects on how he moved from being a lawyer to a Chief Justice, then an Ambassador, and finally a Union Minister. Even though he held these high positions, he insists that he never went chasing after power. He feels lucky to have been part of India’s journey right from the start of independence. He sees his life as a series of duties, and he is satisfied that he performed them without compromising his conscience or his integrity.

However, he also sounds a bit worried about the future. He reflects on how the high standards he tried to set for the judiciary and the government seem to be fading away. He is saddened by the political changes and the way institutions are being weakened. Despite this, he remains a firm believer in secularism and the unity of India. He writes that he is ready to face the end of his life with peace because he knows he always stood up for what was right, even when it meant resigning from high posts or going against the government.

Overall, Chagla’s reflection in the epilogue shows he was a man of great character. He didn't care about titles as much as he cared about his "inner voice." He concludes that while his "December" has arrived, the memories of his struggle for justice and his love for the law are the "roses" that make his life feel complete. He leaves us with the idea that as long as a person lives by their principles, they can look back at their life with a sense of calm and fulfillment.

Q. Summary of Roses in December?

Ans. “Roses in December” is a 1973 autobiography by Mohammadali Currim Chagla, a well-known high court judge, Chief Justice and cabinet minister among many other titles. The biography encompasses a detailed narrative of his personal life including his early childhood and education, his encounter with various freedom fighters, the death of his wife and how it caused him so much grief and loneliness, his eventful career and particularly, his role as a minister in India’s government and as a judge. In the last chapter, he also includes collections of his general reflections on life.

In an Epilogue, he passionately criticizes the controversial 1975 to 1977 Indian Emergency and discusses how it led to darker days in India. Chagla also vehemently opposes the 24th and 25th Amendment and Jinnah and Pakistan. Even with over twenty years’ experience as a judge, Chagla believed no man is entitled to sit in judgment on others. The biography not only entails issues and imperatives but also key personalities such as Mr. Gokhale, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru. Chagla wrote the autobiography with the help of his son Iqbal.