At the Court of the King’s Bench in London, the highest court in the Empire, an English judge and jury heard the case that would change the course of India’s history.
Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab – and architect of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre – had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair (C S Nair) for having published a book in which he referred to the atrocities committed by the British Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial – one of the longest in history – stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horrors being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, a book- “The Case That Shook the Empire” reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case. It indeed marked the defining moment in India’s struggle for Independence.
Kesari Chapter 2 is adapted from this book ‘The Case That Shook the Empire’. It is based on the life history of lawyer CS Nair and the aftermath of Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
The teaser of Akshay Kumar‘s much-awaited film Kesari Chapter 2 has been released on Monday. The actor born to awake the society and the nation is being applauded from all nooks and corners for his guts to dare and develop the needed details for instilling patriotism among the viewers.
The 2019 film Kesari was inspired by the historic Battle of “Saragarhi”, while the latest part Kesari Chapter 2 depicts the brutal Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 and its aftermath. ‘The Case That Shook the Empire’ is written by Pushpa Palat and Raghu Palat. The film also stars R Madhavan and Ananya Panday.
In the film, Akshay Kumar plays the role of the famous lawyer Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, who not only raised his voice against the killings but also shook the British Empire. He not only resigned from his prestigious position in the Viceroy’s Executive Council but also raised his voice against British atrocities.
Sir CS Nair was the first Indian to be appointed as Advocate General. Born in an aristocratic family in Manakara village of Palakkad, Kerala in 1857, he received his schooling in an English medium school in his hometown. After his schooling, he joined Presidency College, Madras. In the 1870s, Nair earned a law degree from Madras Law College and began his career in the Madras High Court. In 1887, he was elected President of the Indian National Congress. He became the first Indian to be appointed Advocate General of the Madras Government in 1907 and later became a judge in the same cour
At the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, CS Nair was serving as the education minister, and the only Indian representative in the Viceroy’s Executive Council. It was a great honour for any Indian. When the massacre took place, press freedom was curtailed in Punjab. The British distorted many facts about the events.
When the news reached Mr Nair, he was deeply upset. Angered by this act, he decided to resign from the Executive Council as a protest. In his letter, he wrote, ‘If a country is to be governed, it is necessary to massacre innocent people…and if any civil official can call in the army at any time and, together, they can massacre people like Jallianwala Bagh, the country is not worth living in.’
CS Nair’s resignation shocked the British, which led to the lifting of martial law in Punjab. In 1922, CS Nair wrote a book called Gandhi and Anarchy, in which he accused Michael O’Dwyer of promoting atrocities during the massacre. Michael O’Dwyer was a lieutenant of the Punjab government, and by that time he had been dismissed and returned to England.
Nair’s accusation led to Michael O’Dwyer suing him for defamation, which was heard in the High Court of London. The judge hearing the case was biased against the Indian defendant. The case lasted for five weeks and was the longest in the history of the court. Since there was no unanimous verdict in the case, Nair was faced with two options: apologize to O’Dwyer or pay a sum of 7,500 pounds, and Nair chose the second option.
The film Kesari Chapter 2 is based on this case. Though the case did not go in CS Nair’s favour, his efforts to bring the massacre to light had an immediate impact. From the abolition of press censorship and martial law to the investigation of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the fight of lawyer CS Nair made him a poignant figure in the history books.
Much is expected from Akshay Kumar this time too as Kesari has already proved, the thematic song of which always keeps echoing in the ears of all Indian citizens far and wide-“Teri Mitti ‘ch mil Jaavaan”.
Educationist/Administrator/Editor/Author/Speaker
Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
Comments