Nehru and Bose: Parallel Lives

by Rudrangshu Mukherjee

The relationship between Subhas and Patel had been somewhat fraught since the will left behind by the latter’s brother, Vithalbhai. Vithalbhai had died in Vienna in 1933 and had been devotedly nursed by Subhas during his illness. In his will Vithalbhai had endowed more than three-fourths of his estate to Subhas, to be spent by him ‘for the political uplift of India and preferably for publicity work on behalf of India’s cause in other countries’. Vallabhbhai refused to accept the will as genuine. In the spirit of bonhomie that prevailed at Haripura, Subhas agreed to Patel’s suggestion that the money should go to a special committee of the Congress. But they failed to agree on the composition of the committee. The matter was dragged to the law courts and Subhas lost the case in the Bombay High Court and subsequently on appeal as well. With the money, Vallabhbhai set up the Vithalbhai Memorial Trust having first obtained a commitment from all the legal heirs of his brother that none of them would accept or claim a penny from the estate.3

Subash and patel relation