Madhusudan_Das

156 Madhusudan Das:
alien administration and who are ignorant of self-government,
lead the people towards responsible government ?' 8
Despite these strong views on the Mont-Ford Reforms,
Madhusudan accepted office in 1921 as Minister for Local Self-
Govemment in Bihar and Orissa on the insistence of his friend. Lord
Sinha of Raipur, the Governor of the Province. He got a Municipal Act
enacted and a Local Self-Government Act was in the process of enactment.
Soon thereafter, he wrote a letter to the new Governor Sir Henry Wheeler
on February 7/8. 1923 in which he argued:
The success of the reforms must be decided by the nature of
administration by the Local Bodies. Medical Relief. Sanitation.
Communications and the Education of the masses are subjects,
the administration where of has been transferred to Municipal
and District Boards. . .The new Municipal Act makes the
Municipal Boards wholly responsible for the municipal
administration. The Local Self-Government Act now before the
council will make the District Boards responsible for the
administration of the rural areas... The members of these local
bodies are honorary workers. Honorary offices means sacrifice
from a sense of duty to the king and the country. These local
bodies when constituted under the new Act will need constant
guidance and advice of the Minister of Local Self-Government.
In order that the Minister might exercise an influence over the
honorary workers throughout the Province, it is necessary that
he should be an honorary worker. A salaried official over the
heads of thousands of honorary workers is an anomaly. He cannot
command their respect and consequently his appeals to the
patriotic and benevolent feelings of the people will make the
schemes a subject of ridicule to the people. To ensure the success
of the reforms, it is necessary that the Minister of Local Self-
Government should not draw any salary but should be an honorary
worker.
In India, personal influence is an important factor when we
have to secure the active sympathy and cooperation of the people.
Personal influence is earned by working without remuneration.
Gandhi's activities in India have proved to demonstrate the value
of sacrifice as the price of personal influence.
Hostile criticisms in the Legislative Council, in the press
and elsewhere regarding the salary of the Minister show that the