Rites of Passage: a Civil Servant Remembers

Rites of Passage is an invaluable memoir that spans H.M. Patel's years in the Indian Civil Service. It charts his entry into the civil service in 1927, as well as his election as cabinet secretary in 1946 and his resignation in 1958 that brought a premature end to an illustrious career in the civil services. A greater fate was waiting for him, however. H.M. joined the public sector and went on to become a widely-respected politician. He became Finance Minister in 1977 and, subsequently, Home Minister of India.A key player in the attempt to stabilize the country following partition, H.M. recounts the milestones on the way to independence: theabour government's surprise victory in Britain, the Cabinet Mission, the Interim Government and the final countdown to August 15, 1947. He describes, in detail, the elaborate machinery that was created to aid partition: the Partition Council, the Arbitral Tribunal and the Expect Committees. His account of the effort made to bring the communal situation in Delhi in September 1947 under control is a valuable historical document, revealing the role of civil servants in restoring order. It also reveals the unheard of cooperation between ICS officials and politicaleaders who put aside traditional differences to work together for the sake of the country. H.M. Patel'sife story intertwines his ownife with a crucial period of Indian history, it is a story of devastation, hope and transition.