RITES OF PASSAGE A CIVIL SERVANT REMEMBERS -PB

Rites of Passage is an invaluable memoir that spans H.M. Patels 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: the labour governments 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 His account of the effort made to bring the communal situation in Delhi in September 1947 under control is a valuable historical document revealing the role of civil servants in restoring order.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 political leaders who put aside traditional differences to work together for the sake of the country. H.M. Patels life story intertwines his own life with a crucial period of Indian history it is a story of devastation hope and transition.