Addressing a press conference during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on targeted Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and said that he wanted to remain an obedient servant of the British!
“I will read the last line, which says ‘I beg to remain your most obedient servant’ and is signed V D Savarkar,” Gandhi said!
Rahul Gandhi made a thunderous blunder as ‘I beg to remain, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant’ was nothing but a popular ‘valediction’ in old English! It was a common phrase to say goodbye at the end of a letter. Valedictions are normally written before the signature in a written message.
In other words, I beg to remain, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant’ is an old version of ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully ‘.
In the older days, all English-educated people used it as a popular ‘Valediction’ in their letters. For example, in February 1921, Mahatma Gandhi in a letter to the Duke of Connaught, wrote: “I beg to remain, Your Royal Highness’ faithful servant, M K Gandhi.’
In another letter by Mahatma Gandhi, written to Lord Chelmsford on June 22, 1920, he writes: “I have the honour to remain, Your Excellency’s obdt. servant (Sd.) M K Gandhi.”
With more such examples emerging, a question arises whether Rahul Gandhi dares to question or doubt the patriotism of Mahatma Gandhi?
Where did the Term “Your Obedient Servant” Originate?
“Your Obedient Servant”, “Your faithful Servant”, “Your Obedient Slave”, “Your Loyal Slave”, etc., were used in Formulas Ending a Letter, an Application, a Petition, etc., in the British Raj in India (in the Undivided Hindustan), during the Period from 1765 to 1947. The said Term / Formula was formed during the Last Three Decades of the Eighteenth Century, and it initially came into Use in the Business Correspondences of the East India Company: A Trading Company which was formed by the British to develop Commerce in the Newly Colonized East Indies, but subsequently, after a Series of Victories over Local Princes, the Company took over the Administration of Bengal, Maintaining its Own Army and Political Service, and notably, the Government remained in the Hands of the Company until 1858, when the British Crown took over after the Indian Mutiny, and the Enslaved Subjects in Pre-independence India, started using these Formulas Ending their Letters Or Applications while addressing these to the Competent British Administrators.
Click here to read more: Savarkar’s Mercy Petitions: Objections & Facts
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