The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 76
76 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN He laughed at that and said, "No, no. Look, the real danger is that in transfers and in promotions hanky-panky might come in. " I said, "Well, then, in transfers and promotions, do you think that I would have been selected by the Secretary of State and the Viceroy to be a Member of the Cabinet, if they thought I was the kind of man who, if the appointment of Chief Engineer on the Assam-Bengal Railways fell vacant, would insist with the Railway Board - because it is on the recommendation of the Railway Board that these appointments are made and the Minister, unless he notices something gravely wrong, okays what they recommend - that a friend of mine who happens to be an assistant engineer on the Northwestern Railway should be appointed Chief Engineer? Do not you think that anybody who had not that much sense of proportion would have been selected by Sir Samuel Hoare? He selected me on his own personal knowledge, and you can disagree, but he has known me intimately for some years and you have seen me only today. " We discussed other things and parted on a friendly note. When I met the Viceroy later he asked me how we had gone along. I told him what had transpired. He laughed and said, "I wish I had been behind a screen listening. " I said, "As a matter of fact, Sir James Grigg was not nearly so formidable as I had been led to expect. He was quite reasonable. He had his apprehensions; he put them to me; I tried to meet them. I think we shall get along all right. As I have not the slightest intention of doing the kind of thing that he apprehends, I have not any fear at all that we will not understand each other quite well. " The meeting with my other colleagues was a different affair. I say "colleagues," not only because they were going to be my future colleagues, but I had been their colleague when I was an officiating Member. I went at the appointed time to Sir Joseph Bhore's room in the Secretariat Building in Delhi, and met Sir Joseph Bhore and Sir Frank Noyce. Sir Frank Noyce did not take much part in the discussion; it was Sir Joseph Bhore who talked. I was a little amused to see that several volumes of the Assembly Debates were on the table in front of him, with slips at various places, as if for reference. They greeted me kindly, and I sat down and said, "The Viceroy suggested that I should come and meet you and here I am. I will be glad to be told whatever you want to tell me. " The gist of what I was told