Indira Gandhi conferring Deshikottam on Rukmini Devi at Visva-Bharati

London, May 11: Anyone who thinks the law moves at a snail’s pace in India should consider the case of an Englishwoman, Josephine Birley Chambers, whose disputed bequest to an Englishman, Dr George Arundale, to allow him to continue doing charitable work on behalf of a theosophical society in India, has just been resolved after 61 years.

The solicitor involved in getting the settlement is Sarosh Zaiwalla, a well-known Indian lawyer in the UK who was brought into the case in 1983 on behalf of Arundale’s widow, Rukmini (sometimes spelt Rukhmini) Devi, a famous exponent of Bharatnatyam.

Arundale fell in love with India ? and with Rukmini.

The couple married in 1920. The marriage caused something of a scandal because Rukmini was only 16 at the time. “Arundale was around 65,” Zaiwalla pointed out.

The legal problems began in 1944 when Chambers left over ?11,1873 to the Rukmini Devi Arundale Trust to allow Arundale and his organisation to do charitable work on behalf of the theosophical society in India.

“This promotes spiritual rather than religious values,” explained Zaiwalla.

The executors of the estate refused to hand over the money on the grounds that the theosophical society was not considered a charity under English law ? and there the matter remained stuck for decades.

“In 1983, I was brought in by (the late) Sayed Mohammed, who was then the Indian high commissioner in London,” recalled Zaiwalla. “He said there was no money in it but would I take on the case? Rukmini Devi, who was living in Madras, I think, came to London. She was nearly 80 but still a lovely lady with green eyes. She had been a great beauty in her day.”

Rukmini Devi, who had survived her husband, herself died in 1986 without witnessing a resolution of the dispute. By 1996, the bequest had grown with interest to ?178,913.41.

Recently, Zaiwalla decided to spend his own money in going to court. “But the dispute was settled at the door of the high court in an out-of-court settlement,” he said. “The attorney-general was involved.”

Under the deal, about two-fifth of the money will go to the Rukmini Devi Arundale Trust while the rest will be divided among relatives of the other beneficiaries mentioned in the original will.

At present, Zaiwalla is making sure that there are other beneficiaries.

Zaiwalla has written to Richard Bark-Jones, the lawyer who has acted on behalf of the executors, to say: “My clients have asked me to request you to please provide them with details of the distribution made to the surviving relatives of the deceased along with their names and addresses.”

He told The Telegraph: “If there are no other beneficiaries, the rest of the money should come back to my clients.”

In a letter to Bark-Jones in February, Zaiwalla (who once represented the Bachchan family), emphasised the same point. “My client believes that in the event there are no further beneficiaries, then they would be entitled to receive the balance of the trust funds. That must be great.”

However, Bark-Jones replied, saying that “the kin enquiry revealed three surviving relatives of the deceased, to whom the balance 60 per cent of the estate has been distributed”.

Rukmini Devi herself remains a mystery and a legend. A book on her by one of her followers, C. Nachiappan, was presented by the author to Zaiwalla, who has, in turn, given it as a gift to the Indian High Commission library.

Rukmini Devi, who was born in 1904, grew up in the sprawling Adyar campus of the theosophical society of which her father was an important functionary. In her 20s, the theosophists proclaimed her the Mother Goddess and J. Krishnamurti as the new messiah.

After her marriage to Arundale, it was western ballet that first caught Rukmini Devi’s fancy. She turned to Indian dance only when the ballerina Anna Pavlova advised her to look at the “native arts” of India for inspiration.

Rukmini Devi was introduced to Bharatnatyam by E. Krishna Iyer, founder-secretary of the Madras Music Academy. Later, she set up Kalakshetra for students of music and dance.

Rukmini Devi was honoured with numerous national awards, including the Padma Bhushan (1956), Sangeet Natak Akademi (1957), Deshikottam (1972) and Kalidasa Samman (1984).

According to Zaiwalla: “Morarji Desai offered the presidency of India to Rukmini Devi” in 1977 in recognition of her services to Indian culture. She politely declined.