Sir Pattani's contribution in shaping deliberations at the League of Nations conference would highlight his acumen in representing India on the international stage. The government again leveraged his expertise and appointed him to represent India at the League in Geneva in 1932.

Till 1930 the ruling Princes made up the Indian contingent to the general assembly of the League. After that, a minister from one of the princely states was added to the delegation. Sir Pattani's appointment was unique because it had the approval of all the Princes in the country. The Maharaja of Nawanagar stated, "... as the doyen of Indian State Ministers and as one specially trusted and held in esteem by the Princes Sir Prabhashankar was in every way the most suitable selection that could have been made."

Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III led the four-member 1932 Indian delegation to the Assembly of the League of Nations. In addition to Sir Pattani, the other members were Sir Denys Bray, a member of the Council of India and a substitute member Sir Jehangir Cooverjee, a former Professor at the Presidency College Calcutta.

Sir Pattani actively participated in the deliberations of the League. He made several suggestions for strengthening the administrative functioning of this international body. Sir Pattani highlighted the underrepresentation of Indians as officials working at the League. And in a letter, he brought the matter to the attention of the Secretary-General of the League. He also urged the Secretary to consider the employment of Indian Mahomedans in the secretariat and the International Labour Organisation.

The Indian Princes appreciated Sir Pattani's contributions to the deliberations at the League and passed a unanimous resolution recording their appreciation. In support of this resolution, the Maharao of Cutch stated, "... I am not sure whether this is the first time that we in this Chamber [Narendra Mandal] have recorded a vote of thanks to Sir Prabhashankar Pattani, but I am sure that this is not the first occasion upon which our thanks to him are due. Throughout a long and honourable career, he has consistently striven to advance the interests of the States with whose cause he is identified by traditions, by birth and by experience; and his work is a source of legitimate pride not only to his own state, and to Kathiawad, but to many others in this Chamber."

Source of images: https://archives.ungeneva.org/

- Chakshu Roy

The first occasion that Sir Pattani contributed to the working of the League was in 1923. That year, the French government organised an international conference under the aegis of the league at its Geneva headquarters. Its purpose was to discuss an international convention to suppress the circulation of obscene publications. Sir Pattani was nominated to represent the Government of India at this conference. Other delegates at the meeting elected Sir Pattani as the conference's Vice President and he played a crucial role in the framing of this convention.

More than forty countries, including India, Britain, France, Germany, China, Colombia, Spain, Greece, and Turkey, ratified the convention. These countries agreed to punish any persons engaged in the import, export, trade, distribution and possession of obscene writings, drawings, films etc. After the ratification, the legislature in India amended the penal code punishing the distribution of obscene material with three months in jail and a fine. The law provided a stricter punishment of six months jail time if someone sold obscene material to individuals below twenty years old.

There was surprise at Sir Pattani’s appointment to represent India at this Conference. Some individuals remarked “don’t you think Pattani and obscene literature is a strange combination”. Sir Pattani’s reply to these comments was “perhaps the Government of India believes that whatever I touch I make clean and holy.” 

When the convention came up for ratification in India in 1924, the government recognised the important part played by Sir Pattani. The member in charge of the Home department stated, "And I may remark that the British delegate, in his report to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs paid a tribute to the admirable skill with which Sir Prabhashankar Pattani filled his position and the substantial assistance which on several occasions he gave to the Conference in the settlement of, and in securing agreement on, difficult matters of controversy."

Source of images: https://archives.ungeneva.org/

- Chakshu Roy

Sir Pattani was involved in representing India at the international forums. One of them was the League of Nations. After the first World War, the Treaty of Versailles led to the league's creation. Its purpose was "to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security" and was the predecessor of the United Nations.

But the League was criticised for failing to live up to its stated purpose. Its shortcomings were evident when Italy occupied the Greek territory of Corfu in 1923. Sir Pattani was in Geneva for a meeting of the League when this newly constituted body faced one of its first crises. In several letters, Sir Pattani shared his incisive views about the League. He felt that "absolute frankness and courage of expression can only justify its existence", both of which were missing in the League's handling of Corfu. 

Sir Pattani recounted that the Italian Prime Minister Mussolini disregarded the authority of the League and threatened to withdraw from it. He wrote, "There is a resentment among the minor nations that the League should not assert itself. They consider the League to be their protector, but the League this time has shown a little weakness. It is true that the League cannot afford to make a mistake in the beginning of its inception. It is true at the same time that there was a test case and the League missed its opportunity of showing to the world that it can be depended upon in an hour of crisis."

- Chakshu Roy

Researching a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi led to my engaging with the Pattani Archives. In the Central Hall of the Parliament building in Delhi is a portrait of our father of the nation that Sir Prabhashankar Pattani had acquired and wanted to gift to the country. It was the first time that I seriously started researching Sir Pattani. There was very little available material on him, and it was fortuitous that Avni was putting up the archival material on Sir Pattani around the same time. I had not read about the work done and contributions made by Indian administrators of princely states. The archives are a rich source of information about their policies and governance. Engaging with the Pattani archives has opened me to Sir Prabhashankar's engagement in the national and international arena. Going through the Pattani archives is like a treasure hunt. At every turn, there is a nugget of information that helps better understand the events that led to shaping our country and the Kathiawar region. 

- Chakshu Roy