Mahatma Gandhi is known all over the world.
He was great leader who encouraged a non-violent & peaceful struggle against the British.
Due to his peaceful negotiations with the British, India finally got Independence on 15th August 1947.
However, India and Pakistan was split into two.
Areas with a Muslim majority in Punjab and West Bengal was taken over by Pakistan.
In various districts of Punjab & Bengal Hindus and Muslims were evicted from their houses depending on the majority living there. This lead to a lot of chaos.
Similarly there was a lot of chaos West Bengal as well.
Gandhi was horrified by the violence that broke out between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs.
He decided to fast unto death, to shame people.
Many started supporting Gandhi.
The Mahatma said: If violence between Hindu, Muslim and Sikh continues, then I would rather just Die.
His dream was Parsis, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims of all India to live together in amity.
In September 1947, Gandhi had moved to Delhi to help control the violence & rioting.
He was staying at the Birla House in Delhi.
Many Hindus were against Gandhi’s insistence of non-violence and non-retaliation against Muslims who murder and raped Hindus.
Outside the Birla House people shouted ‘Let Gandhi die!’.
Nathuram Godse, was Hindu who belonged from Pune, Maharashtra.
He was a member of the RSS & the Hindu Mahasabha.
Godse did not believe in Gandhi’s ideals that religions such as
Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, etc must be treated equally.
Godse felt Gandhiji favored the Pakistan's Muslims, he did not agree with the Mahatma's idea.
Nathuram believed Indian must be a complete Hindu state.
Godse did not agree with Gandhiji's ideas.
Godse and 6 others first attempted to assassinate Gandhiji at Birla House on 20 January 1948.
Godse arrived at Birla House where a crowd had gathered in a park.
Nathuram Godse and his colleagues had a plan where they followed Gandhi to the park where he was speaking in front of the crowd.
One of Godse's accomplices had planned to throw a grenade away from the crowd.
When they threw the grenade, there was a loud explosion that scared the crowd, creating a chaotic stampede.
Gandhiji remained where he was.
According to the plan, another accomplice was going to throw a second grenade, but he lost his courage.
All of the assassins ran away
except one who was arrested.
Gandhiji said: ‘If I am destined to die by the bullet of a madman,
I will accept and smile by the bullet. There will be no anger or revenge within me and I will gladly die & go to heaven.
10 days later on 30th January 1948,
in Delhi, Godse returned to Delhi.
Gandhiji had become very weak because of his fast.
At About 5pm he was being helped to walk across the gardens of Birla House to a meeting by his great nieces.
There were many people around Gandhiji that were bowing to him.
Nathuram Godse emerged from the crowd, bowed to him and Gandhiji bowed him back.
At that moment, Godse shot gandhiji three times in the stomach and chest.
Bapu slumped to the ground. People were shocked and there was a alot of chaos among the crowd.
Crowd caught hold of Godse and lynched him some even cried out, ‘Kill him, kill him!’
Some say that when Gandhiji fell down he cried out, ‘Ram, Ram’
though others did not hear him say anything.
Godse was caught and badly beaten. When he was shot no attempt was made to call a doctor or take him to a hospital and he died within half an hour.
The next day after Gandhiji's death, a huge crowd of 10 lakh people which was 8-km route.
His body was draped in the Indian flag,
was carried on an army truck while there was a huge crowd.
People wanted a glimpse of their beloved Bapu. They adorned him with garlands and showered with flower petals.
The journey to reach the Jumna river took 5 hours.
The crowd showered him with petals while air force planes overhead dropped flowers during his cremation.
The ashes were kept for three days.
The ashes were collected and immersed at the spot where the Jumna joins the Ganges.
Despite the efforts of Nehru and other leaders, violence erupted in Bombay and elsewhere in India, with riots and arson.
There were attacks & riots against the Brahmins, because the killer Godse was a Brahmin.
Since it became difficult to control the violence, police in Mumbai had to open fire on the rioters.
The High Court pronounced the death sentence on Godse on 8th November 1949.
Gandhiji’s two sons Manilal Gandhi and Ramdas Gandhi requested the court to commute his death sentence.
However India's prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru,
Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel
and the Governor-General C. Rajagopalachari all said Godse will be hanged.
Manilal Gandhi and Ramdas Gandhi's request has been rejected and Godse's death sentence was confirmed.
Godse was hanged on 15 November 1949.
Our great leader is no more but we must all remember and follow his ideas, beliefs, patience and non-violence.
Currently there are so many problems going on in the country.
We must remember Gandhiji's dream of an India where everyone has equal rights and everyone is living peacefully.