Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse.
That evening was becoming as cold as other evenings in January. The sun was about to set. And Mahatma Gandhi who was generally punctual. He had not yet come to pray. It was 10 minutes past 5. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi was busy talking to Sardar Patel since 4 o’clock. It was just a little over 4 months since the country got independence. There was a tussle in the relationship between Nehru and Patel, but Lord Mountbatten said that the government could not exist without both. Mahatma Gandhi told Sardar Patel that he would issue his statement in this regard after the evening prayer meeting. And if the tussle between the two continues then he will also postpone his plan to go to Wardha.
Around 4.30 pm. Mahatma Gandhi’s granddaughter Abha brought his last meal. In which goat milk. Some cooked and some raw vegetables. There was ginger lemon juice and butter with orange and aloe juice. Mahatma Gandhi’s conversation with Sardar Patel continued. Patel’s daughter and secretary Maniben were also present there.
Bapu’s stand was placed in front
Abha Chatterjee told during an interview that Patel’s discussion with Mahatma Gandhi continued till 5 o’clock and when Mahatma Gandhi did not come even till 5.10, she showed the watch to Mahatma Gandhi. Abha told in an interview. When I placed Bapu’s watch in front of him and he saw that the time was 5.10, he felt very bad, he said Abha, you did not tell me. I cannot bear it if there is a delay in prayer. You will be charged for the sin of being late for prayer today.
Mahatma Gandhi had come a little late and that is why he was walking faster than usual. Like many times, Nand Lal Mehta, resident of M Block, Connaught Place, was present at Birla House on Albuquerque Road along with thousands of people to listen to Gandhi.
Birla House, where Bapu was shot dead.
Like every day, Gandhi used to sit on a platform built in Birla House and join the people in the prayer meeting at 5 o’clock. These included those leaders of Kathiawar who had sent a message to meet Gandhi some time ago. But Gandhi had said that he would meet him after prayers if he still had life in him. This crowd had left a space of about 3 feet in the middle which had become a path. Through which Bapu would reach the stage where he had to sit and sing his favorite Ramdhun.
Nand Lal Mehta said in his statement to the police. I was present in Birla House today. At around 5.10 in the evening, Mahatma Gandhi came out of his room in Birla House and left for the prayer ground. Sister Abha Gandhi and sister Sanno were also with him. There were two more girls with them. Although Abha Gandhi was actually Abha Chatterjee and Sanno was actually Mridula Gandhi i.e. Manu Ben.
Bapu was late, so he did not come by the usual route, but went to the bathroom in the room and then took a shortcut from there to the garden. Where hundreds of people were already present, some of whom were probably policemen in plain clothes. And was standing among them. Nathuram Vinayak Godse.
Mahatma Gandhi.
Attempt to murder happened earlier too
Nathuram Godse had already tried to assassinate Gandhi. After contracting malaria in jail in July 1944, Gandhi went to Panchgani for some rest. A group of 18-20 people opposed Gandhi at that time. Godse tried to attack Gandhi when he was holding a prayer meeting. Godse had carried out this attack with a dagger which is called Jambhya.
Mahatma Gandhi’s follower Mani Shankar Purohit of Pune and along with him D. Bhilare Guruji of Satara caught Godse during the attack. However, Mahatma Gandhi forgave Godse and asked him to spend some time with him. Godse refused this.
Just two months later, in September 1944, Gandhi was preparing to meet Jinnah, who was demanding Pakistan, at Sevagram. Hindu Mahasabha was opposing this meeting. Godse and LG Thatte were leading a demonstration against Mahatma Gandhi. Then Godse tried to attack Gandhi with a dagger. But the people of the ashram caught Godse again. Godse was handed over to the police. LG Thatte later contested the first general election from Hindu Sabha against Jawaharlal Nehru from Allahabad and his deposit was forfeited. Thatte got 25,817 votes while Independent candidate Prabhudutt Brahmachari got 56,718 votes, while Jawahar Lal Nehru got 233,571 votes. That means about 64% of the total votes.
Mahatma Gandhi. Photo: Getty Images
In June 1946, Gandhi was going to Poona by train. His train met with an accident between Nerul and Karjat stations. Perera, who was driving the train, had said in his report that big stones were placed on the tracks so that the train could derail. The train did not derail due to emergency braking. After this incident, Gandhi had said that he wanted to live for 125 years.
Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi has claimed that Bal Thackeray’s father Prabodhan Thackeray had given a public warning to some organizations in Maharashtra that were bent on killing Mahatma Gandhi. On January 20, 1948, i.e. just 10 days before the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, a bomb exploded near where Mahatma Gandhi was sitting in the prayer meeting of Birla Bhawan. Madanlal Pahwa, who carried out the blast, was arrested from the spot. He admitted that he wanted to kill Mahatma Gandhi. Nathuram Godse, Narayan Apte, Vishnu Karkare, Gopal Godse were also involved in the conspiracy.
Nathuram Godse.
Godse moved away from the crowd and reached Bapu.
On January 30, the opportunity arrived that Godse and his associates were looking for. Bapu was coming via shortcut instead of his daily routine, so he came straight towards Godse. Nathuram, who had recently acquired Italy’s Beretta M1934 .380 ACP semi-automatic pistol. With folded hands, he pushed aside the crowd with his elbows and reached the place where the crowd had made way for Bapu. And stood in front of Bapu with folded hands.
In some accounts, it is found that Godse said Namaste Bapu to Mahatma Gandhi, after which Manuben, who was like a shadow with Bapu, felt that he was about to touch his feet. Mahatma Gandhi did not like this tradition. Manu told Godse, Bhaiya Bapu is already late for prayers. Why are you troubling them now? Suddenly Godse pushed Manuben aside.
The gun whose bullet killed Mahatma Gandhi.
three shots were fired in succession
Manu writes in her diary. That person pushed me so hard that the pen, rosary and notebook fell from my hand. I did not pay attention to other things and kept stopping the person from moving forward but when the rosary fell, I bent down to pick it up. And at that very moment. Three bullets were fired in quick succession. Bapu started taunting his chest in the same way and said, Hey Ram. Hey Ram. Saying this he fell on the ground. At that time, 32 year old Herbert Reiner Jr., the Vice Consul of the American Embassy, was also in Birla House. He ran and grabbed Godse by the shoulder, then turned him around and handed him over to the soldiers present there who disarmed Godse. Reiner held Godse by the neck until the army and police took him away.
With blood flowing from Mahatma Gandhi’s body, he was quickly taken to the simple room of the huge Birla Bhawan where he was living. Someone present there brought Dr. DP Bhargava who took about 10 minutes to arrive. Doctor Bhargava said that it had been more than 10 minutes since he died and no one in the world could have saved him.
After some time, Sardar Patel also reached there, who had just moments before had a deep discussion with Gandhi on the future of the country. One by one all the big leaders and a crowd of lakhs of people started reaching Birla House. The same evening, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the country which became independent 4 months ago, while addressing the countrymen on All India Radio, said: Today the light went out from all our lives
Also read: Who threw the bomb in the prayer meeting before the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi?