Lets Kill Gandhi

by Gandhi, Tushar A.

  Their hope was further strengthened when the Delhi administration announced that, within a week's time, every non-Muslim refugee in Delhi would be provided with some kind of shelter. Nehru and some of his Cabinet colleagues threw open the gates of their official bungalows to refugees. Gandhi had suggested that the palatial bungalows vacated by the British and now occupied by Union ministers and bureaucrats be used to house refugees, and that the Government House, the former viceroy's palace, be converted into a hospital for refugees.

  The Maharaja of Patiala assured Gandhi that he had met all the Sikh leaders of Delhi, who had given him their word that they would spread the message of communal harmony and brotherhood in the city. Patiala had witnessed some of the worst atrocities committed on its Muslim populace, but the Maharaja claimed innocence. The Nawab of Maler Kotla visited Gandhi and told him how, during the disturbances, when some of the Muslim refugees in his state had begun to threaten the local Sikhs, he had announced that for every Sikh killed in Maler Kotla he would shoot ten Muslims. 'Not a single incident occurred after that.' One of his ancestors had courageously stood up to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb when the latter had declared his intentions of killing the sons of one of the Sikh gurus. Since then Sikhs all over had always given asylum to Muslims from Maler Kotla and vice versa. The Nawab said that, during the post-partition riots, Maler Kotla was a sanctuary for Sikhs and Hindus. Similarly, when Muslims travelling anywhere through Punjab, during the troubled times, proved that they were from Maler Kotla, they were given protection by the Sikhs. When Gandhi heard this he said, 'So my dream for India has come true in Maler Kotla.'

  During his prayer meeting that evening, he said that the number of telegrams he was receiving was increasing. There were many telegrams from Pakistan too. They were good so far as they went. But as their friend and well-wisher he was bound to tell those who were moulding Pakistan's destiny, that if they failed to see and admit the wrongs for which it was responsible, they would not be able to make that country permanent. He had accepted partition as a fait accompli and added that he would not mind all of India becoming Pakistan if Pakistan meant what its name implied—the land of the pure. That did not mean he approved of partition or '... a voluntary reunion, but I wish to remove and resist the idea that Pakistan should be reunited by force of arms. I hope that this will not be misunderstood as a note of discord. Whilst I am lying on what is truly a deathbed, I hope all Pakistanis will realise that I would be untrue to them and to myself if from a sense of weakness and for fear of hurting their feelings, I failed to convey to them what I truthfully feel. If I am wrong ... I should be told and, if I am convinced, I promise that I shall retract what I have said here. So far as I know the point is not open to question.'

  He warned the people of India as well that they should not act under the pressure of the fast. 'What a spiritual fast does- ... is a cleansing of the hearts. The cleaning, if it is honest, does not cease to be when the cause, which induced it, ceases .... It ceases only with one's death .... Neither the rajas and maharajas nor the Hindus and Sikhs or any others would serve themselves or India ... if at this, what to me is a sacred juncture, they mislead me with a view to terminating my fast. No one need disturb this happy state, unless he can honestly claim that in his journey he had turned deliberately from Satan towards God.'

  Towards the evening, nausea set in. Gandhi had become increasingly restless since the afternoon. One of the doctors in attendance suggested that he should add an ounce of orange juice to the water. Gandhi replied that in that case he would have to fast for another twenty-one days, commencing from the day he starts adding orange juice in his water. Another doctor suggested cupping over the kidneys to induce them to function and Gandhi replied, 'I appreciate your affection but let me die if die I must.'

  'But is not cupping, too, a kind of fomentation which you have not ruled out under nature cure?' the doctor persisted.

  'That is how we slip from our resolves,' replied Gandhi. 'Rama naam alone is now my nature cure.'

  Even during his fast Gandhi did not deviate from his routine which began with the first prayer at 3.30 am. That morning he dictated a letter to Richard Symonds, whom he had taken as a patient in Birla House and nursed through an attack of enteric. After his daily practice of the Bengali alphabet, he had the morning papers, important letters and telegrams read out to him, followed by a medical check up, massage and bath till 10.30 am. He then dictated his statement to Pyarelal on the Government of India's decision on the release of Pakistan's share of the cash balances while lying in the bath tub. Between 10.30 am and midday he received seven visitors, including three ruling chiefs of states. Between 12.30 pm and 3.35 pm he rested, followed by his regular nature cure routine, and held serious discussions with ten visitors, including Nehru, Maulana Azad and four maulanas of Delhi. After the evening prayers he received a big crowd of people, including one maharaja, one chief minister and nearly half a dozen ministers of the Central Cabinet.

  The doctors' bulletin that day sounded a grim warning: 'In our opinion, it would be most undesirable to let the fast continue. Therefore, it is our duty to tell the people ... to take immediate steps to produce the requisite conditions for ending the fast without delay'.

  That evening, breaking with tradition, Lord and Lady Mountbatten paid an impromptu visit to Gandhi; he greeted them with a quip, 'It takes a fast on my part to bring the mountain to Mohammed!' It was more than a personal visit: Mountbatten later said that, apart from the natural anxiety he felt for the health of a friend, he was anxious to give an indication to the world—and to Gandhi— that he was with him in the object of his fast.

  Non-Muslim shopkeepers visited Gandhi to assure him that they had lifted the boycott and Muslims were free to come to their shops. Subzimandi, the vegetable market in Delhi, had witnessed some of the worst atrocities, and Muslims in this area had been subjected to an economic boycott.

  Addressing a rally, Maulana Azad said that Gandhi had laid down seven conditions which had to be fulfilled. His fast would end when responsible people from all the concerned parties, who could guarantee their proper fulfilment, signed a pledge to fulfil these conditions. 'He must not be given false assurances,' the Maulana warned. 'If we can perform what he called upon us to do, then alone can we go to him and ask him to give up his fast. Otherwise it would be better that we leave him in the hands of God.'

  A Central Peace Committee, consisting of 130 members representing all communities, was formed under the chairmanship of Dr. Rajendra Prasad who had succeeded Acharya Kripalani as Congress president upon the latter's resignation. The committee held its first meeting that evening at Dr. Prasad's residence and adopted a resolution assuring Gandhi that they would do all that was in their power 'to create, establish and maintain the spirit of peace, harmony and brotherhood between all communities'. The representatives of the Hindu Mahasabha and RSS, known for their extreme communal stance and inciting communal hatred, were not present. In their absence their friends gave a guarantee on their behalf. This sounded rather suspicious but some felt that, as time was running out, an attempt should be made to persuade Gandhi to end his fast on the basis of the committee's resolution without waiting for the absentees' signatures. Pyarelal, who represented Gandhi at the meeting, knew that time was short but also knew that Gandhi would not accept a resolution that was not guaranteed by all. He warned Dr. Prasad, who agreed with him. The meeting ended with a decision that emissaries would be sent to convince the absentee members to sign the resolution.

  When Pyarelal returned to Birla House the mood was gloomy. Gandhi's condition had worsened during the latter part of the evening and he had frequently slipped into delirium. His doctors were worried about the deteriorating condition of his kidneys. After failing to wake him up by calling out to him, Pyarelal gently shook him several times. Gandhi finally opened his eyes and very attentively listened to the report of the meeting. As anticipated he refused to accept an incomplete assurance. He reiterated that nothing should be
done in a hurry to make him break his fast. He warned that the penalty for a breach of the undertaking given to him would be nothing less than the forfeit of his life by an unconditional fast unto death on his part.

  Meanwhile, Nathuram, Badge and Kistayya had arrived in Bombay that morning. They had travelled separately; Godse had taken an earlier train and Badge and Kistayya had travelled together later. Badge, having asked Kistayya to get off at Dadar and wait for him at the Hindu Mahasabha office, alighted at Victoria Terminus station. Apte and Godse were waiting for him at the entrance. They were delighted to know that Badge had managed to exchange the small pistol for a more effective handgun.

  The trio took a cab and first proceeded to the Sea Green South Hotel to pick up a tearful Manorama Salvi. They dropped her off near her home in Byculla in central Bombay.

  In order to raise funds for their mission, the gang proceeded to visit various known sympathisers who had previously funded them. Some of the people they approached and received funds from under various pretexts were Charandas Meghji, an industrialist, Ganpatrao Afzalpurkar and Mahadeo G. Kale. The gang then paid another visit to Dixit Maharaj to try and convince him to give them his revolver. Dixit told them he would part with the gun if they could pay its market value; the gang left empty-handed. This time they were not very disappointed since they already had two revolvers.

  Apte, Godse and Badge next went to the Hindu Mahasabha office and picked up Kistayya. They then proceeded to meet their patron and inspiration V.D. Savarkar. On reaching Savarkar Sadan, Kistayya was told to wait outside by the kerb while Apte, Godse and Badge entered the house. Badge was left in the hall on the ground floor, and one of Savarkar's attendants escorted Apte and Godse to the first floor room to meet with 'Tatyarao'—V.D. Savarkar.

  After about ten minutes the duo came down with Savarkar and, after seeking his blessings, the trio left. Outside a beaming Apte told Badge that 'Tatyarao' had blessed their mission and said, in Marathi, 'Yashasvi houn ya', 'Succeed in your mission and come back'.

  The four of them got into the taxi and proceeded towards Juhu airport as Apte thought that their flight to Delhi would be from the Juhu Air Strip used by a flying school. Instead their flight was to take off from Santa Cruz domestic airport. On the way Apte proudly told Badge in Marathi, 'Tatyarao ni ase bhavishya kele ahe ki Gandhijichi shambhar varsha bharli, ata aple kam nishchit honar yat kahi sanshay nahi', 'Tatyarao has predicted that Gandhiji's hundred year life will now end. There is no doubt that our work will be successfully finished'.

  On reaching Juhu Air Strip they realised their mistake and rushed to Santa Cruz domestic airport, then situated at Kalina, on the eastern side of Santa Cruz. They reached just as the flight was about to leave. Apte and Godse were the last to board. The flight travelled to Delhi via Ahmedabad and to their surprise they found Dada Maharaj travelling by the same flight. At the Ahmedabad terminal, Dada Maharaj chided Apte saying, 'You talked big but have not achieved anything.' Apte replied, 'When we do the work you will come to know.'

  Before leaving Apte had given Badge Rs. 350 and asked him to proceed to Delhi with Kistayya by the evening train. Badge and Kistayya travelled by the same taxi, driven by Aitappa Kotian, to Kurla, an eastern suburb of Bombay, to collect some money. After collecting the money they drove to Kurla suburban station. Here Badge insisted that Kotian sign a receipt for the taxi fare of Rs. 55. It was a princely sum for a day's business for a taxi driver those days and Kotian remembered all the passengers who travelled with him that morning.

  Apte had assured Badge that they would meet him at the Delhi railway station, but if they could not, the two were to proceed to the Hindu Mahasabha Bhavan.

  The gang leaders were now on their way to Delhi.

  At noon that day, Karkare and Pahwa, carrying the explosives and hand grenades, reached Delhi. They got talking to a fellow traveller, Shantaram A. Amchekar, a Maharashtrian refugee who was going to Delhi to get his government job reassigned to the Government of India. Before Partition, he had worked at a government post at Karachi, in what had now become Pakistan.

  In his zeal to help refugees, Karkare took Amchekar under his wing and offered him their hospitality in Delhi. They first proceeded to the Hindu Mahasabha Bhavan but could not find accommodation there. They got into a tonga and went to Chandni Chowk in old Delhi. They checked into Sharif Hotel at Fatehpuri and took a room with three beds. Karkare signed the hotel register under the name B.M. Bias in Hindi. Amchekar, who signed after him, did not notice this. Madanlal signed his real name in English. They were given Room 2.

  Since Karkare had work in Delhi he left Pahwa and Amchekar at the hotel. That evening Pahwa took Amchekar to meet his relatives, as he had to meet a prospective bride there. On the way back they stopped at a public meeting being addressed by Jayprakash Narayan. Pahwa shouted slogans heckling JP, demanding to know why, if he was not allowed to address rallies in Bombay, he was speaking to refugees here. Before the police could catch him, Pahwa melted into the crowd and, along with an alarmed Amchekar, reached Sharif Hotel and retired for the day. Surprisingly, Karkare did not return that night.

  Apte and Nathuram reached Delhi the same evening. They drove to the Marina Hotel in Connaught Place where Apte and Godse checked in under assumed names—'M. Deshpande' and 'S. Deshpande'. They were assigned Room 40 on the third floor of the hotel. After checking in, they went to the Hindu Mahasabha Bhavan where Karkare was waiting for them. Returning to the hotel, Karkare ordered a whisky from room service, and after having dinner together, they parted ways.

  In Bombay, Badge accepted the hospitality of his hotelier friend Navare. Aasra Hotel, in Dadar, was famous for its vegetarian food, and as friends of the proprietor, they were given a separate room. After the frenetic activity they had been involved in, spending a night in a comfortable room was too much for Badge to resist, and so he and Kistayya missed the evening Frontier Mail for Delhi.

  SUNDAY, 18 JANUARY 1948

  When the doctors came to examine him, Gandhi complained of a pain in the stomach. His weight, that day taken by Nehru, registered an ominous'107 pounds.

  The Peace Committee met that morning. This time, representatives of the Hindu Mahasabha and RSS, members of all important organisations, and representatives of the refugees from Sabzimandi, Karol Bagh and Paharganj, the three worst affected parts of the city—were present. All of them accepted the conditions laid down by Gandhi, and signed the pledge:

  'We wish to announce that it is our heartfelt desire that Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and members of other communities should once again live in Delhi like brothers in perfect amity. We take the pledge that we shall protect the life, property and faith of the Muslims and that the incidents which have taken place in Delhi will not happen again.

  We want to assure Gandhiji that the annual fair at Khwaja Qutub-ud-Din's mausoleum, at Mehrauli, will be held this year as in previous years.

  The Muslims will be able to move about in Sabzimandi, Karol Bagh, Paharganj and other localities just as they could in the past.

  The mosques which have been left by the Muslims and which are now in the possession of Hindus and Sikhs will be returned. The areas which have been set apart for the Muslims will not be forcibly occupied.

  We shall not object to the return to Delhi of the Muslims who have migrated from here if they choose to come back, and the Muslims shall be able to carry on their business as before. We give the assurance that all these things will be done by our personal efforts and not with the help of the police or the military.

  We request Mahatmaji to believe us and give up his fast and continue to lead us as he has done hitherto'.

  While the pledge was being signed, news came from Birla House that Gandhi's condition had dramatically deteriorated. Dr. Prasad rushed to Birla House with some members of the committee to report to Gandhi their achievements, and to explain the slight delay in getting all the committee members to Birla House. Soon all the members assembled in Gandhi's room, which was packed to capacit
y. Those present included Nehru, Maulana Azad, Zahid Hussain, the high commissioner of Pakistan, and representatives of Delhi Muslims, the RSS, Hindu Mahasabha and various Sikh organisations. The Delhi administration was represented by Chief Commissioner Khurshid and M.S. Randhawa, the deputy commissioner.

  Dr. Prasad then recounted the proceedings of the meeting. He said that those with reservations about signing the pledge the day before had today done so without any hesitation. It had been decided to set up various committees to oversee the implementation of the conditions promised in their pledge. Others recounted how, that morning, a group of 150 Muslims were taken to Sabzimandi where they had been greeted with fruits and refreshments by the Hindus. In view of this they all pleaded with Gandhi to give up his fast.

  Replying to this Gandhi said that they would have to realise the implications of their pledge. What they had achieved in Delhi had to be realised in the whole of India. If things in Delhi were set right, it would set things right in Pakistan, too. He reminded them that he was not a man to shirk going on another fast if he later discovered that he had been deceived or had deceived himself into breaking this one prematurely. They should, therefore, be extremely wary and act with full sincerity. He invited the representatives of Muslims who had been frequently meeting him to tell him whether they were satisfied that the conditions in Delhi were now such as to warrant his breaking the fast.

  He then referred to a book given to him by a friend in Patna, which mentioned that according to the Koran, kafirs, Hindus were worse than poisonous reptiles, fit only to be exterminated. He was sure no Godfearing Muslim could subscribe to that creed. He added that, if they fully accepted the implications of their pledge, they should release him from Delhi so that he might be free to go to Pakistan. Maulana Azad, speaking after Gandhi, said that he could not leave unchallenged the observation made in the book as it pertained to the teachings of Islam. He had no hesitation in characterising it as a libel on Islam.