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Mahatma Gandhi could foresee that Partition would bring misery to people THE celebratory air of Independence Day brings to many minds the absence from the pomp and pageantry of the occasion 63 years ago, of the one person almost uniquely responsible for bringing about the event, virtually in a single-handed manner, the Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Why wasn’t he in Delhi when the world expected him to be? What was it that kept him away? Where was he on this illustrious, historic occasion?
July 18 ,1947, saw nearly 400 million people of the subcontinent being declared free, as the British Parliament passed the India Independence Bill, at the same time carving out the dominions of India and Pakistan. The Mountbatten Plan of June 3 would transfer power to the dominions on August 15 in the year. Pakistan seemed a high price for freedom, but the political parties concerned had accepted the division of India. "Pakistan has come into existence", Gandhi said, "and there is no going back." August 15, apart from the impressive formal ceremonies, was marked by popular rejoicings and slogans of "Mahatma Gandhi ki jai," that rent the air. Lord Mountbatten, as the Governor-General of independent India, declaring himself to be a "servant of the people," said: "At this historic hour today, we miss the presence of Mahatma Gandhi, the architect of India’s freedom through non-violence." For Gandhi, Partition was a spiritual and, in a way, personal tragedy. "I do not agree with what my close friends have done`85 32 years of work has come to an inglorious end." He could foresee that it would bring untold misery to the minorities in both the countries, resulting in perpetual hatred. Insane mass transfer of populations will not allow people to live as friendly neighbours. "For me, transfer of millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims is unthinkable", he wrote. The freedom for which he had strived and struggled all his life had, at last, been gained; the day for which he longed and laboured had come. But there was no joy in his heart. How could he associate himself with something that he had opposed for the last so many years? The real day of rejoicing would be when the Hindus and Muslims would live as brothers, even though in the two separate dominions. In May 1947 he had written: "I am opposed to any division of India. The only thing I can do is disassociate myself from such a scheme". Henceforth, Gandhi was literally living Tagore’s song, Ekla chalo. Massacres in Bengal, Bihar and Punjab indicated that the whole issue had become emotional, communal and totally barren of a logical and reasonable handling. Gandhi took up the task of bringing peace to an area where violence had erupted. He left Lahore on August 7, and on arriving in Calcutta, stayed in Sodepur Khadi Pratishthan, where he had always stayed on earlier visits. He found Calcutta in the grip of communal lawlessness. H. S. Suhrawardy, a prominent Muslim League leader and former premier of Bengal, who wielded great influence among the Muslims, particularly of East Bengal, urged Gandhi to pacify the people of Calcutta before proceeding to Noakhali, that had been badly hit by communal rioting in the preceding months. Gandhi agreed, on the condition that the former would stay with him under the same roof, and also use his influence to protect Hindus there and in the province. He purposely chose to be in a predominantly Muslim locality. The choice fell on a house called Haidari Manzil, belonging to a Muslim woman in Beliaghata, a rather filthy locality of hooligans, near a slum called Miabagan, with largely Muslim inhabitants. There had been cases of bomb throwing, use of firearms, arson, looting and clashes between rival groups. Haidari Manzil itself was a ramshackle building, open on all sides with broken windows. Surrounded by a sea of mud, the house was a damp and foul-smelling place, with only one toilet used by hundreds, though some efforts were made to improve the unhygienic conditions. Gandhiji moved to this place on August 13. Soon after, a group of young Hindus staged a demonstration, accusing Gandhi of not safeguarding the interests of the Hindus. In his usual calm manner, he explained to them that he was not an enemy of any individual or community, and that the aim of his being there was to end violence and restore peace. He said he was a born and practising Hindu; their bias "shows intolerance on their part". These last words seemed to have had a profound effect. However, Gandhi was soon able to drive home the futility of fratricidal strife. Rioting ceased, and Calcutta was peaceful. On the eve of Independence, August 14, there were reports that Hindus and Muslims gathered in the streets, danced, and flew Indian and Pakistan flags together. Independence Day dawned bright with the Tricolour fluttering on housetops; the air resounded with slogans of "Hindu-Muslim unity, Hindu-Muslim bhai bhai, Mahatma Gandhi zindabad." Hardly had a fortnight passed that Gandhi’s efforts suffered a setback. His house was raided by a Hindu mob on August 31; a brick flew passed him, a lathi blow just missed him, and widespread violence was reported. Gandhi undertook a fast. Leaders of all communities were full of fear of anything happening to him. They together appealed to the youth to surrender arms and renounce violence, appealing to Gandhi to give up the fast. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan visited him. The Governor of Bengal sent a message that peace was returning to the city. But Gandhi was steadfast; no argument convinced him. Finally, late in the night of September 4, many young people came and surrendered their weapons — rifles, cartridges, bombs, etc. Those days Gandhi often talked of his own death; a man who wanted to live up to 125, gave up the desire to live if India had to submerge in a deluge of violence. He undertook fast unto death if violence did not stop. Leaders informed him that there were no incidents of communal violence in the city, and whatever had happened was the work of goondas. Gandhi broke his fast. A Muslim League paper, The Morning News, on behalf the Muslims in Calcutta, wrote: "He was ready to die so that we may live peacefully." The Times (London) stated: "Gandhi has achieved more that what thousands of troops would have achieved." Lord Mountbatten wrote
to Gandhi: "In Punjab we have 55,000 soldiers, and large-scale
rioting on our hands. In Bengal our forces consist of one man, and
there is no rioting. As a serving officer as well as an administrator,
I should be allowed to pay my tribute to the one-man boundary
force." Thus, on September 7, he left for Delhi after spending 24
days in Haidari Manzil.
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