Gandhi was conducted and grief-stricken.

On August 24, the Viceroy announced the formation of an Interim national Government to replace the viceroy’s Executive Council.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the Vice- president of the Interim Government.

The Muslim League declined to join it on the ground that it had not been given the right to nominate all the Muslim members.

After the installation of the Interim Government, Gandhi was anxious to return to Sevagram, his ashram near wardha, but the Congress leaders prevailed on him to stay longer in Delhi because they wanted his advice. So Gandhi stayed on in Delhi.

Then the Muslim League decided to join the Interim Government and an announcement was made to this effect on October 15, 1946. Gandhi once again felt free to return to Sevagram. He was about to leave Delhi when news came of the disturbances in Bengal. There was widespread communal rioting by the muslins in Calcutta and in the Muslim majority district of Noakhali in East Bengal, with murder, arson, looting, forced conversions, forced marriages and abduction.

Gandhi was conducted and grief-stricken. Instead of returning to Sevagram, he set out for Noakhali to try to bring peace there.

The communal riots spread. There were similar riots in Bihar and the Punjab. Thousands were killed and thousands more were injured. Gandhi was greatly disheartened by these events. He tried clam and reassure the people.

He walked from village to village and from house to house carrying his message of peace. Wherever he was there was peace, at least outwardly. But the general situation in India was worsening. Rioting spread from the towns to the village. In Bihar the Muslims were suffering and Gandhi went there to instill courage into the Muslim minority and to help them in their distress.

The situation in India was so dreadful that the congress leaders realized that the best way open to them was to accept Jinnah’s demand for a division of the country and they reluctantly approved the formation of Pakistan.

Nehru met Gandhi to inform him of this decision.

Gandhi asked him. “Is there no way out? No hope of a united India?”

“Bapuji,” he replied,” unity is impossible. Dreadful as is the idea of a separate country within our borders, we have to accept it. Otherwise this deadly turmoil will never cease”.

 Gandhi bowed his head to hide his despair.