Spiritual Tragedy

On June 3, 1947, Attlee, the British Prime Minister, announced the plan for partition. The Congress and the Muslim League accepted it.

For Gandhi it was a spiritual tragedy. With infinite sadness he said, “All India must accept Pakistan in loving resignation. We have no choice. Hindus must lead the way to a friendly settlement.”

Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy, was anxious not to delay the ushering in of Independent India and Independent Pakistan. He shortened the time limit for the British to quit India. The date for the declaration of Indian Independence was fixed for August 15, 1947.

On that day, India’s long struggle and suffering for freedom was over. A new nation, although non- violence.’

Gandhi had never given his approval to partition, but when it was done he accepted it and did everything possible for the attainment of Hindu-Muslim friendship. Yet the tension between Hindus and Muslims was on the rise.

As a result of partition over 7, 00,000 Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-Muslims in Pakistan, fearing the Muslims, left their homes and set out towards India. From India about the same number of Muslims, fearing the Hindus left their homes for Pakistan. The miseries attendant on this mass migration, one of the greatest in history, were manifold. Over 1, 50,000 people on the move were exposed to starvation, disease and massacre on the way.

Gandhi was on his way o the Punjab when he stopped in Delhi hoping to quell the riots that had broken out there. He was very distressed at the inhuman way the Delhi Hindus were treating the Muslims.

Gandhi’s gospel of forbearance and forgiveness towards Muslims marked him as a traitor in the eyes of many Hindu extremists. In the face of fanatical opposition, Gandhi redoubled his efforts and the major disturbances in Delhi subsided, but there were still troubles here and there.

Gandhi decided to do penance by fasting which he thought would bring about a change in the attitude of the Hindu fanatics. The fast began on January 13, 1948 there was gloom all over India at the news of Gandhi’s fast.

People though that he would not be able to survive another fast. The whole world watched as 78- year- old Gandhi fasted to save his country from destruction.