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Attempts to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi

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Followers of Mahatma Gandhi claim that there were five unsuccessful attempts to assassinate him.

If I am to die by the bullet of a mad man, I must do so smiling. There must be no anger within me. God must be in my heart and on my lips.

Mahatma Gandhi on January 28, 1948, two days prior to his assassination.
Contents

First Attempt

On 25 June, 1934, Mahatma Gandhi was in Pune along with Kasturba to deliver a speech at "Corporation Auditorium". They were travelling in a motorcade of two cars. En route, they came across a railway level crossing. The car in which the couple was travelling was left behind and the first car reached the auditorium. Just when the first car arrived at the auditorium, a bomb was thrown at the car which exploded. This caused grievous injury to the Chief Officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation, two policemen and seven others. However there is no account or records of investigation or arrests made in this connection. Mahatma Gandhi's secretary Pyarelal believes that the attempt failed due to lack of planning and co-ordination. Many have alleged that Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were involved in the attack.

Second Attempt

The second attempt on the life of Mahatma Gandhi is not considered as much an attempt to assassinate, rather than an instance of anger showed by an angry young man. In May 1944 Mahatma Gandhi was released from Agha Khan Palace prison and in a very short period of time, he contracted Malaria. On the advice of doctors, he took a vacation to Panchgani, a hill station near Pune. During his stay at Panchgani, Gandhi was staying at Dilkush Bungalow. A group of 15-20 young men came to Panchgani after realizing that Gandhi was staying there. This young crowd led by Nathuram Godse came through a chartered bus. These youth held a day long protest demonstration and declined to talk to Gandhi when invited. However, by evening, during the prayer meeting, Nathuram Godse rushed towards Gandhi with a dagger shouting anti-Gandhi slogans. He was unable to reach Gandhi as he was overpowered by Mani Shankar Purohit (Proprietor of Surti Lodge, Pune) and D. Billare Guruji of Satara (who later became a congress legislator from Mahabaleshwar). 


The documentary evidence of this attack can be found in the disposition made by ManiShankar Purohit and D.Billare Guruji before the Kapoor Commission set up to investigate the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. However the Kapoor Commission rejected this theory as many of the close associates of Mahatma Gandhi were not present during that time.



Third Attempt

The third attempt was also a demonstration. However people who testified before Kapoor Commission referred it as an attempt to murder. Mahatma Gandhi began his talks with Mohammad Ali Jinnah on 9 September, 1944 which lasted for 14 days. While leaving for Bombay from Sevagram Ashram, a group of Hindu activists stopped him. They did not want him to go to Bombay and hold talks with Jinnah. However, these protesters were stopped by volunteers of the ashram and the leader of this group, Nathuram Godse was again found in possession of a dagger.


Dr. Sushila Nayyar testified to this effect before the Kapoor Commission and she considered this an attempt at assassination. This incident has also been portrayed in the film Gandhi by Sir Richard Attenborough. However in the film it is not portrayed as an attempt to murder but as a peaceful demonstration in which the demonstrators were waving black flags.



Fourth Attempt

June 29, 1946, the train carrying Mahatma Gandhi called Gandhi Special derailed between Neral and Karjat stations of Bombay Section. The report submitted by the motorman or driver of the train claimed that boulders were placed on the tracks of the train with the intention to derail it. The train had crashed into the boulders. The Pune police claimed that the boulders were placed to stop goods trains by looters. There were no goods trains on the section before or after the train known as the Gandhi Special carrying Gandhiji and his entourage. The Police have not disclaimed sabotage and since the Gandhi Special was the only train on that route at that time, it is highly plausible that it must be the target.


By the grace of God I have escaped from the jaws of death seven times. I have not hurt anybody nor do I consider anybody to be my enemy, I can’t understand why there are so many attempts on my life? Yesterdays attempt on my life has failed. I will not die just yet, I aim to live till the age of 125 - Mahatma Gandhi at a prayer meeting in Pune.



Fifth Attempt

On January 20, 1948, Madanlal Pahwa, Shankar Kishtaiyya, Digambar Bagde Vishnu Karkare, Gopal Godse, Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte came to Birla Bhavan (aka Birla House) in Delhi to carry out an attack on Mahatama Gandhi. Except for Madanlal Pahwa and Vishnu Karkare, everyone else reached the venue through the rear entrance in a cab. Surjeet Singh was the cab driver. Madanlal Pahwa tried to bribe the driver at Birla Bhavan, named Choturam, to let him go behind the podium to take pictures of the Mahatma. However, Choturam became suspicious and asked Madanlal Pahwa, why he needed photographs from behind, and inquired about the absence of a camera. Madanlal Pahwa just left, having Choturam think he was going back to the taxi; however, he placed a cotton ball enclosing a bomb on the wall behind the podium and ignited it. The bomb went off without creating any panic. The team had left after abandoning Madanlal Pahwa.



On interrogation, Madanlal Pahwa admitted that he was part of a seven member gang who wanted to kill the Mahatma. The plan was that Madanlal Pahwa  would explode the bomb as close to the podium as possible while Digambar Bagde or Shankar Kishtaiyya would shoot Mahatma Gandhi in the head, ensuing panic and stampede, using the chaotic situation to effect their escape. Vishnu Karkare was to compound the chaos by hurling hand grenades. However, faced with Choturam's suspicious attitude, Digambar Bagde decided not to act at the last minute, and also instructed Shankar Kishtaiyya (who was his servant) to do the same.


Later, Madanlal Phawa lead the police to the Marina Hotel where Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were staying and also to Sharief Hotel where all other gang members were staying. Everyone had left by that time and the police was only able to recover some letters and clothes which had the initials "NVG" on it. By this time they were able to identify that the members of that team were from Maharashtra; however they were not able to establish the identity and the involvement of Nathuram Godse.


During the Mahatma Gandhi Murder trial, Madanlal Pahwa was idenfied by Mrs. Sulochana Devi, who had come to Birla Bhavan in search of her three year old son (who used to play in the servant quarters). She was the fifteenth witness in the trial, and Surjeet Singh, the driver was the fourteenth witness.


"Is it true that on the day of the bomb blast during the search of the room at Marina Hotel clothes were found bearing the initials N.V.G. – Nathuram Vinayak Godse -? On the basis of which the police went to Bombay and requested the Bombay police to look for this person, the Bombay police assured the Delhi police to do the needful and asked them to return, but did nothing. Is it true that the Bombay Police failed in tracing Nathuram Vinayak Godse?" - Balkrishna Sharma during the debate on murder of Mahatma Gandhi in the Constituent Assembly of India.


"To comment on matters under investigation is both difficult and unwarranted. I can only say that after the arrest and interrogation of the bomber, an officer of Delhi police went to Bombay and briefed the C.I.D. in Bombay. After the briefing, it was decided that some people should be arrested but to arrest them immediately would lead to the other conspirators going underground. So the Delhi police and Bombay C.I.D. decided to defer the arrests for some time to enable them to uncover the conspiracy and all who were involved in it. It is true that the police were on a look out for them but all of them were not in Bombay." - Sardar Patel during the debate on murder of Mahatma Gandhi in the Constituent Assembly of India



Final Attempt

After the failed attempt at Birla House, Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte returned to Pune via Bombay.


With the help of Dr. Dattatraya Parchure and Gangadhar Dandavate they purchased a Beretta automatic and eleven bullets at Gwalior and reached Delhi on January 29, 1948. On January 30, 1948 at 5:10 p.m. Nathuram Godse got close to Mahatma Gandhi and shot him thrice in his chest at point blank range. Mahatma Gandhi was declared dead. Many people have also said that sweets were distributed in Pune and other places of India, when the news of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination reached them through the supporters of Hindu Mahasabha.



Controversy over Hey Ram

The controversy over the last word(s) uttered by Mahatma Gandhi is still a matter of debate. Venkita Kalyanam, former personal assistant to Mr. Gandhi said that he was present at the spot and Gandhi did not utter a single word. 


New Delhi's Tughlak Road police station's assistant sub-inspector Dhalu Ram says recorded Nand Lal Mehta's statement



:"...suddenly a man, who was later identified as Nathu Ram Godse took steps out of the crowd and fired three shots at Mahatmaji. Bullets hit him on the stomach and chest. The Mahatma fell down saying Ram-Ram..."


:Nand Lal Mehta in the First Information Report recorded on January 30, 1948, at 9.45 p.m.



There is no mention in the FIR that any doctor was called. It is still debated that as to why he was not rushed to hospital and was instead taken to the Birla House where he died later.


English version of the First Information Report can be found here [link]



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