The loss of dominion of India is irreparable, and it will be very difficult to fill the vacuum created by the passing way of such a great man at this moment.” Whatever our political differences, he was one of the greatest men produced by the Hindu community, and a leader who commanded their universal confidence and respect. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Governor-General and founder of Pakistan, said: “I am shocked to learn of the dastardliest attack on the life of Gandhi, resulting in his death. ![]() For a quarter of a century, this one man has been the major factor in every consideration of the Indian problem.” In a radio address to the nation on the night of January 30, 1948, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee said: “Mahatma Gandhi, as he was known in India, was one of the outstanding figures in the world today. The day Mahatma died, Patel made a promise he never broke.ĭescribing him as the liberator of the Hindu community, Indian Constituent Assembly President Rajendra Prasad said: “Can we ever dream that Gandhiji was bringing harm to the Hindus or to their religion? Was it ever possible that this liberator of the Hindu community and emancipator of the low and downtrodden could even think of doing so? But men with narrow minds and limited vision who do not understand the core of Hindu dharma thought it otherwise and the present calamity is a direct result of such an outlook.” Interestingly, Patel, the first Indian Deputy Prime Minister, took his objection about Nehru’s way of work as the Prime Minister to Gandhiji who asked him to promise that he would never resign from his post. In this letter to Nehru on February 3, 1948, Patel took the responsibility, as the Home Minister, of failure in Gandhi’s security and reiterated his resignation. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel resigned from his office of Home Minister and only after much persuasion from Nehru, he remain in the office. More than two million people joined the five-mile-long funeral procession that took over five hours to reach Raj Ghat from Birla House in Delhi where he had been assassinated. ![]() Perhaps I am wrong to say that nevertheless, we will not see him again, as we have seen him for these many years, we will not run to him for advice or seek solace from him, and that is a terrible blow, not only for me but for millions and millions in this country.” Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the Father of the Nation, is no more. ![]() After the assassination, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the nation by radio: “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere, and I do not quite know what to tell you or how to say it.
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