How was Mahatma Gandhi killed on 20 January 1948?
Nathuram Godse Birth Anniversary: On this day, Nathuram Godse was born on 19 May 1910. Born in a Brahmin family of Baramati, Nathuram Godse’s parents had lost three sons before that. The family understood that this was happening due to some curse, so he pierced his fourth son Nathuram’s nose and put him on her clothes like a girl. In the village, he was known as Nathmal. Later, after the birth of another son, he was renamed Nathuram.
Due to his radical ideas, this Nathuram Godse shot three bullets with his pistol in Mahatma Gandhi’s chest on 30 January 1948. Godse and his associates had earlier planned to kill Mahatma Gandhi on 20 January, but his attempt failed and Gandhiji remained 10 more days.
He narrowly escaped in the January 20 attack
On 20 January 1948, 10 days before his death, Mahatma Gandhi was the first attempt to assassinate. However, he narrowly survived in this attack. From January 20, he started hearing his death for the next 10 days. In his last days, Mahatma Gandhi had forecast his death as if he knew that something similar was going to happen to him on or before 30 January. He had mentioned this at least 14 times through many newspapers, public meetings and prayer meetings.
On January 21, Mahatma Gandhi had said that if someone shoots me very closely and I face those bullets while taking the name Ram in a smiling heart, then I deserve congratulations. January 30 was the same black day when Mahatma Gandhi said goodbye to this country. Mahatma Gandhi was killed by Nathuram Godse at Birla Bhavan on 30 January 1948.
How did the planning to assassinate Gandhiji fail on 20 January?
- According to the plan, Madanlal Pahwa had to throw a bomb, causing a stampede and then shot Gandhiji in a state of confusion, but Pahwa got nervous and the bomb exploded far away from Gandhiji and prematurely.
- Digambar Budge was supposed to shoot at Gandhiji, but after the bomb exploded he was scared of stampede and noise and could not shoot.
- Soon after the bomb exploded, people present at the scene caught Madanlal Pahwa. During interrogation, he gave information about the conspiracy, which included Nathuram Godse and others.
- Despite getting information from Pahwa, the Delhi Police did not take any effective action in the matter nor tried to arrest Godse or other conspirators. The court later strongly criticized this negligence of the police.
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