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GANDHI ON DEATH
Dear Editor,
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, son of Gujarat, father of Bharat, and teacher of all mankind, departed his mortal body on January 30, 1948 but left us lessons with his last breath.
One of International repute attracts extensive research on his life but Rajmohan Gandhi’s reference to his grandfather’s last days is preferable as outlined in his book PATEL.
When the Mahatma broke his fast on January 17 at 12:45 pm the violent factions all made promises to keep him alive. But this clearly did not please everyone.
On January 20, 1948 a bomb was thrown during a prayer meeting, Mandanlal who hurled the grenade was caught and provided information that there was a conspiracy to kill Gandhi by those who escaped.
Uniformed and plainclothes policemen were placed at different parts of Birla House but this only annoyed Gandhi. He even refused Patel’s permission to search every man entering the house.
On January 30, 1948 about 4.00 pm Vallabhbhai Patel was having his last conversation with Gandhi during his evening meal of vegetables, orange slices and milk. The extensive discussions made him late for his prayer meeting as the subject was the breach between Nehru and Patel. The three were supposed to meet the next day but the actions of Nathuram Godse intervened and the world knows the rest.
A few minutes after leaving Birla House, Patel got the message Bapu was shot. He returned to find the body on the floor, his face calm and serene while he uttered last words “He Ramas,” the Gita was being recited by those around.
Nehru came a few minutes later, and like so many others, cried like a baby. Gandhi’s wish as disclosed by Lord Mountbatten was the reconciliation of Nehru and Patel and his death accomplished this.
The two embraced each other and addressed the nation together that night. Patel, the iron man, gave clear instructions to police impose strict restrictions all over India and quash speculation by letting the public know that the assassin was a Hindu.
BIRTH AND DEATH
It is customary to celebrate October 2, each year as the date on which this great soul arrived on this earth but there are few activities on January 30 in part because we do not share or understand the messages that the Mahatma and the Gita left with us.
He often wondered why do we fear or mourn death if we believe the Atman to be immortal and as the Gita states cannot be destroyed by weapons, fire, water or air.
We die only to be born again for if death is not a prelude to another life; the intermediate period is a cruel mockery. This ancient message still has to reach many who refuse to welcome death as they welcome birth.
When birth and death are treated as pairs of opposite believers will approach them as inevitable and equal, not treating death with sorrow and birth with joy.
Life becomes livable only to the extent that death is treated as a friend, never as an enemy as it delivers us from numerous trials, tribulations and sufferings.
Hopefully, we can learn from his death and continue to celebrate his life and message by organising more events around January 30 each year to reduce greed, violence to all living organisms, and excessive materialism which leads to all kinds of ecological problems on the spaceship called earth.
The search for Truth and Peace involves more than non-violence. It transcends all aspects of life, all professions and disciplines and his passing should be viewed as another opportunity to save us from ourselves by sharing the eternal universal messages of the GREAT SOUL.
Ramnarine Sahadeo
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