“…in trying to kill me why are they inconsiderate to the innocents who are likely to be killed or injured along with me.”
Those were Mahatma Gandhi’s words when he had survived one of the murder attempts.
Before suffering the final fatal blow, Gandhiji had been subjected to five failed assassination attempts.
But, such was his profound selflessness, that even while facing the death risks, he was anxious about the safety of others.
Uttering “Hey Ram”, he had breathed his last breath.
In the Birla House, later known as Gandhi Smriti, Father of the Nation was assassinated when he was 79 years of age on January 30, 1948.
While almost all of us are aware that it was Nathuram Godse who had carried out the murder, do you know that that there were prior five assassination attempts on Bapu?
In the book “Beyond Doubt – A Dossier on Gandhi’s Assassination” published in 2015, edited by the Indian journalist and civil rights activist, Teesta Setalvad, all the five murder attempts were documented.
First attempt occurred on June 25, 1934
According to the archived evidences, it was in Pune when Gandhi ji had arrived to deliver a speech, that the conspirators had bombed a car presuming Bapu was in it. His secretary Pyarelal on his book “Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase” mentions how much Bapu was grieved at the loss of innocent lives due to the conspiracy.
Second attempt in July 1944
Out of the five attempts, Godse was involved in three. It was in Panchgani when Gandhi ji was advised to rest that a group of protesters created a ruckus mouthing anti-Gandhi slogans. As a result, Gandhi ji invited the leader of the group Nathuram for a discussion which the latter rejected. Later on, during the prayer meeting, Godse was seen rushing towards Gandhiji with a dagger but was luckily tackled by Manishankar Purohit and Bhillare Guruji of Satara. Both of them had testified about this attack before the Kapur Commission.
Third attempt in September 1944
The Hindu Mahasabha was against the Gandhi-Jinnah meet. Godse and L.G.Thatte picketed the ashram to prevent Gandhiji from visiting Mumbai for the session. The ashram inmates detained Godse when he tried to attack Gandhi; a dagger was confiscated as documented in the Kapur Commission.
Fourth attempt in June 1946
Another attempt to kill Gandhi ji was hatched when he was travelling by the train Gandhi special to Pune. The train had crashed into the boulders placed on the tracks and thanks to the driver’s skills that though the train had met with an accident between Nerul and Karjat station, Gandhi ji was saved.
Fifth attempt on January 20, 1948
It was during a meeting at Birla Bhavan that the conspiracy to yet again attack Bapu was hatched. Madanlal Pahwa, Nathuram Godse, Narayan Apte, Vishnu Karkare, Digambar Badge, Gopal Godse and Shankar Kistaiya had planned to attend the meeting to execute the murder. They were supposed to throw a bomb at the podium and then shoot. But fortunately, the plan did not work as Madanlal was caught, and identified in time by Sulochona Devi.
Standing true to his words:
“If I’m to die by the bullet of a mad man, I must do so smiling. God must be in my heart and on my lips”- till his last breath.
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