On August 15, 1947 India became independent. Prime Minister Nehru addressed the nation from the rampart of the Red Fort. Mahatma Gandhi could not reach Delhi. The communal riots had anguished him. He had to come to Delhi as the city was in the grip of communal tension and refugees from Pakistan were pouring into the city fuelling the atmosphere with horrific stories of their experience. He was on his way to Punjab where situation was grave. At the railway station he was met by Sardar Patel and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur to apprise him of the explosive situation in the walled city of Delhi. Gandhiji used to stay in Harijan quarters but now refugees had flooded it. For security reasons he was requested to stay at Birla House. Gandhiji agreed.
Gandhiji arrived in Birla House on Sept. 5, 1947. With Mahatma in, the place became a public affair. Its doors were opened for the general public. Anyone could going in whoever wished to see Gandhiji. An unknown refugee revealed the tale of his woes. Muslims were hiding around in the walled city to save their lives. A Muslim delegation came to seek his help. Women organisation, trade unionists and press and cabinet members were barging in. The distinguished visitors included Lord Mountbaton, Sardar Patel, Nehru, Maulana Azad etc. Everyone wanted his suggestion, advice or just comment. Such was Gandhiji’s routine in Birla House.
Gandhiji would get up 3.30 a.m. in the morning and pray for 15 minutes in verandah adjoining his room. Then morning newspapers would be gone through and breakfast taken in his room or the garden outside.
From 5.30 onward the people would begin to arrive to see Gandhiji and pay their respects. Upto 8 a.m. he would stroll and talk to the visitors along. Then he would go around the town taking stock of the situation in Birla’s white car. After return he met the stream of visitors. On the average he met 40-50 people each day and exchange views on the current situation.
In the evening Gandhiji would hold prayer meting which was attended by 100 to 600 people in the open air. Delhi was perpetually under curfew and the number of visitors depended on the mood of the city. In the accompany of musical instruments mass prayers continued. It would be all regions exercise invocations from Quran, Gita, Bible, Granth Sahib and Ramadhun. After prayers Gandhiji delivered sermon for 15 minutes which was aired live on radio.
In his long stay in Birla House Gandhiji met thousands of peoples of various walks of life and visited hundreds of refugee camps and relief centres. In his idealist vein Gandhiji appealed to Muslims to stay in their homes in India even at the cost of death. To the refugees from Pakistan he promised as soon as the period of aberration passed they would be able to go to their homes back in Pakistan. He advised patience. A group of 500 RSS men confronted Gandhiji in Harijan Basti (colony) and raised slogans against him as ‘the enemy of Hindus and protectors of Muslims’.
Even in very bad situations Gandhiji kept going to refugee camps. During the riots 137 mosques were desecrated. In them Hindu idols installed and worshipped. A Muslim group came to him and presented a half burnt copy of Quran and went away without saying a word. Gandhiji would often pray to God during those days—’If the degeneration of my country does not stop, O God, call me (to your domain) off this world!”
In such sad and anguishful day Gandhiji saw his 78th birthday arrive. The communalised atmosphere of the country made Gandhiji feel so gloomy that on Diwali day Birla family decided light up no lamps in Birla House that year. When the people were thirsting for each other’s blood what can one celebrate?
On January 12, 1948 Gandhiji declared that he would sit upon fast unto death for the return of communal amity and brotherhood. He said—’My most important this fast will bring soothing smile to the hurt hearts of the people and country will again see peace and calm. Or he will give away his life.”
In this context it will be pertinent to mention that the fast was also against the improper and dishonest act of Indian government. In the partition time in respect of division of assets and treasury Pakistan was to get 5,500 lac rupees as its cash share. Seeing the anti Hindu policy of Pakistan Sardar Patel was reluctant to release the money to Pakistan. He blocked the transfer and threatened the amount shall be confiscated if Hindus continued to be slaughtered in Pakistan. Gandhiji was clear in his mind that government of India had no moral right to withhold the money that belonged to Pakistan. And the added factor was Kashmir in which case Pakistan was threatening to take it by use of military.
G.D. Birla agreed with Sardar Patel that the money should be denied to Pakistan to moderate its aggressive postures. The money could be used by Pakistan to buy arms and wage a battle against India. Birla was not in favour of indirect funding of Pakistan’s evil plans against India. Gandhiji’s fast created a dilemma for Birla who had informed him in confidence that the balance share of money of Pakistan would not be transferred as he knew Patel’s mind.
Two days into the fast Gandhiji stopped taking his routine morning walk. Radio microphone was set up by his bedside on which he would appeal to the countrymen to maintain peace.
During the fast period on the 5th day thousands of people came to Birla House to lend their support to him as they were his ardent admirers and faithfuls. ‘Hindu-Muslim bhai-bhai’ slogans were often raised every now and then. The public mood was changing and the detractors of Gandhi were now getting isolated. They were Hindu fanatics of rabid kind. They continued to viciate the atmosphere.
Some fanatic bands often managed to barge into Birla House and raised anti-Gandhi slogans. Once such slogans were heard by Jawaharlal Nehru who had come to see Gandhiji. At the gate of Birla House the fanatic mob was screaming—”Let Gandhi die—we will take blood for blood!” and “Kill Gandhi! He is a Muslim supporter!” Nehru lost his temper and ran to the gate. To the mob he yelled, “You shall kill me before you think of killing Gandhiji.”
At last, the cabinet decided to release the Pakistan’s share of cash and Gandhiji was persuaded to end his fast. The leaders of both communities also met Gandhiji and assured him that communal unity shall be restored fast. It came as a great relief to Birla family. But how painful that relief would prove was not imagined by anyone!
Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
The end of the fast brought joy to his followers but it did not last long. Two days later a crude bomb exploded not very far from where Gandhiji sat in his evening prayer. No one was hurt but a wall of Birla House collapsed. The security was tightened up after that. The gate was manned by nine police men and two dozen police personnel were stationed inside the House in civilian dress. A few days later on January 30, 1948 Gandhiji was assassinated when he had gone for his routine evening prayer at 5.07 p.m. A Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse fired on Gandhiji from a close range. Godse was assisted by some accomplices.
As the news of the assassination spread crowds rushed towards Birla House. For miles around the Bhavan one could see a sea of people. Nehru formally announced the demise of Gandhiji. G.D. Birla was not in Delhi but he rushed to Delhi the very next morning. Gandhiji’s funeral was attended by 10-15 lac people who were singing prayers that were favourites of the departed soul. The body of Gandhiji was placed on a military gun carrier. Nehru, Patel, Kripalani Rajendra Prasad and Devdas Gandhi were present in the funeral procession on the carrier. There was no space for Birla. He walked behind the carrier but the crowd jostled him away. He returned to his deserted house and listened to the funeral proceedings on the radio.
For the assassination security arrangements were held responsible. The assassination forced the government to take steps against communal organisations. R.S.S. and Hindu Mahasabha were banned and their 25,000 workers were arrested. Hindu Mahasabha was the topic of mention because Jugal Kishor Birla was its patron. Many Sabha leaders and affiliated body representatives too were sent to jail. Hanuman Prasad Poddar and Jaidayal Goenka also were put in prison. Jugal Kishor asked G.D. to try to secure their release. G.D. had no sympathy for them. So, he reposed to oblige.
Poddar used to publish ‘Kalyan’ which had carried many poisonous articles against Gandhiji and G.D. Birla did not approve of it. G.D. said—”I can not understand what makes you think the two were serving the cause of Sanatana Dharma? Those two appeared to be the preachers of Satanic Dharma.”
Although elder Birla Jugal Kishor put pressure of G.D. Birla in this matter but later refused to do anything about it.
Memorial of Gandhiji
After the assassination of Gandhiji, being a close associate of the deceased leader G.D. understood his responsibility towards his family. He was very worried about the two grand daughters of Gandhiji, namely Manu and Abha. After the last rites of Gandhiji G.D. Birla met Devdas Gandhi and Kanu Gandhi to talk about the future of the two girls. Birla assured Gandhi associates Pyarelal and Sushila Nayar that he would extend every help to the girls. Infact, he gave a blank cheque to Sushila Nayar for their welfare. He got a personal account opened in their names in 1948 itself with Rs. 5000 for initial expenses.
Birla had a wish that all the spoken and worded records of Gandhiji compiled as his memorial for the posterity. It was to be all official and unofficial or personal records about him. The idea was great. Pyarelal promised him of all help and cooperation. G.D. Birla provided all possible facilities and resources to Pyarelal.
G.D. consulted Patel, Nehru and other industrialists and business men about ‘Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Trust’ about the finances because a huge fund was required. He talked to Sardar Patel at Mussoorie where the latter was recuperating after suffering a heart attack. G.D. Birla was given the task of collecting contributions from industrialists and buisnessmen. Birla told his community of business people that it was a matter of their prestige to meet the expectations in the noble task. The target was set as the following :
Cotton Textile Industries 2.4 Crores of rupees
Jute Industry 0.50 Crores of rupees
Coal Industry 0.25 Crores of rupees
Sugar Mills 0.50 Crores of rupees
Paper Mills 0.08 Crores of rupees
Iron and Steel Industry 0.25 Crores of rupees
Woolen Clothes Industry 0.10 Crores of rupees
Sardar Patel was promised Rs. 5 crores but now the target was 6.83 crores.
On April 4, 1950 G.D. Birla handed the final cheque of ‘Gandhi Memorial Fund’ for Rs. 5.27 crores he was able to raise from his own resources and donations by fellow businessmen.
About his relationship with Mahatma Gandhi once G.D. Birla revealed to B.B.C. in an interview—
“My ideological relationship with Mahatma Gandhi was such that on some matters I agreed with him and on some disagreed. About the usefulness or efficacy matters or policies I had my own thinking. Once I told to Gandhiji, ‘I believe in doing good work and good work can only be done by good people’. For this reason I never hesitated in helping Gahdhiji. I had promised to him that I would provide any financial existance asked for if was not beyond my means. I would not say ‘No’ to him. I am thankful to God that I never had to say that negative word. He used to take interest in having a look into the accounts of the (Gandhiji related) works but I never cared about accounting.”
In this way G.D. Birla had established a strange relationship with Gandhiji. He always kept it alive. Some individuals have a soul level relationship in which some Godly invisible thread link them. The similar kind of thread bound G.D. Birla and Gandhiji.
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