16/08/2025
The Division of India and the causes of the assassination of Gandhi .
The division of cash balances as well as allocation of public debt created tensions between the two countries. Pakistan wanted a one fourth share of the total cash balances, but India had to point out that only a small portion of the cash balance presented the real cash needs of the undivided India and the rest was maintained only as an anti-inflammatory mechanism. The amount was some rupees 550 million .The Indian government was not keen to release the money due to Pakistan as it was angry with Pakistan for having attempted to seize Kashmir by force. Gandhi saw this as being unnecessarily spiteful .He went on a fast and made the ending of the fast conditional on the transfer of the money owed to Pakistan .He succeeded in pressurising the Congress leadership to decide to give more cash resources to Pakistan (according to some scholars, this became one of the reasons for the assassination of Gandhi by a Hindu fanatic.)
On the evening of January 30, 1948 as he carried on his visual prayer meeting at Birla House (New Delhi ), Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse. The event sent shock waves through the nation in making. communalism and interpretation of nationalism were fundamental factors under whose influence Godse killed Gandhi.
Nathuram Godse was tried and sentenced to death. At his trial, he declared that he had acted as he had because of Gandhi's consistent pandering to the Muslims," culminating in his last Pro-Muslim fast (which) at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhi should be brought to an end immediately."
On February 4, 1948 rashtriya swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS) was banned by the government. It was felt by the government that the right wing extremism which the RSS was seen to represent would be very harmful for the unity of the nation.Though not directly involved in The assassination of Gandhi, the organisation was seen to have a hand in the Punjab violence .It also attracted the support of many of the refugees .It was also rumoured that the members of the RSS had celebrated the death of Gandhi.Nehru considered that groups such as the RSS had "the blood of Mahatma Gandhi on their hands" even though they dissociated themselves from his killing. The ban was lifted in July 1949,when the RSS accepted the conditions laid down by the government. These conditions were that the Sangh would restrict itself to cultural activities and not meddle with politics; renounce its agenda of violence and secrecy ; profess publicly loyalty to the Indian constitution and flag (tri-colour); and organise itself on democratic principles.
A Brief History of Modern India-
Challenges before the newborn Nation.
Pages -725 to 727
Spectrum 2023 Rajiv Ahir ,with contributions from Sabina Madan, Shashi Kumar Saxena and Kalpana Rajaram.
