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C M Y K The book throws more light on the century between 1846 and 1947, leading to Pakistan being deeply dissatisfied with inheriting, in the words of Jinnah, a 'moth-eaten' country, and in Kashmir a longing for independence... A review P3 SUNDAY, 26 JANUARY 2020 Mahatma and a ravaged Calcutta While India celebrated its freedom on the night of 14 August 1947, Gandhi was at Hydari Manzil in the city, away from the euphoria. During the next 25 days in Calcutta, he braved an angry mob, punished himself by fasting and walked for long durations only for peace to return SOMEN SENGUPTA you kill me?” he said while coming down the stairs with folded hands. Though the n that moment of glory Mahatma police was called to clear the mob, his Gandhi was missing from every cel- indomitable power of confronting the truth ebration. In London’s India House, a was still working. He was unvanquished Ifestive mob had assembled in front before the mob. of his life-sized photograph. In Delhi, Babu Calcutta was in flames the next day. Rajendra Prasad and Lord Mountbatten At Miyabagan, as a Muslim family was shift- were praising him as an icon of the time ing their belongings in a truck, a bomb in Raisina Hill’s Constituent Assembly. was tossed from the roof a mansion In every city, town and hamlet of nearby, killing two people on the spot. Gand- India, people were on the streets at mid- hi rushed to the place and wept over the night hailing his name, singing songs and dead bodies. Even in September, Calcutta dancing with joy. Every news agency, news- was in no mood to listen to the most dec- paper and radio station of the world was orated man of India’s freedom. In Hydari struggling to catch him but he was Manzil, Gandhi prepared himself for a fast nowhere to be found. As Jawaharlal till death if amity did not return. On 2 Sep- Nehru delivered his “Tryst with destiny” tember, The Statesman front page speech, the man who had led the nation Hydari Manzil as it looks today announced, “Mahatma Gandhi Begins Fast to a new dawn was asleep in a dark, dilap- —Will end it only if sanity returns to Cal- idated house in Calcutta. cutta.” After his dinner at 9 pm on 14 August But soon Gandhi’s condition deteri- 1947, Gandhi made a silent round of the orated. His heart beat was faint and a mas- city in his car to see how people were cel- sage was needed to bring it back. An anx- ebrating. He practically rejected the coun- A clipping from The Statesman Archive ious Calcutta rushed to his house but there try’s freedom when it became a reality. was no sign of the riots stopping. From In 1947, Gandhi realised that his posi- 3 September, Gandhi could only murmur tion in the Congress was not the same as and his pulse weak. Even in his weakest before. His party consented to the Parti- voice he was trying to say that revenge tion without even discussing with him. was foolhardy. Except him, everybody else was directly The thought that Gandhi was dying negotiating for power. Gandhi was an iso- and his death would deface Calcutta lated man, both personally and politically. beyond recovery filled the air. The Cal- His wife Kasturba, Rabindranath Tagore, cutta Police and Calcutta Bar Association Mahadev Desai and Charles Andrews — joined his fast to express their support. all his close friends had died. Still, he was Soon University students joined them too. running around the country trying to stop “We cordially wish him unqualified suc- the riots that were raging at the time. He cess” commented The Statesman, which was visiting Bengal frequently since was always ruthlessly critical to Gandhi’s November 1946 and spent time in Sodepur fasting as a political tool. from 4 March to 14 May 1947. That afternoon, 27 people came to When freedom was at the doorstep and Beliaghata and surrendered their weapons. the power corridors of Delhi were abuzz, Even culprits of the Miyabagan arrived. Gandhi decided to spend 15 August in East By evening, it seemed Gandhi had changed Pakistan. He chose Noakhali again because the heart of Calcutta. violence against Hindus was seeing no The next day, while still fasting, Gand- end there. On 9 August, he had arrived hi made five representatives of three reli- from Patna and directly moved to Sodepur. gious communities sign a pledge to keep The Calcutta of August 1947 was a city Calcutta away from communal flames. of fear and hate. In March that year, 80 Finally at 9.15 pm, on 4 September, after lives had been lost during four days of riots. 73 hours when not a single communal clash From June to August, the city streets was reported for the entire day, Gandhi were thick with Army personnel and broke his fast with a glass of orange juice. every communally sensitive area was The next two days Calcutta remained under curfew. completely calm and normalcy started The archive of The Statesman shows returning to every corner. Gandhi decid- the ugly face of a city, which was still India’s ed to go to Punjab as there was no sign biggest and richest metropolis. “Condi- The hall inside the house The weapons surrendered to Gandhi of peace there. He held a civic reception tion Greatly Deteriorates in Calcutta — from Calcutta Municipal Corporation Clashes in Beliaghata and Chitpur” read ond, Gandhi would stay with Suraward- a dormitory was set up. In the last 45 years the mob saw the Surawardhy behind Gand- to celebrate Id-Ul-Fitr. Another grand gath- on 6 September and left the city for the the headline of The Statesman on 8 hy in a locality were Muslims were being or so, Gandhi had stayed at the Grand Hotel, hi. To tame the tensed atmosphere an exas- ering took place at the Maidan on 25 August. last time on 7 September. August. In its 4 August edition, it had report- killed and no police protection was to be Birla House and the posh residence of the perated Gandhi finally said, “I am a Every evening, there was a prayer meet- Gandhi’s mode of leaving Calcutta was ed 13 more communal clashes with deployed. The latter sounded irrational Bose family in Woodburn Park. This time, bania. I know my business.” That night ing to spread the message of harmony. an affront to the city. As there was a report killing and arson in Muchipara, Taratala but no one dared question him. he negotiated Hydari Manzil. Sardar itself he decided to stay back till the time When everything was looking fine for of an attempt on his life near College Street and Beliaghata. A dilapidated house called Hydari Patel wrote to him, “You are in Calcutta Calcutta returned to peace. Calcutta and Gandhi was planning to leave and Harrison Road crossing, he took a secret Gandhi arrived in a Calcutta, which Manzil, owned by a Gujarati trader from and that too in a murderous place, a ver- On the morning of 15 August, Gand- for Noakhali, the situation changed on the route. His car was diverted to BT Road and was far away from reason and peace. S Surat named Gani Miya, was selected. It itable den of goondas, and what a choice hi woke up early. The city that had been midnight of 31 August. A group of Hin- took him to Bally Station instead of Surawardhy, the premier of Bengal, who was located at 150 Beliaghata Main Road. of companion.” witnessing riots for one year was converted dus came to him with a wounded person Howrah. There, from an almost dark has been disgraced in history as “The Butch- Beliaghata, a Hindu-dominated locality, On arriving at Beliaghata on 13 August, into a haven of cordial co-existence but claiming his injury was inflicted by a Mus- platform with a thin presence of officials, er of the Great Calcutta Killings of 1946”, had witnessed large-scale communal Gandhi was confronted by an angry on that day itself, Barrackpore and lim. As his wounds were not serious one of the greatest icons of the century rushed to meet him. He requested Gand- clashes in the year before. A big slum named Hindu mob. They wanted him to move Kanchrapara saw communal killings. He Gandhi did not entertain the mob. They boarded the Punjab Mail to Delhi. hi to stay back and protect Calcutta’s Mus- Miyabagan, inhabited by Muslims, was to places like Kankurgachi or Ultadanga realised that not enough was being done. returned at midnight in larger numbers Gandhi’s long association with Ben- lims, who were under tremendous threat almost evacuated during the riots. where Hindu lives were being devastat- Gandhi started taking long walks from and with weapons in tow. They wanted gal that had started from 1896 came to from the retaliatory Hindus. Gandhi It was a shabby house open from all ed. He called around 20 of them inside his Beliaghata abode every day covering Surawardhy to be handed over to them. an end. In those 25 days in Calcutta, he agreed but put a couple of conditions. sides. As it had been locked for a long while, and explained that his presence in Sarkar Bazar, Phoolbagan, Jora Mandir, Bricks and stones were pelted, and lath- had braved an angry mob, punished First, the Muslim League government the doors were broken and windows had Beliaghata would create pressure on Rasmoni Bazar and some parts of Narkel- is rained on every window and door.

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