Mahatma Gandhi: The first victim of partition

Pages: 211-212
Vikram Sharma (Faculty of Arts (Social Science & Humanities), Pacific University, Udaipur, Rajasthan)

Gandhi had spent a couple of years touring India and refamiliarizing himself with his native country, he embarked on a mission to bring satyagraha to India. His end goal for India was liberation from the British Raj and self-government, and so he joined the nationalist movement that had already been organizing for several years. Gandhi’s methods sparked media attention, and news of the events he organized was disseminated throughout the land. Whenever he was jailed, for example (which was often), the story would be placed in the headlines of major newspapers, making other Indians aware of the palpability and strength of the movement to liberate India. Independence was finally achieved on August 15, 1947, through the Indian Independence Act. The division of India ran counter to all his dreams and hopes for his homeland. He opposed the partitioning of the nation, believing that all of India’s diverse subgroups, including Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, and others, could live peacefully together, as they had done for the centuries before the British Raj. Gandhi’s views caused many to turn against him, especially radical Hindus, who believed he was betraying them, and the partition claimed its first victim