enjoy full rights and are have equal right to get the protection of the State, irrespective of the religion to which they belong.
On 15th August, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, was trying to
bring peace to riot-torn Noahkhali (in Bengal). He came to the capital, Delhi, only
on 9th September, 1947. The old man was unhappy with the communal riots in
north-western India and tried to calm the fears and anger of the people. Yet,
some sections of people were annoyed with Gandhi for his role in Indian politics.
They disturbed his all-religion prayer meetings many times. An unsuccessful
attempt on his life was made two days before his actual assassination. It was on
28 January, 1948 that Gandhi said, “If I am to die by the bullet of a mad man, I
must do so smiling. There must be no anger within me. God must be in my heart
and on my lips.”
Finally, less than six months after Independence,
on the evening of 30th January, 1948, Gandhi was shot
with three bullets while going for his all-religion prayer
meeting. Before dying Gandhi said, ‘Hey Ram’. His
assassin, Nathuram Godse ran off from the scene of
crime and was later arrested in Bombay. He was once
a member of Hindu Mahasabha and because of his
actions, many became against this organisation.
Consequently, on 14th February, 1948, All India Hindu
Mahasabha decided to ‘suspend its political work and
concentrate on real organisational work’ instead. A
fanatic Godse had, thereby, hurt his own friends and
harmed his own mission.
There were around 550 Princely states in India.
These states enjoyed different levels of sovereignty but all were under British
power. As the British were going to withdraw from India, these princely states
were going to become independent. They were asked to decide if they wanted to
join India, Pakistan or remain independent. The ordinary people of the princely
states had become aware of democratic rights through participation in Praja Mandal
movements. They did not want the princely families to continue to rule over them.
In Travancore and Hyderabad, peasants were revolting with arms against the ruling
zamindars.
The Congress supported the movements of the people of the princely states
and declared that they should join India in making the new Constitution of the
country. Sardar Patel was given charge of this matter in July 1947. He began