It was midnight of 14 August 1947.
Delhi was being decked up for the grand celebration of independence and the transfer of powers.
Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was giving the famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech.But the man,who had helmed the fight for independence and had made the tryst possible was not seen anywhere there in the central parliament hall.
Our beloved Bapu was missing.
When India was gearing up to celebrate independence, the father of the nation had decided not to indulge in any of the festivities. It was his deliberate choice to be at Calcutta. Nehru and other prominent Congress leaders failed to dissuade him from going to Calcutta, the most fearful city at that time.
Gandhiji wanted to promote peace and harmony in a region, plagued by communal violence and riots.He was confident his efforts would help to calm the tension and restore peace.
Britishers had to free India. But the independence came at the cost of partition of the country. Gandhiji was totally against partition,but had to surrender to the demand. Independence, and emerged two countries ,Hindustan and Pakistan.
He had promised the two communities at Bengal that he would shield them when partition happened. He lived along with the warring people with prayer, fasting and spinning khadi.
When in the Parliament the grand ceremony was going on, Bapu was sleeping on a thin mat in a dilapidated home in the densely populated poor neighbourhood in Calcutta, oblivious of the jubilation at capital of the Nation, Delhi.
