Mahatma Gandhi: The nation would mourn the 78th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. The assassination of Gandhi on 30 January 1948 is etched in history books as three gunshots that brought an abrupt end to the life of a man whose life was synonymous with peace, brotherhood and non-violence. However, many few know the little details and final moments that truly reveal the human and spiritual reality behind that legacy.
The Last Prayer Meeting
On the evening of 30 January, Mahatma Gandhi was expected to address his usual multi-faith prayer meeting at Delhi’s Birla House, now the Gandhi Smriti. Gandhi was running a few minutes late, delayed by a phone call and a short talk with Abha Chatterjee, his grandniece and her companion Manu Gandhi. When he finally emerged at the venue, he was walking slowly with one hand resting on the shoulder of Manu and one on the shoulder of Abha, as was his custom in his final days.
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As he started climbing the low steps to reach the raised lawn, the crowd of around 200 people spontaneously bowed in reverence. Gandhi acknowledged them with folded hands and a smile to his face. He had taken only a few steps before Nathuram Godse, who was livid with the policies of Gandhi, approached him.
The Three Shots and Gandhi’s Final Words
Godse fired three bullet shots from a Beretta M1934 pistol at point‑blank range into Gandhi’s chest and stomach. Gandhi with his folded hands murmured, “Hey Ram, Hey Ram” and collapsed.
What Happened Seconds After the Shots?
Gandhi was lifted by onlookers and was laid on a bed in his bedroom. No doctor was immediately available and the makeshift first‑aid box at Birla House had no medicine to treat gunshot wounds. The watch Manu was carrying showed 5:17 p.m. when the shots of Godse rang out. Mahatma Gandhi died around 5:40 p.m., roughly half an hour after the shooting.
Godse didn’t run away but stood still and asked the police to arrest him. A Royal Indian Air Force officer, Capt. Gopal Das, rushed forward, grabbed Godse’s wrist, and wrested the gun from him. The angry crowd then beat Godse brutally, and the police had to intervene to prevent a lynching.
The death of Mahatma Gandhi was not just a political murder but a violent and gruesome rejection of the very ideals he had lived and fasted for, making his final words (“Hey Ram”) a quiet, powerful statement of faith in the face of hatred.
