The violence continued unabated even after
independence. There was an exodus of Hindus and Muslims to and from the two
parts of Punjab. Hindu refugees in India were in dire straits.
October 24, 1947: armed Pakistani tribesmen
attacked Kashmir. The Maharaja of Kashmir acceded to India and the Indian army
entered Kashmir.
· The question of `55 Crores to be given to Pakistan came
up at this time. Since the commitment was only verbal and not final, and conditional
upon there being no outstanding issues, Government of India refused to pay up
until Pakistan at least called off the attacks on Kashmir.
1948
· January 13: Gandhi started a fast to force
the Government into giving this money to Pakistan, to reinstate Muslims in
their homes, and to return mosques taken over by Hindus in the city of Delhi.
On this very day, a train carrying Hindu and Sikh refugees from Bannu was
attacked at Gujarat railway station by Muslims. But Gandhi got his way.
· January 20: Nathuram Godse and some associates
conspired to set off a bomb 150 yards from Gandhi’s prayer meeting in a failed
attempt at assassinating Gandhi. Madanlal Pahwa was apprehended red-handed.
Upon torture, he revealed his co-conspirators as editors of Hindurashtra. Dr. Jain revealed this
conspiracy to Morarji Desai, Home Minister of Bombay Presidency, mentioning
Nathuram by name.
· For some inexplicable reason, Government of
India did not see fit to arrest Godse, nor was the most basic of precaution
taken to protect the Mahatma.
· January 30: Nathuram Godse fatally shot
Gandhi—a separate act independent of the original conspiracy.
· In contrast to the lackadaisical inaction in
preventing the death of the Mahatma, the Government now went on a frenzied
campaign to annihilate Savarkar and wipe out Hindutva-minded people. Almost
20,000 people were arrested, many of them tortured, and many more people came
under fire of the Governmental wrath. Savarkar was stigmatized as a pariah in
Indian society.
· Savarkar was arrested as a measure of
preventive detention under the Bombay Public Security Measures Act for
“promoting hatred by inciting Hindus against Muslims” and “inciting persons to
commit acts of violence against Muslims and persons who are endeavoring to
bring about unity between Hindus and Muslims.” He was kept isolated and not
allowed to even meet anyone, even his lawyer, until March 23rd.
· March 11: Savarkar was charged with
conspiracy to murder Gandhi on the basis of uncorroborated hearsay evidence
given by the approver Badge upon being tortured.
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