The light has gone out of our lives.
On January 30, 1948, at 6:00 PM, the Government of India made a carefully worded
announcement over All India Radio, stating, "Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New
Delhi at twenty minutes past five this afternoon."
At approximately 5:17 PM on that day, Gandhi was in the garden of Birla House, now a
museum, with his grandnieces, on his way to address a prayer meeting. Nathooram
Godsay, a Hindu nationalist, fired three bullets into his chest from a pistol at close
range. Gandhi succumbed to his wounds soon after.
Following the announcement, messages of condolence for Gandhi’s death poured in
from around the world.
Bernard Shaw acerbically noted, "It shows how dangerous it is to be good."
Albert Einstein was a great admirer of Gandhi and his philosophy. He said: “Generations
to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such one as this ever in flesh and blood
walked upon this earth.”
In a gesture of respect, the United Nations lowered its flag to half-mast. In India, the
news of the assassination plunged the country into deep shock. At the mourning
chamber in Birla House, the Governor-General, Lord Mountbatten, brought Nehru, then
the prime minister, and Sardar Patel the deputy prime minister close together. He
revealed Gandhi's dying wish: "They listen to you more than they do to me. Do your best
to bring them together." Visibly moved, Patel and Nehru embraced. Mountbatten then
asked Nehru to address the nation, as people were now looking to him for leadership.
Nehru, emotionally overwhelmed, replied, "I can't. I am too upset. I am not prepared. I
don't know what to say." Mountbatten reassured him, saying that God would guide his
words.
Later that evening, Nehru addressed the nation on All India Radio. His spontaneous and
unprepared speech was delivered in English. The speech began with the famous words
“The light has gone out of our lives". He identifies himself with the Indian masses in
their sorrow by expressing his helplessness and stating, "I do not know what to tell you
or how to say it". Nehru then went on to warn the masses of the dangers of
communalism and asked them to take a solemn pledge to work for unity, fraternity, and
peace as the best tribute they could pay to Gandhi's memory.