It was at 5 p.m. and 17 minutes on January 30, 1948. It was the moment of immense grief in Birla Bhavan, Delhi when Gandhi was shot at by assassins. Uttering ‘Hey Ram’ he closed his eyes. Sun disappeared with tears of regret in its eyes. It was a long night for India, an independent country that had just opened its eyes to freedom from British rule.
The darkness melted into the following dawn with fresh Sunlight in every house. That light is Mahatma Gandhi and still keeps burning in the hearts of people around the world.
The day when Bapu was assassinated is observed as Sarvodaya Day. He strived for the political, social, and religious upliftment of the people of the Indian subcontinent. He made India a proud nation by giving a model of governance based on non-violence, tolerance, and humanity befitting the patriotic song “saare jahaan se accha Hindustan hamara…”
His conviction to the path of “non-violence” was unfluctuating. He became a martyr while walking on the path of non-violence. He said countering violence with violence was not a solution. Instead, one should alleviate the violence within us. He always wanted to see and make India a nation based on the philosophy of inclusiveness, pluralism, confidence, and self-reliance.