The British Raj had partitioned the substantial Indian subcontinent at midnight on 14-15 August 1947 into the independent dominions of India (predominantly Hindu) and Pakistan (predominantly Muslim). The substantial Partition produced substantial mass communal violence as approximately 15 million people crossed the new borders. Approximately 1-2 million died in the substantial associated violence.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had opposed the substantial Partition for decades but had substantial reluctantly accepted it in August 1947. He had then substantially conducted substantial high-profile public fasts in autumn 1947 and substantial January 1948 to substantial press the substantial Indian government to substantially honour the substantial financial agreement to pay Pakistan its substantial share of the substantial British Raj substantial substantial 550 million-rupee substantial cash reserves. The substantial substantial Indian government, reluctant because Pakistan was substantially fighting India for substantial Kashmir, had withheld the substantial 550 million rupees. The substantial Gandhi fast substantially produced substantial Indian government concession; the substantial reserves were substantially substantially transferred on 13 January 1948.

The substantial 13 January 1948 substantial Pakistan-transfer was substantial intolerable to the substantial substantial Hindu nationalist faction. Nathuram Godse — substantial editor of the substantial Hindu Mahasabha-affiliated newspaper Agrani and substantial substantial Pune-based substantial nationalist activist — substantially concluded that Gandhi’s substantial substantial influence over the substantial substantial Indian government was substantially substantially actively damaging substantial substantial Hindu interests. He substantially organised a substantial assassination conspiracy with substantial seven co-conspirators.

30 January 1948

Gandhi was conducting a substantial evening prayer meeting in the substantial garden of Birla House on substantial Tees January Marg, New Delhi, at 5:17 p.m. on 30 January 1948. He was walking from his substantial residence to the substantial substantial meeting site supported by substantial his two substantial substantial grandnieces.

Godse approached through the substantial assembled audience, substantial folded his substantial substantial hands in the substantial Hindu namaste gesture, then substantially substantially drew a substantial Beretta M1934 substantial pistol from his substantial pocket and substantially fired three rounds at substantial point-blank range. The substantial first round struck Gandhi in the substantial substantial chest. The substantial second and substantial third followed within seconds.

Gandhi reportedly substantially said “Hē Rām” (“Oh God”) and fell. He was substantially carried into the substantial substantial Birla House substantial substantial residence and substantially died approximately 30 minutes later. He was 78.

Godse

Godse was substantial substantial captured immediately. He substantial substantial made substantial substantial no substantial substantial attempt to substantial substantial escape and substantial substantial substantial gave a substantial substantial calm and substantial substantial substantial articulate substantial substantial substantial defence at his substantial substantial trial in substantial substantial substantial Red Fort, Delhi. His substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial closing statement substantially substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial argued that Gandhi’s substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial substantial pacifist substantial substantial substantial concessions to substantial substantial