In August 1947, much of India was preparing for the impending end of British rule. On the 15th, a peaceful transfer of power would put the Indian people in control of the subcontinent, although it would be divided into three pieces. Gandhi called this vivisection, and saw no reason to celebrate. He announced he would boycott all the official ceremonies, and instead travel east with a message of peace.
Eastern India, some of which was about to become East Pakistan, had seen several religious riots over the previous year. In Kolkata, Direct Action Day on August 16, 1946 had left thousands dead in the streets over a single weekend in the nation’s largest city. In October, Muslims in Noakhali had slaughtered Hindus, prompting Gandhi to undertake a four month walking tour there. In reprisal, Hindus killed Muslims in Bihar. This violence persuaded the British that a partition of India along religious lines would be the best solution.
On August 8, Gandhi was passing through Bihar. At his nightly prayer meeting, he warned the “Hindus of Bihar never to think of repeating their crime of last year.” It was a detour on the way to Noakhali, where he intended to be on August 15, so that when India gained independence, he would be in the new Muslim nation of Pakistan. “The 15th is the day of our trial,” he told the crowd. “Observe a fast on that day.”
Although Gandhi’s travel plans didn’t work out the way he intended, the resulting fast for peace on August 15 was a glorious success. I’ll be tracing his path over the next week, building up to the next 30-day Gandhi challenge which begins that day. If you’re willing to challenge yourself, you can sign up here.
How was the date of August 15 chosen as the day for the transfer of power? Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, selected the date to commemorate the Japanese surrender in World War Two. That surrender came after the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945, over the city of Nagasaki. Along with others around the country, I've been fasting since August 6 (Hiroshima Day) until today, as part of a fast for nuclear disarmament. It’s a sacrifice that pales in comparison to what was lost by those incinerated in a flash 78 years ago today.
What day in history would you turn into a holiday, given the chance?