Friday, August 10, 2012

Gandhi Journal Article - III


What Mahatma Gandhi did to save Bhagat Singh

Chander Pal Singh

Abstract
Gandhi's failure to secure commutation of Bhagat Singh's execution has provided his critics a convenient weapon to attack him. He has been accused of making half-hearted effort and even deception - for the alleged discrepancy between his actual role and his public statements. This paper attempts to establish that while following a consistent approach towards revolutionary violence, Gandhi tried his best to save the lives of Bhagat Singh and his colleagues till the last moment. The paper also discusses Gandhi's strategy to focus on suspension rather than commutation of the death sentence.
Executions of 23RD MARCH 1931 marked the collapse of the hopes of millions of Indians who had believed that Mahatma Gandhi would be able to save the lives of the three young heroes - Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. Gandhi's failure to stop the executions provided a potent weapon in the hands of his opponents who used it to malign him and charged him for disregarding the feelings of the entire nation.

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