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.
