Gandhi in Riot-Hit Calcutta: A Search for Peace on Independence Day

Why in the News?

• Mahatma Gandhi spent the period around 15 August 1947 in Calcutta, rather than participating in the main Independence celebrations in Delhi.
• He stayed at Hyderi Manzil in Beliaghata, an area with a large Muslim population that had witnessed communal violence.
• Gandhi believed that restoring communal peace in Calcutta was essential at a time when India was gaining independence but was also being divided by Partition.

Background: Communal Violence in Bengal

• Communal tensions in Calcutta had intensified after the Direct Action Day of 16 August 1946, called by the Muslim League to press its demand for Pakistan.
• The resulting violence, often referred to as the Great Calcutta Killing, led to thousands of deaths and deepened Hindu-Muslim tensions.
• Communal violence subsequently spread to other parts of northern India.
• Gandhi had already spent several months in Noakhali, where he travelled through affected villages and appealed to Muslims to protect Hindus and restore peace.

Why did Gandhi stay in Calcutta?

• Bengal Chief Minister Huseyn Suhrawardy requested Gandhi to remain in Calcutta and help prevent further violence.
• Gandhi agreed on the condition that Suhrawardy would stay with him and work jointly for peace.
• On 13 August 1947, Gandhi moved to Hyderi Manzil.
• His arrival was initially met with hostility. Some Hindu groups accused him of favouring Muslims and demanded that he focus on protecting Hindus in Noakhali.
• Gandhi responded by placing himself among the people and making his own safety dependent on their commitment to peace.

Gandhi's Approach to Peace

• Gandhi used non-violence, fasting, prayer and personal engagement to discourage communal violence.
• He met political leaders, local residents and angry groups and held regular prayer meetings.
• On the eve of Independence, he warned that freedom would lose its meaning if communal violence continued.
• He therefore urged people to observe Independence with prayer, fasting and reflection, rather than celebrations alone.

Independence Day in Calcutta

• Gandhi observed 15 August 1947 with a 24-hour fast.
• Remarkably, communal violence in Calcutta subsided that day.
• Hindus and Muslims came together to decorate streets, display the national flag and participate in celebrations.
• Gandhi welcomed this temporary harmony but cautioned that it needed to be genuine and lasting.
• His intervention became an important example of his belief that political freedom had to be accompanied by social and communal harmony.

Significance

• Gandhi's stay demonstrated his commitment to communal peace during Partition.
• Calcutta's temporary return to peace strengthened the belief that non-violent intervention could influence deeply divided communities.
• However, the violence resumed in subsequent weeks, showing that the underlying communal tensions had not disappeared.

Direct Action Day - 16 August 1946

Introduction

• In 1946, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the Muslim League, announced 16 August as Direct Action Day.
• The Muslim League called for a general strike to put pressure on the British government to accept its demand for a separate Muslim-majority state, Pakistan.
• The day became a major turning point in the political crisis that eventually led to the Partition of India.
• Large-scale communal violence broke out between Hindus and Muslims, particularly in Calcutta (Kolkata).

Background

• By 1946, negotiations over India's independence had reached a critical stage.
• The British government sent the Cabinet Mission to India to work out a framework for the transfer of power.
• Initially, both the Congress and Muslim League accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan.
• However, after Jawaharlal Nehru's statement in July 1946 that Congress could modify its position in the Constituent Assembly, the Muslim League became concerned about possible Hindu domination.
• Jinnah subsequently rejected the Cabinet Mission Plan and decided to boycott the Constituent Assembly.
• He announced that the Muslim League would adopt Direct Action to press for Pakistan.

Communal Violence

• Communal tensions in Calcutta were already high before August 1946.
• Political mobilisation and inflammatory reporting in sections of the press further increased hostility between the two communities.
• The Direct Action Day strike turned into severe communal riots, particularly in Calcutta.
• The violence continued for several days and became known as the Great Calcutta Killing or the Week of the Long Knives.
• Thousands of people were killed or injured, while homes, shops and neighbourhoods were destroyed.
• Violence and communal tensions subsequently spread to places such as Noakhali, Bihar, Bombay and the United Provinces.

Political Consequences

• The riots deepened the Hindu-Muslim divide and strengthened support for the demand for separate political arrangements.
• They exposed the declining ability of the British administration to maintain law and order during the final phase of colonial rule.
• The role of the Muslim League government in Bengal, particularly Chief Minister Huseyn Suhrawardy, came under severe criticism.
• The violence also demonstrated how political disagreements could rapidly develop into mass communal conflict.

Interim Government and Congress–League Rivalry

• In September 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru headed the Interim Government.
• The Muslim League initially refused to participate but later joined the government in October 1946.
• Cooperation remained limited, with Congress and League ministers frequently disagreeing.
• The League used its participation to continue pressing its demand for Pakistan.
• Consequently, the Interim Government became a site of political confrontation rather than effective cooperation.

Significance

• Direct Action Day marked a major escalation of communal polarisation before Partition.
• It contributed to the political environment that ultimately culminated in the Partition of India in 1947.

Practice Question

Q. With reference to the events surrounding Direct Action Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s stay in Calcutta in 1947, consider the following statements:

1. The Muslim League’s decision to observe Direct Action Day followed the breakdown of consensus over the Cabinet Mission Plan and was linked to its demand for Pakistan. 
2. Gandhi’s decision to stay at Hyderi Manzil was primarily intended to participate in the official Independence celebrations organised in Calcutta. 
3. Gandhi’s presence in Beliaghata was accompanied by an attempt to make both communities assume responsibility for preventing further communal violence. 
4. The temporary communal peace in Calcutta on 15 August 1947 demonstrated that the underlying communal tensions had been permanently resolved.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 3 only
B. 1, 2 and 3 only
C. 2 and 4 only
D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: A. 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• The Muslim League adopted Direct Action after the breakdown of agreement over the Cabinet Mission Plan and used it to press its demand for Pakistan. Hence, Statement 1 is Correct.
• Gandhi stayed at Hyderi Manzil in Beliaghata to work for communal peace, rather than to participate in the official Independence celebrations in Delhi or elsewhere. Hence, Statement 2 is Incorrect.
• Gandhi deliberately placed himself among the people and sought to make the communities responsible for maintaining peace. His approach involved non-violence, personal engagement, prayer and fasting. Hence, Statement 3 is Correct.
• The peace achieved in Calcutta on 15 August 1947 was temporary, as communal violence resumed in the following weeks. Hence, Statement 4 is Incorrect.