The Carrot Of Independence – March 29, 1942

Mohandas Gandhi meets with Sir Stafford Cripps – tantalizing offer but . . .

Click on the link here for Audio Player: News for March 29, 1942

The really interesting, and somewhat prophetic, news on this March 29th in 1942, was buried towards the end of what were daily reports from the Front. The war was dragging on. Britain was staging a series of raids on Germany and German held territory. American troops were holding out in The Philippines against relentless Japanese assaults. An editorial on Nazi Foreign Office chief Franz von Pappen, and towards the end, talk about the possibilities of India gaining independence from Britain.

Not entirely new news, but something of a breakthrough in what had been a decades-old struggle in India – a struggle that brought into prominence Mohandas Gandhi and his school of non-violent protest.

Long a feeling that waging war was not only an expensive proposition, it was also beginning to become impractical to maintain the vast number of colonies throughout the world, not only from Britain, but also from now-occupied France. So various feelers were being put forth by British War Cabinet member Sir Stafford Cripps, in an effort gain Indian support of Britain in exchange for independence.

Although no formal agreement was reached as the result of this visit, it nonetheless firmly planted the carrot of independence, and the seeds of a greater movement were sown for later reference and reminder after the war.

And it happened on this day, and reported via WGN News for March 29, 1942.

“Bapuji Is No More” – The Death Of Mohandas Gandhi – January 30, 1948

Four bullets from a thickly set man dressed in Khaki.

Click on the link here for Audio Player: News for January 30, 1948

Further evidence that some events which take place in history are not necessarily considered devastating at the time they occurred. This one, for example – the assassination of India’s spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi on this day, January 30, 1948, was considered in U.S. media as just another event in a post-War world going through upheaval, during a day when a lot of other news was going on which was deemed more important after the initial bulletin.

News of the assassination of Gandhi also took a while to spread. Media just wasn’t as instant as it is now. And the sketchy reports that came in, even by eye-witnesses, were later contradicted as the story unfolded. One report, broadcast on the later News Of The World; Night Special, via a BBC correspondent, said four bullets were fired and the person wrestling the assailant to the ground was an American who had come for evening meditation. A later report said three bullets were fired and the assailant was wrestled to the ground by the Indian Air-Force Sergeant. Little details, certainly. But enough to cause a conspiracy theorists field day.

But the sad fact was, India’s leader was dead. Later, Jawahrlal Nehru would deliver a statement saying, in effect, that India’s light had gone out, and the future was uncertain.

But other news, that took precedence this day had a lot to do with the Winter Olympics, the goings-on in Capitol Hill and the Japanese premier of Gilbert and Sullivan‘s Operetta/spoof on Japanese Royalty, to a luke-warm reception.

All pretty inconsequential, in comparison to the bigger picture. But that was the news of the day as presented on The News Of The World and News Of The World Night Special over NBC Radio on January 30, 1948.

Related articles

• Gandhi assassinated in New Delhi – History.com This Day in History – 1/30/1948 (worldhistoryreview.org)
• We remember M. Gandhi (10/2/1869 – 01/30/1948) and his legacy… (imcradiodotnet.wordpress.com)
• The Great Martyr (astraunic.com)
• Gandhiji shot dead – The Hindu (January 31, 1948) (thehindu.com)