The house in which we lived faced a roundabout from which many roads branched off. Across one road was the house of Jinnah Sahib who made Pakistan. Before running away to Pakistan, this cow-eating Jinnah sold the house to a rich Hindu who made it the headquarters of the Cow Protection Society. On the other side across the road facing our garage was an even bigger house belonging to Seth Birla, nephew of the man who had built the temple. This Birla was said to be the richest man in India. There was always a crowd at his gate and lots of policemen. At first I thought that these people were looking for jobs like I was and that there would be no point in my joining them. And I was frightened of policemen. I had heard songs and speeches coming over the loudspeaker and was told that Mahatma Gandhi lived there and anyone could go in to have his darshan.

The next morning I went to have Gandhiji’s darshan. Nobody stopped me. There were many people including white sahibs and memsahibs sitting on the lawn. In the front there was a platform with a microphone. I sat down in a corner. A party of young men came and sat near me.

A few minutes later the Mahatma arrived leaning on a woman’s shoulder. Everyone stood up. Some people shouted, ‘Mahatama Ghandhi ki jai’. The young men sitting near me shouted, ‘Bharat Mata ki jai (Long live Mother India).’ Mahatma Gandhi sat down on the platform and shut his eyes. A party of men and women began to chant:

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram
Patitpavan Sita Ram.

I had never heard this song before. It sounded very nice. Then they sang:

Ishwar Allah Terey Nam
Sab Ko Sammati Day Bhagwan.

That also sounded nice. A young man sitting near me muttered: ‘Not Ishwar Allah but Mohammed Allah Terey Nam.’

When the hymn ended, a bearded Mussalman came and sat beside the Mahatma. He opened a book and drew the microphone towards his beard. He began to intone something. The young men beside me began to shout: ‘Shut up. . . . the Mussalmans have ravished our mothers and sisters . . . . we will not allow the Quran to be read in our country anymore.’ They jumped up and began yelling, ‘Bharat Mata ki jai.’

The Mahatma drew the microphone towards him and in a toothless, frog-croaking voice said, ‘Brothers and sisters, I will continue to respect all religions. If you do not agree with me, do not come to my prayer meetings. If you cause interruption, I will pray alone. Go back to your homes and ponder if it is right that our independence should end in this way, in the killing of brother by brother.’ He stood up, said namaskar and went away.