By — Dr. Howard Markel Dr. Howard Markel Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/remembering-the-violent-end-of-a-man-who-prescribed-peace Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Remembering the violent end of a man who prescribed peace Health Jan 30, 2024 5:43 PM EDT With war currently troubling many pockets of the world, Mohandas K. Gandhi is a worthy peacemaker to remember today, 76 years after his death. The charismatic Indian leader was killed in Delhi on Jan. 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist who disagreed with Gandhi’s political ideology. A brilliant strategist, Gandhi understood how to keep Great Britain at bay, advocated for a free India and straddled the long-standing feud between Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus. He prescribed nonviolent protest, a stunningly effective tool later adopted by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. READ MORE: What illness did King George III have? Gandhi spent much of World War II imprisoned in the Aga Khan Palace in Pune. There, he tried to raise awareness of the costs of colonialism and a small, British minority oppressing a far larger, native-born population by waging hunger strikes. As one’s fasting progresses from hours to days, there is fatigue and muscle weakness, shallow breathing and a slowing of the pulse. Dehydration sets in, making one feel quite nauseous and dizzy. A healthy adult can last up to a month or two of eating and drinking nothing, but eventually you would experience confusion and altered mental states. It is rare that one carries on a hunger strike like this, but Gandhi’s were typically long enough — and he was prominent enough — to make headlines. The strikes took such a toll on Gandhi’s health that he was released after 21 months – British and newly organized Indian authorities did not want his blood on their hands. Throughout the late 1940s, he continued to agitate for peace and Indian independence in the face of threats and violence against him and his family. It took several more years, but India finally achieved its independence on Aug. 15, 1947. Even a dedicated imperialist like then-Viscount Louis Mountbatten, Viceroy of India, admired Gandhi as the “architect of India’s freedom through non-violence.” READ MORE: Truman Capote’s unhappy ending In January 1948, he was walking to a prayer meeting with two family members when Godse fatally shot him three times. After the assassination, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru eulogized the Mahatma, which means “the great-souled one,” on All-India Radio: “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere, and I do not quite know what to tell you or how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the father of the nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that; nevertheless, we will not see him again, as we have seen him for these many years, we will not run to him for advice or seek solace from him, and that is a terrible blow, not only for me, but for millions and millions in this country.” Gandhi’s murder prompted a tsunami of grief in India and around the world, uplifting his legacy of fighting for dignity and peace. READ MORE: How a mysterious ailment ended Eleanor Roosevelt’s life Today, some of the gravest public health threats in the world occur in conflict zones, including Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Haiti. The challenges for civilians trying to survive in a war zone are myriad, serious and huge. Sewage and water lines are often destroyed, which sets the community up for gastrointestinal viruses, cholera, and more. Decimated living conditions never support health and prevent much needed sleep, rest and sense of wellbeing. The dust, debris and chemicals released in these zones can also wreak havoc on those with respiratory ailments or heart disease. And then there are food shortages. As we ponder the collective health of those caught in the middle of armed conflicts, Mohandas K. Gandhi’s influence would be a welcome prescription for our times. By — Dr. Howard Markel Dr. Howard Markel Dr. Howard Markel writes a monthly column for the PBS NewsHour, highlighting momentous historical events that continue to shape modern medicine. He is the director of the Center for the History of Medicine and the George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan and the author of “The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick and the Discovery of DNA’s Double Helix” (W.W. Norton, September ’21).
With war currently troubling many pockets of the world, Mohandas K. Gandhi is a worthy peacemaker to remember today, 76 years after his death. The charismatic Indian leader was killed in Delhi on Jan. 30, 1948, by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist who disagreed with Gandhi’s political ideology. A brilliant strategist, Gandhi understood how to keep Great Britain at bay, advocated for a free India and straddled the long-standing feud between Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus. He prescribed nonviolent protest, a stunningly effective tool later adopted by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. READ MORE: What illness did King George III have? Gandhi spent much of World War II imprisoned in the Aga Khan Palace in Pune. There, he tried to raise awareness of the costs of colonialism and a small, British minority oppressing a far larger, native-born population by waging hunger strikes. As one’s fasting progresses from hours to days, there is fatigue and muscle weakness, shallow breathing and a slowing of the pulse. Dehydration sets in, making one feel quite nauseous and dizzy. A healthy adult can last up to a month or two of eating and drinking nothing, but eventually you would experience confusion and altered mental states. It is rare that one carries on a hunger strike like this, but Gandhi’s were typically long enough — and he was prominent enough — to make headlines. The strikes took such a toll on Gandhi’s health that he was released after 21 months – British and newly organized Indian authorities did not want his blood on their hands. Throughout the late 1940s, he continued to agitate for peace and Indian independence in the face of threats and violence against him and his family. It took several more years, but India finally achieved its independence on Aug. 15, 1947. Even a dedicated imperialist like then-Viscount Louis Mountbatten, Viceroy of India, admired Gandhi as the “architect of India’s freedom through non-violence.” READ MORE: Truman Capote’s unhappy ending In January 1948, he was walking to a prayer meeting with two family members when Godse fatally shot him three times. After the assassination, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru eulogized the Mahatma, which means “the great-souled one,” on All-India Radio: “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives, and there is darkness everywhere, and I do not quite know what to tell you or how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the father of the nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that; nevertheless, we will not see him again, as we have seen him for these many years, we will not run to him for advice or seek solace from him, and that is a terrible blow, not only for me, but for millions and millions in this country.” Gandhi’s murder prompted a tsunami of grief in India and around the world, uplifting his legacy of fighting for dignity and peace. READ MORE: How a mysterious ailment ended Eleanor Roosevelt’s life Today, some of the gravest public health threats in the world occur in conflict zones, including Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Haiti. The challenges for civilians trying to survive in a war zone are myriad, serious and huge. Sewage and water lines are often destroyed, which sets the community up for gastrointestinal viruses, cholera, and more. Decimated living conditions never support health and prevent much needed sleep, rest and sense of wellbeing. The dust, debris and chemicals released in these zones can also wreak havoc on those with respiratory ailments or heart disease. And then there are food shortages. As we ponder the collective health of those caught in the middle of armed conflicts, Mohandas K. Gandhi’s influence would be a welcome prescription for our times.