From the memoir: Gopalkrishna Gandhi was three when his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated

Margaret Bourke-White was invited to dinner by Nehru on 17 January 1948. Expecting a prime minister’s dinner to be a formal affair, she managed, after a long day at work, to change into an evening dress and get to the prime minister’s house on time. The atmosphere – totally informal – was stark, almost, and the menu was plain macaroni. But it was a most relaxing evening with a surprise reserved for the end. Rising from the table, Nehru said this was going to be his last meal for a while since he, too, had decided with several others, he said, to fast along with Gandhi.

But the next day, Day Six, brought relief. Over 100 representatives of different communities called on Gandhi greatly weakened by his fast. They included a representative each of the Hindu Mahasabha and the RSS. “We shall protect the life, property and faith of the Moslems and (undertake to see) that the incidents that have taken place in Delhi will not happen again,” they pledged. After prayers were recited, Gandhi accepted a glass of orange juice from Maulana Azad. The relief was palpable, with Nehru’s being the greatest. On learning, after Nehru had left his side, that...

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