Assassination Attempt

Every cold winter morning in this Nov 2013, when I log on to a particular website from India, I find a recommendation by the editor for some news related to Jawahar Lal Nehru. May be these goody goody  articles are to remember the first prime minister of India or may be to precondition the minds of gullible persons to vote for certain political parties in 2014 elections. This blog is not a political commentary. I would like to do that but not here. I also don’t want to comment on Nehru for various actions that he took. The pain of Nehruvian socialism that my aspiring generation has undergone in our prime days is unforgettable. His dividing India on linguistic basis, was another painful action for which we are still suffering, be it Belgaum or the recent Andhra Telangana rift and there are many more in the pipeline.

Nehru was charismatic leader. I liked the aristocracy that he had. One of his pictures, in the book that I had on his USSR visit, was showing him making a toast at a dinner party. It was so aristocratic that I still remember it even after nearly sixty years. Nehru’s pictures of horse riding, playing golf were also equally impressive. Among children Nehru was always projected as “Nehru Chacha”, who always had a red rose pinned to his majestic sherwani. As an individual his personality was adorable.

Nehru and trademark Rose

The security that is seen today for political leaders and at the airports was not imaginable till 1980. I have seen motorcades with leaders shaking hands with their supporters. Security was not lax, but was not needed in that period. I would like to share an incidence of 1955.  Not many persons may know that there was an assassination attempt on Nehru in Nagpur. As a child I was a witness to the incidence. This incident dates back to March 1955. I was a primary student of Somalwar High School, Ramdas Peth, Nagpur. In the first week of March during the prayer time students were informed that Nehru Chacha is visiting Nagpur and we have to greet him when his motorcade passes on Wardha Road, not very far off from our school. Wardha Road was also called as Jail Road in those days as Nagpur Central Jail is also situated on the same road. This road connects airport in south to Raj Bhavan in north, where Nehru was to stay during his Nagpur visit. Janata Chowk, the junction of road passing over my school to the east and Wardha Road was less than a kilometer from my school and was midway between my home and school. I understand that this place is now called as Lokmat Chowk. Wardha Road was a part of NH6, and considering the traffic in those days the width of 60 feet was adequate. There were no pavements but some kachcha road on both the sides of the road. We were supposed to form a single line and stand facing the road with flags in our hand. We were instructed to wave the flags and shout “Chacha Nehru Zindabad”. We practiced this almost for a week. Finally on March 12^th, 1955, we were ready to greet “Chacha Nehru”. There were no school uniforms in those days but we were asked to come in a white shirt and a khaki half pant that almost every student had in those days of Nehruvian socialism, being the most affordable. For few other students the possession of Khaki half pant was due to allegiance of their parents to RSS, of course of their parents as we were too small to understand political ideologies of RSS or Congress.

That morning we marched in a single file from our school. We made a brief halt at Caltex petrol pump that situated little away from Wardha Road on the opposite side of a small factory manufacturing industrial spades; we called it as “Phavadyacha Karkhana”. We had to wait there as police had to block the traffic, so that we can occupy our positions on the road at the junction. A police jeep sounding siren zoomed past on the Wardha Road. Immediately few whistles were blown, smartly dressed policemen took their positions and traffic was blocked. We were led to the junction by our teachers ensuring the flags were held properly and instructions were given as to when to shout the slogans.

It was bright sunny morning and it was brighter for us as we were facing east. In few minutes two smartly dressed policemen, riding motorcycles one on the right side of the road and another on the left were seen approaching from south towards us. That was the indication that “Chacha Nehru” was coming. I strained my eyes to see a white car little behind the “Daroga”, vernacular synonym for the policeman who were riding the motorcycles. The car was approaching at very slow speed. As the car came further I could see Nehru standing in the rear open car in the center and greeting the waiting public waving his both hands. He was in white sherwani with his trademark red rose. We were instructed to shout the slogan and wave the flags. We were certainly excited to see someone whom we had so far seen only in pictures, in print media. No TVs in that era. The motorcade came nearer. The policemen on the motorcycles crossed us and suddenly there was some commotion just opposite me. On the other side of the road, I saw a man pushing a cycle rickshaw northwards on the road, through the crowd that was watching Nehru. His rickshaw breached the crowd and rolled over the road. He managed it so well that the motorcycles had crossed and there was enough space between them and Nehru’s car. The rickshaw rolled and hit the car in the front. Driver applied the brakes; Nehru’s hands came down on the back of driver’s seat to balance himself. In the meantime the man who pushed the rickshaw came running towards the car, stood on the foot board behind the driver’s seat, grabbed Nehru’s Sherwani near the neck with one hand and raised another to attack Nehru with knife that he was holding. Nehru was surprised, he tried to resist. In the meantime the Daroga riding the motorcycle on the right side sprinted towards the assailant and overpowered him. I was watching the entire episode with wide open eyes and awe. I was in no position to scream, I was flabbergasted. I realized the gravity of situation when I heard my schoolmate screaming and crying. Our teachers were trying to pacify us and cordon off the area due to the commotion. Police from the van that was following Nehru rushed and cleared the area. The attacker was hauled to the van and the motorcade resumed its journey. Nehru looked composed and continued waving to his admirers.

We returned to the school to continue with our classes, but everyone was really disturbed.

Author in 1955

I returned home after the school and described the entire incidence to my parents and siblings, who had already heard the same from neighbours and on radio. However my account was most significant for them being actual witness to what they had heard. Next day the newspapers carried te news in details. I was told that the attacker’s name was Baburao Chakole, who did this just to get publicity and for no political motives. The inspector who overpowered Baburao was attached to Sitabuldi Police Station and his surname was Quin, I don’t remember his first name (if anyone knows, please mention in the comments below).

Days went by; I grew up but could never forget the incidence. I might not have endorsed Nehru’s political ideology or policies, but I admired him for his personality, his aristocracy and calmness that he had after the assassination attempt. I doubt if India would ever have that kind of aristocratic, charismatic leader? His positioning in various segments was perfect, more so in 0-15 age group as Chacha. With 2014 election round the corner will some of the leaders reposition themselves?

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