(Following is a letter written by Dr. B.R Ambedkar to Laxmi Kabir (Savitri Ambedkar), whom he later married. He expressed his views on the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi)
Sardar Patel Resigned After Gandhi ji’s Murder and Nehru Did Not Accept
Alipur Road
February 8, 1948
I have been the greatest champion of the elevation and emancipation of women … I have done my best to raise the status of women and I am very proud of it.
The Ambedkar-Gandhi Debate
I entirely agree with you that Gandhi should have not met his death at the hands of a Maharashtrian. I May go further and say that it would have been wrong for anybody to commit such a foul deed. You know that I owe nothing to Gandhi and he has contributed nothing to my spiritual, moral and social make-up. The only person to whom I owe all my being is Gautama Buddha. Nonetheless, I felt very sad on hearing of his assassination. Notwithstanding his antipathy to me, I went to the Birla House on Saturday morning and was shown his dead body. I could see the wounds. They were right on the heart. I was very much moved on seeing his dead body. I went with the funeral procession for s short distance as I was unable to walk and then returned home and again went to the Rajghat on the Jamuna but could not get to burning place being unable to break the ring formed by the crowd.
When Mahatma Gandhi Paid Visit to Dargah Qutubbudin Bakhtiyar Kaki Two Days Before His Assassination
My own view is that great men are of great service to their country but they are also at certain times a great hindrance to the progress of their country. There is one incident in Roman History which comes to my mind on this occasion. When Caesar was done to death and the matter was reported to Cicero, Cicero said to the messenger, “Tell the Romans your hour of liberty has come”
95-Year-Old Maimuna Khatoon Recalls the Day When Gandhi was Killed.
While one regrets the assassination of Gandhi, one can’t help finding in his heart the echo of the sentiments expressed by Cicero on the assassination of Caesar. Gandhi had become a positive danger to this country. He has choked all free-thought. He was holding together the Congress, which is combination of all the bad and self-seeking elements in society who agreed on no social or moral principles governing the life of society except the one of praising and flattering Mr. Gandhi. Such a body is unfit to govern a country. As the Bible says ‘that sometimes good cometh out of evil,’ so also I think that good will come out of the death of Mr Gandhi. It will release people from bondage to a superman. It will make them think for themselves and it will compel them to stand on their own merits.
Yours,
Bhimrao Ambedkar
