“I cannot live while hatred and killing mar the atmosphere”, said Gandhi in utter despair and anguish. And he went on another fast of his life on January 13, 1948, just 17 days behind the last day of his life. What he sought was the re-union of hearts of all people of all communities. 

As the seventy-eight year-old and lean and weak Mahatma’s fast was five days old, representatives of various communal and cultural organizations in Delhi, came to the Birla House where Gandhi was in fast and prayers and submitted a written request to withdraw his fast and a pledge that they would protect the life, the property and the faith of the Muslims and that what had happened in Delhi all these days would not happen again. And Gandhi broke his fast. India’s millions sighed a sigh of relief. 

But the militant Hindus were not happy with Gandhi. They thought Gandhi was supporting the Muslims at the expense of the Hindus, and that the fast was just an attempt at blackmailing the Hindus for the sake of the Muslims. 

On one of the days of his fast, a bomb was thrown at him, while he was at his usual evening prayers, but the lethal missile missed him.