‘Quit India’

We wake refreshed and enjoy a relatively late breakfast as we don’t have to set off until 10.00am. There’s only one location for today’s sightseeing - the Aga Khan Palace. This is a handsome building in beautiful gardens, but its main significance now is that it’s where Gandhi was imprisoned in August 1942 and where he remained for 21 months. The ground floor has been made into a museum detailing his time here and the campaign for Indian independence. 

It can feel very uncomfortable being a British citizen visiting countries once ruled by ‘The Empire’. I’m always amazed that there isn’t more antipathy towards us; we’ve been greeted with such friendship and enthusiasm, and even though our guide n Mumbai greeted us as ‘my former masters’, it was with humour. However, going through this exhibition highlights some very unsavoury aspects of British governance. 

Gandhi’s imprisonment, together with that of all the ‘Quit India’ leaders seems akin to the way totalitarian regimes react to those who go against the status quo.  Ironically, it also left the population angry and leaderless, mob violence replacing any of Gandhi’s non-violent approach - mobs which were met with machine gun fire and captives that were whipped. Newspapers were censored, patriotic literature banned,  and secret radio transmissions were established but under constant danger of discovery.

Of course, Britain was at war, and possibly the museum presents a less than balanced view of the situation, but even so it’s hard to read the witness statements posted throughout the museum. There are photographs, newspaper extracts, some sound recordings of key players, and some very convincing models - particularly of Gandhi. It’s both moving and infuriating. 

We explore some of the gardens, including the area where the ashes of Gandhi’s wife, co-campaigner and soul-mate are interred. She died imprisoned, far from his own site of incarceration. 

Quiet after this visit, we return to the car for the final stage of this phase of the journey; the drive back to Mumbai to embark on our cruise to Singapore. It’s been a fascinating journey through this part of Maharashtra.