Gandhi dies in prison in 1944. What will be the effects?

February 1944. Gandhi's wife Kasturba, dies as per OTL from failing health. Gandhi in prison at that time, goes on fast for 21 days in protest. OTL he caught malaria in May, here however i propose that he gets malaria in March and dies from poor health at the age of 74. BTW he dies in March 1944, after he finished his interview with journalist Stuart Gelder in which he was misquoted as giving a lot of concessions and before he could clarify those errors as he did OTL.

What will be the consequences?
 
By the way he dies in March 1944, after he finished his interview with journalist Stuart Gelder in which he was misquoted as giving a lot of concessions and before he could clarify those errors as he did in our timeline.
Out of interest what were the concessions that he was portrayed as having given?
 

Driftless

Donor
I could see a couple protests happening. Since its during war time then it could be bloody. Perhaps a violent decolonization?

I would def see India getting its independence slower in this timeline, somewhere around 1951 or 52.

Might the Soviets toss more than a little metaphoric gasoline on the smoldering fire of resentment/potential revolt post-war? That would be consistent with Soviet policy and historic Russian efforts. Simultaneous revolutions in China and India?:eek:
 
Out of interest what were the concessions that he was portrayed as having given?

He was allegedly willing to accept indian participation in WW2 (provided the indian troops were placed under the command of indian civilian government and British agreed to giving independence after the war was over) in exchange for calling off Quit India, he was willing to accept concessions to Muslim League like Muslim only seats, or even accept the partition of the country should Muslim league want it. Those are concessions I am sure were mentioned and then retracted and corrected. Others were too but I am not 100% in those.
 
Is he still in prison ITTL when he dies?

Yes. He dies shortly before he was to be released.

OTL the British administration was freaking out over possibility of Gandhi dying in prison. So they released him when he got really sick. ITTL they would be freaking out too, but due to bureaucratic inertia and simple butterfly effects, the release is delayed just enough for him to die from the illness.
 
Might the Soviets toss more than a little metaphoric gasoline on the smoldering fire of resentment/potential revolt post-war? That would be consistent with Soviet policy and historic Russian efforts. Simultaneous revolutions in China and India?:eek:

That would be an interesting possibility, but unlikely since there wasn’t really an Indian Mao or Uncle Ho.
 
Who knows, could Partition be averted?

If Nehru wants to and is willing to make the appropriate concessions to Jinnah then possibly yes. In 1944 ML was in a tough spot, the Bengal Famine had eroded away the support it enjoyed in Bengal, as it's provincial government was being partly blamed by the people for the disaster, mostly because of the ML's ties to rich Muslim landowners, and others, who price gouged the peasants when the shortages struck exacerbating the famine.
 

Srihari14

Banned
If Nehru wants to and is willing to make the appropriate concessions to Jinnah then possibly yes. In 1944 ML was in a tough spot, the Bengal Famine had eroded away the support it enjoyed in Bengal, as it's provincial government was being partly blamed by the people for the disaster, mostly because of the ML's ties to rich Muslim landowners, and others, who price gouged the peasants when the shortages struck exacerbating the famine.
Yes, and without Gandhi interfering in Congress decision making, it might lead to Patel being Inc chief
 
Good way to gain some soviet sympathy. Honestly I could see Indian independence being a very bloody affair. We may have a non partitioned India that probably sides with the Soviets in the cold war.
 
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